In a recent study involving 48 Japanese university students and graduates, scientists measured brain activity while writing on paper and tablet. Volunteers recorded their plans in graphs after reading the dialogues about their upcoming jobs among the fictional characters.

A new study on memory

The study’s authors asked them to reproduce as accurately as possible what they heard on their recordings. One group of participants used a notebook with a pen, the second – an electronic tablet and a pen, and the third a smartphone.

For one hour, participants were asked a few enlightening questions about how well they remembered the discussion about the fictional characters. The volunteers were then examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measures activity in different parts of the brain due to changes in blood flow.

Writing on paper is more useful than gadgets

According to the results of the study, it was determined that the participants who took notes on paper succeeded in 11 minutes, tablet users – 14 minutes, smartphones – 16 minutes. In those who write with a pen, the scientists found increased activity in the areas of the brain associated with language memory and visualization, as well as in the hippocampus, which is responsible for some types of memory.

Such activity indicates the involvement of more spatial details that can be reproduced in memory during the letter on paper. It also has a universal display format with electronic devices, standard navigation and text formatting tools,
– wrote the authors of the study.

According to scientists, records on paper are a more complex but more useful tool for memorizing important information. Therefore, if it is important for you to write down something and not forget it, it is better to use a notebook and a pen.