From a Teen’s Perspective: Why I can’t quit paper

We live in an increasingly digital world. I do most of my homework on my computer. I use my phone for almost all communication that’s not face-to-face. It seems like there’s an alternative for every kind of paper product: the notes app instead of notes, e-books instead of books, and many, many more examples of technology all but eradicating our need for paper.

Logically, I understand this is beneficial for our environment. Paper production requires the use of natural resources and energy. So during the school week, I often use digital alternatives to paper.

However, on the weekends, I often find myself breaking my ecological habits. I write to-do lists in a physical notebook, read tangible pages in novels, and print out assignments that could have been done on my computer instead.

At first I didn’t understand my preference for paper. It’s often a less efficient and manageable medium. It’s less forgiving of mistakes and takes up physical space. It may seem limited, confining. Yet I always feel an innate affection for paper, and I think I finally have an idea why.

Humans are not fully aclimated to a digital world. We have always experienced our surroundings and expressed our will through physical means. We build, create, climb, run, hug, hi-five. We like to feel influential in our environment using our bodies.

I think it’s this innate desire to interact with our world that fuels my love of paper. Holding a book or scribbling something on a page makes me feel tangible and meaningul in a way that reading through a PDF or typing on a computer does not.

Technology is transforming our definition of reality. No longer does something have to physically exist for it to be seen or heard. This development is full of exciting opportunities for the future, yet it’s also a drastic shift from life just a couple generations ago.

I hope we create an empowering digital world where we can spread important information, connect with one another, and gain access to beneficial resources we otherwise wouldn’t.

However, I also hope we don’t forget the importance of maintaining our connection to the physical world, whether that means taking hikes, creating art, cooking food, or in my case, using paper.

Got any topics you want me to cover? Email dylanclarklanier@gmail.com with your requests!

Dylan Lanier is a senior at Menlo-Atherton High School; his column appears weekly.

Stock image by Freepik