Although computer technology is often necessary today, using a pen or pencil activates more areas of your brain than a keyboard does. You can potentially remember more by handwriting, according to a new study.
The potential benefits of handwriting for memory have been debated for some time. The new study set out to answer one question: How does handwriting compare to using a keyboard when it comes to remembering new information?
In all, 24 participants took part. Researchers asked each of them to write with a pen and then each was also asked to type on a keyboard. While performing these tasks, each volunteer wore a cap that held electrodes next to their head. It looked somewhat like a hair net fitted with 256 sensors. Those sensors recorded the participants' brainwaves. The electrodes noted which parts of the brain turned on during each task. And they showed that writing turned on memory areas in the brain while typing didn't.
Audrey van der Meer, the new study's leader, says this suggests that when we write by hand, we remember better. "This is because writing involves complex movements that activate more areas of the brain. The increased brain activity gives the brain more ‘hooks' to hang your memories on," she explains. Van der Meer also points out that writing by hand is related to visual notetaking. "Rather than typing blindly, the visual notetaker has to think about what is important to write down. Then, key words can be interlinked by boxes, arrows and small drawings," she adds.
This study does not recommend banning digital devices. In fact, its authors point out, computers and other devices with keyboards have become necessary in modern society. Keyboarding can especially benefit those with certain special needs (such as if they have trouble using their hands) and typing beats writing when it comes to speed, they add.
