Paper vs screen

This is primarily a writing course and not a technology course, but in my view it is difficult to separate the two when so much communication these days, both business and personal, takes place using cell phones and computers and tablets. When it comes to writing and reading, though, most of us are somewhere in the middle between paper-only and screen-only.

I’m someone who loves real bookstores and paper books, but I’m finding myself doing more and more of my reading on my iPad. Still, if I have something I need to read carefully, I often find myself printing out an article so I can take notes in the margins.For many decades, until very recently, I did all of my first drafts by hand (yellow legal pads with a black cartridge pen or a fine line Razor point), but I’m doing most of my drafting now on a computer. When I’m getting my ideas together, I almost always still start with a pen. Somehow that blinking cursor feels too intimidating in its insistence that I put just one letter right where it sits there blinking impatiently, and I prefer to be able to sprawl and scrawl over a whole empty page when I’m not yet sure of what I want to say. Once I get  some details down on the page, I can organize things more efficiently if I can use arrows and circles to mark things and move chunks of my ideas around. It’s only then that I move to a keyboard, and often after I type something, I go back to paper because it seems easier often to revise, edit, and proofread a paper copy.

My main point: I don’t expect all of you to be comfortable with a fully-electronic class and with doing your work only on a screen. Some of you may be, and that’s fine, but don’t worry if you still prefer to do much of your reading or writing on paper.

As we start this class, I’d like you to think about what you’ve been comfortable in the past with in terms of paper and screen and what perhaps you might be willing to experiment with a bit this semester. For the most part (except for final drafts) we will be getting things back and forth electronically through this blog and your individual blogs. The main reason for this is convenience. But if you’re more comfortable reading on a page, by all means print things out. If you’d rather compose with a pen, go ahead, but then you need to type up a second (or third or fourth) draft. If you haven’t done much with on-screen reading and writing, though, you might want to try it out.

Think about where you are now in the spectrum between all-paper and all-screen (when and where and why do you use paper over screen and vice versa), and share your preferences by adding a comment below (yes, this is a trick to get you to practice making comments). This page gives you instructions for adding comments; note that if you are signed in to your blog, you will not need to full out email, etc. And please let me know if you have any issues with computer or Internet access, so we can brainstorm some possibilities.

37 Replies to “Paper vs screen”

  1. I do feel at times when it comes to reading online it’s a little more difficult to pay attention and not get distracted than as to on paper. Guess I’m old school rather have the in-class than online and a book than online. This way with the blog for myself I will have to learn im surre as well as everyone else. The E-learning was a little difficult at first last semester. After a little practice using it became easy to do so Im sure after spending time doing more and more it will become easier to utilize.

  2. I would say i’m definitely more comfortable writing and reading on paper vs electronically. I’m a returning student but it’s been a while since i used e-learning so i’m a little rusty with it but I am sure i’ll get used to it. I definitely want to learn more about on screen writing and incorporate both paper and screen writing through out the course when doing assignments.

  3. As I return to school for the first time in over fifteen years the most overwhelming part is not even the courses in and of themselves, but rather the technology that’s used to complete them. Somewhere in the recent future apparently the tech world passed right by me. I can’t help but directly correlate the uncomfortable feeling of living life not pursuing any goals or continuing an education to the uncomfortable or overwhelming feeling returning to school without a true grip on the vessel used to complete the assignments. Only one has true negative consequences though and it is not the latter. I will embrace the non comfort with open arms and am excited to learn some new things and hopefully catch up to the bus that has seemingly left the station in what is todays technology.

  4. Hello, I am very excited for for this new experience, and very nervous. I am definitely old school when it comes to writing. With that being said, I am ready to learn as much as possible in order to navigate through the future, and make my dream a reality.

  5. For myself it is easier for me to read and write on paper rather than on the computer just because I have only ever learned to do it that way. I feel like when I use the computer I get disorganized because my files/drafts are all over the place. I do want to learn on how to work and understand usingE-Learning.

  6. I feel that for myself I am much more comfortable with reading directions and assignments off of a paper. Also when reading books it is much easier to read a physical book than off of a tablet or phone. I find reading off a screen can be difficult at times and easy to lose your attention. But I like typing/writing essays on a computer as that is what I’ve been doing through middle school and high school. I find typing rough drafts to be easier as well. I am definitely intrigued with the idea of using a blog to share my writing with others and am excited to begin.

  7. As a returning student this is my first online class so I am new to the E-learning. I don’t mind using a computer and becoming more accustomed to technology though. I am much more comfortable the old fashioned way with a pen and paper. I am also new to the whole blog idea as well so this will be a new learning experience for me.

  8. I find myself getting lost reading things online. My eyes don’t jump to the correct line, I get distracted by something not on the screen. Especially writing it’s intimidating to look a blank screen and try to find where to begin. I like to try to write a couple ideas down on paper that usually only make sense to me. Then once I have a few good ideas I can find a flow and go from there.
    But this going remote is brand new for me. I like to procrastinate and push things off. I see this as a challenge to stay on top of my assignments and force myself to not cram everything in the last minute. Here’s to hope.

  9. I find it much easier to engage with the text or assignment if it was on paper, if it was based all online I feel that for me it would be a little bit more difficult because usually when i’m looking at a screen i’m at higher risk to be distracted. If im on a computer or looking at my TV i’m not always doing an important task where as being on paper its easier to digest information and easier to fix errors or mistakes. As much as it can be a pain it is also nice to be able to do work from home whilst being efficient, especially with the amount of resources that we are given.

  10. I personally prefer computer if I am typing a long paper. I would rather prefer computer, because I think it is easier. all you have to do is to press buttons, so so you hands won’t hurt as much. But, I prefer papers and copies if I am reading or taking notes. I would prefer papers when I am taking notes, because I could remember more if I write out by hands. For reading, I like it better, because it wont hurt my eyes as much.

  11. I personally prefer to read and write on paper verse on screen. I do not mind using a computer to write a final draft but when it comes to jotting down ideas and starting a rough draft, I would much prefer to start with a pencil and paper. All my school years I was only taught to use pencil and paper and technology was not introduced to me in school until after I left. I also prefer to read a book with the book physically in my hand. I start to lose focus after so long of reading something long on screen. I am looking forward to using a blog for the first time.

  12. From my standpoint, I will divide some situations for use paper and screen from my experiences. First, if I am doing an essay draft, I will use paper to finish the draft. If I use a computer to write an essay draft, I will uncomfortable doing that. Maybe this was my habit and stereotype. Secondly, I perfect to write my essay’s main idea, body paragraphs, and closing idea. Then I can scratch on the paper. Furthermore, the paper is convenient to edit the essay backward and forward. Moreover, if I face the computer screen for a long time, my eyes will dry and tired. So, I have been balanced between both paper and screen use. On the other hand, the computer will accelerate me to reply to the email, fill the online application, and register for classes. Likewise, I will diminish the time on non-essence things that I use the paper to complete. Lastly, either paper or screen, when we use them in the right way, they will unique.

  13. When I am at work or when I am just out and about I often find myself using on screen writing.My phone is very convenient in those moments, so I will go to my phone and write about something that I thought of suddenly.Often times I always think about writing or get an idea to write. When I don’t have a book or pen my phone is always available to jot down my thoughts.The only reason I may use paper and pen would be if I plan on sitting down and writing (from Schamona)

  14. As a person who constantly needs to be moving around, and someone who gets easily distracted. I would say I would much rather have paper and handwrite things. When I need to read on the computer I have the tendency to get more distracted. For some reason, when I do any work that is school-related on the computer I feel like my work is all over the place, and I have different ideas that I am trying to type so fast. My brain is working faster than my hand. When I go back to read it over it does not make sense. With that being said I don’t want to take away how amazing the technology we have today is. In today’s world, we have so many resources on the internet to pretty much help us with anything. My goal is to learn how to navigate today’s technology more because who knows maybe will end up liking the screen better.

  15. I literally hate online classes. I love being in the classroom and listening to the lecture the teacher has worked hard on. Not only is it easier to learn , it is more personal. I struggle to read online. You can’t ask questions immediatley. By the time I get a response I forget what I even read. English is the thoughest subject for me. I am coming into this with an open mind. I’m hoping this class will get me to somewhat like english.

  16. Good afternoon, in my opinion I prefer paper over technology when it comes down to writing. When I went to highschool, our teacher would always have us write our rough drafts, because it was easier for her to proof read it and make corrections. So that’s what I got use too and for me personally it was easier for me to proofread and makes change on paper. Since with computers every writing program is a little different and sometimes confuses me and I find myself asking how do I make a bulletpoint or how do I underline this word etc and then theirs the problem of my cat hoping on my laptop and just randomly deleting everything. When i write on paper my cat cant delete everything or turn off my paper, and when i need to underline something, make bulletpoints or other things I can just simply do them. Now when it comes down to reading i like technology more, because i find more information online and more quickly, but its usually disorganzied and when im confused on something i can ask it a question. Now what really makes reading online terrible is the intrusive ads that constantly pop up telling me about stuff i dont want or need and then when i try to exit out of them they can be tricky and make me open them and then i have hit back and find where i was which can be very annoying and play on my patience quite a lot. Then when I read a book sometimes I can’t find the exact information im looking for without looking at multiple books. which can be a hassle to obtain and I also cant ask a book a question about something im confused. Overall i would say technology and paper both have its ups and downs, but with reading i think technology is better eventhough its plagued with Ads. Eventhough im now more used to writing stuff online i still find writing on paper more easier.

  17. With reading I definitely prefer paper, but with writing I’m comfortable with either one. Sometimes I want to write everything down, and other times I don’t feel like it so I use my computer instead. I’m definitely a way better in person learner though. I have horrible ADHD and when I’m at home trying to pay attention to something my mind can drift a lot faster than when I’m in a classroom. I’m sort of getting the hang of doing everything online. It can be a struggle sometimes though.

  18. Growing up with the internet and smart devices becoming a progressively larger part of my life during my formative years, I dont have any reservations about the relationship we have today with text and media being on a screen. I grew up reading paper books of course and you cant beat the feeling of sitting alone with a good book. So I would say I am partial to both, if for no other reason then nostalgia in favor of physical books. When it comes to writing, however I much prefer to type then write anything out by hand. Its simply too convenient compared to good old paper and pencil. Especially with all the editing tools available for digital writing, its hardly a contest.

    I have something of a love-hate relationship with online schooling. On one hand I love the autonomy and making my own schedule when it comes to breaking down my day. But I am very much an auditory learner. I feel like a big part of the education process is lost in online schooling. The peer to peer interaction and feedback from the professor dont feel the same online.

  19. Where I’m from we had very limited access to computers in school, so we really had to rely on our teachers for help and mostly everything was written on paper. I do prefer reading on paper though because I feel like I get distracted by ads, or notifications that pop up on the screen while I’m trying to read. I didn’t write many papers in my high school career, maybe one or two, so I don’t really know what I would prefer when it comes to actualluy sitting down and having to gather my thoughts to write about a topic. I honestly feel as if I would be way more successful in a classroom setting with teacher and peer interactions, doing everything from home is more distracting. I feel like there should be a seperation from home and school/work. In a classroom I only have one thing to focus on which is my work, and at home I could think of a hundred other things I need to do rather than working on a paper for school.

  20. Good afternoon dear readers, i specifically not an online person but I expect throw time to adjust since we have no options after being impact by the virus. One of the reasons why i not an online person is because I get easily distracted with videos and text messages. Probably another reason why I don’t like to read or write online is because I am a very distracted person, but otherwise I believe I will do just great along with encouragement of everyone else. I also expect to use all the tools is to offer in online to improve my writing. I guess this semester is going to e quite interesting since I just got back before the pandemic.

  21. For things like long papers I prefer to type them rather than using paper. I can type my thoughts faster than I can write them on paper. However, with computers and other screens I find that I become easily distracted. When we switched to online during my senior year of high school I found myself to be less motivated than I did when we had in person classes. On the other hand, when taking notes and reading I prefer paper, it’s easier for me to organize and remember what I am writing down.

  22. I grew up reading and writing on paper and online. I don’t really have a preference but I do have to say that there is something about holding a book in your hand and reading. The same with holding a pen and writing on a piece of paper. Even reading online and writing online does have benefits. eLearning was hard to get used to because but I got the hang of it and it is easy and very useful. It is hard to find the motivation for online learning because we are not in a classroom setting. there are more distraction and other things you could be doing from home but I try my best to stay focused and get my work done.

  23. I find that after doing E-Learning for a few semesters I don’t print out what needs to be read any longer. I do try to use the Office 365 Dashboard on my BCC account for drafts but my first draft always starts on paper. I still write a bunch of other stuff down as well for each class in a notebook like checklists, ideas, questions, and notes to keep things sorted but that doesn’t always necessarily work.

  24. I prefer to use a pen and paper to do my daft and brainstorm when doing a writing assignment. It helps me to focus more and play around with my different ideas better. As for reading it all depends on the context of the material if it is a steamy book that just keeps me locked into the story I can read it from an electronic screen or from a hard copybook. If it is an article or informative picece or just worksheets or handouts from class I prefer to have a hard copy of the assignment it’s easier for me to focus without getting distracted. I myself also prefer having classes in person rather than online I feel like in person it’s more personal to get to know your classmates as well as the professor better and also the course material better. This is a new chapter of life like everyone else I will have to face and embrace and hopefully get more comfortable with having online classes and blogging which am excited about trying.

  25. I can type much faster than I can write by hand, so its easier to get the words out as fast as they appear in my head. However when it comes to learning, I hate having to read long texts or books on a screen. I find it difficult to focus, and there is much research on the negative effects of prolonged blue light exposure on things like sleep and concentration.

    However while technology is seductive for completing tasks, there is something romantic about writing on paper, and reading on paper. It really is an ‘I-dont-know-what’ that gets lost through a screen.

  26. I think there are different benefits when it comes to using a screen compared to using paper. I prefer screens because they are faster and more efficient to use.

    When typing, it is easier and faster to research and organize your information. Information is spread faster through the internet through sources like news websites and social media, in comparison to newspaper and physical advertisements.
    When using paper, it is easier for me to read and make notes on text. I like that paper is more traditional, and personal. There are different handwritings and note styles that show the personality of a writer that screens cannot portray.

  27. I prefer a screen for everything except writing. I feel the flow of the text is unnatural when typing and so smooth when writing. But since the pandemic hit I’ve been typing more than ever and it is still odd for me to type everything. The only downside I’ve had is the access to the internet and distractions a click away.

  28. Paperless and wireless are essentially the new way of life. Even utility companies want us to go paperless; and land line for phone is almost absolute. This new way of life is one I have not yet adjusted to completely. Nothing feels better to me than having a novel in my palms to read. If it is an interest story, fiction or real, it feels like you are closer to the scene. However, lately, a lot happens strictly online. This class a living proof of that fact. So, I have to adjust myself. I have no issue with online reading or writing because I do a little bit of that on a daily basis on social media, or through communication via test with family members and friends. Because of cautionary habit, I still tend to print import class material, billing statements, or anything I feel is very important to me to take a closer look at. I also worry about losing connection on the Internet. At least, I download most of the documents I judge important to me. That way, I can always print at my convenience. Then, I can always carry a document with me to read in case I have some down time during another activity. Moreover, on paper, you can always underline, highlight, or circle at ease. But online it is a different process. You have to have those options available in an app to be able to do those things. In other words, traditional paper is my preference. But I have learned to adapt and adjust myself with the new ways.

  29. At times I find it a bit intimidating when it comes to writing in general. Often times my mind goes to a blank and a simple introduction can sometimes take a while. I prefer to read things off an actual paperback rather than it being on screen. It’s kind of a little like my preference with doing things in person rather than watching television all the time or being on a screen all day like always being on social media. But through time everything, especially with e-learning, are now all set through screens. I guess the more I spend time on it the more comfortable I will get with reading and writing on screen.

  30. I personally perfer to read from a book or printed out pages. Reading on the computer makes me unfocused and hard to retain things. I feel like Im constantly reading the same line. I tend to print out all reading materials even if its like 50 pages because its easier for me.
    I am looking forward to this class.

  31. I agree with you I am all about paper and pen. In my opinion reading online hurts my eyes and I tend to get distracted because I can not follow along. I like to highlight and make notes. Also all of the technology is new to me and it can be very confusing. Especially when we use multiple different websites, but the blog does not seem too complicated to use. I am looking forward to using it and to learn more information about this course.

  32. I’m not yet entirely sure if I have a definite preference between paper and pen or through working solely with a computer. I feel like both have many strengths, with few shortcomings.

    I believe that paper is certainly a more intimate medium where you can make it as bland or as stylized as you’d like. If you’re following along with a lecture, you’ll likely have to abridge what’s being said and put it into your own words. This makes it so you need to understand the subject matter enough to then be able to summarize it so you can save time to compensate for how long writing can take versus speaking. The same cannot be said for computers, as with a little practice, you may be able to type as fast as someone is speaking. This may also make it so you’re doing more transcribing than actually internalizing the information you’re trying to absorb.

    I can also see paper and pen being better for subjects where you might be using different symbols or small graphs and diagrams since you may not be proficient in the note-taking program you’re using to be able to quickly add something like a table or arrows.

    Computers on the other hand typically use some kind of note-taking program to keep track of your writing. This can make it so you’re never missing your notes, so long as you’re at your computer, phone, tablet, etc. With remote work and schooling becoming more common, it may also be more convenient to have your notes and work all in one space.

    Either way, I don’t think you’re at too much of a disadvantage based on what medium you prefer. I believe the greatest defining factor is whether or not your interested in what you’re doing

  33. I definitely prefer typing over writing, I feel like it makes me focus more on what I am typing. I feel that when I write, it is a chore, one that I would rather not remember and I go into a sort of auto-pilot. I end up just scribbling away to “Get the job done”, and I don’t end up retaining anything.
    However, when it comes to reading, I would much rather have a physical book in my hand. I believe that if I have a laptop, or phone to read off of, I get to tempted by how easily I could just pop off to go fall into a Wikipedia black hole. Besides that, it is so much more satisfying to turn the pages of a book and know you are making progress.

  34. When it comes to reading things online, it’s harder to focus on the objective that is right in front of you. Distractions can come about and you will not get the work you need to get done. I have always been a hard copy type of person. I tend to focus more when it comes to paper than on screen. Plus when it comes to reading on a screen, it puts a strain on my eyes and I have to come back later to finish reading. For example, when it came to my syllabus for my classes. I had to print them out in order to read them because I could not focus or finish what I had to read. As for the essay portion, I could type away with my life because I feel like it’s so much faster to type out what you have to say rather than writing it. Overall, I am a screen and hard copy type of person depending if I have to read or get an essay done.

  35. In my opinion, I do prefer reading in a hard cover book. If it is a book online it is harder for me to focus, however I still get the work done. I tend to take a little more notes if I read books online, which is an advantage to make sure I understand the material. I am excited to learn more in this class!

  36. Throughout covid i’ve gone in and out of being comfortable with online learning and being totally overwhelmed. When it comes to writing and essays I much rather prefer online because of how much faster it is to just type out what you want to say instead of writing. On the other hand, when it comes to reading I find it hard to pay attention to reading on a screen, I feel much more comfortable have a physical book in my hand rather than a bright screen full of words. I like to take a break from the screen because it hurts my eyes being on it all day but now that really isn’t an option.

  37. Over the quarantine and even now I find myself transitioning to online reading and writing but I will always prefer reading a paper book. When I am reading a paper book I tend to understand the concept better . With Writing I am comfortable with either one, on paper or online. However the one thing with online with me is that it can be harder to focus on the task because I tend to procrastinate.

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