This isn’t an all-or-nothing argument, nor is it a siren call of nostalgia. It’s simply a defense of our most versatile thinking resource, which is good ol’ paper.

I think back to grade eleven when my Communications Technology teacher advocated for technology as the catalyst for a paperless future. And it made sense at the time.

Paper had some serious limitations.

Its production required precious resources, specifically trees. More paper=more trees and you either get that by destroying forests or creating forest farms. Not to mention the energy intensive industries required to process and dispose of it afterwards.

It could also be easily lost, destroyed and takes up a physical space that isn’t always convenient.

Yet, despite its limitations, it is the ultimate free form for expression. You can write, scribble, sketch, draw, fold, colour and use every corner to your liking.

It can be organized in any way you see fit.

It requires no battery or power source to use.

But my favourite is it requires your full engagement to use it. It doesn’t do any creative thinking for you, but can be a catalyst to get you thinking deeply.

Unlike technology, you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues with paper. There’s no file format to consider when handing paper over to another person. Preserved properly, it can last for generations.

Perhaps the dream of a paperless future hadn’t considered the limitations of technology itself. Or maybe it couldn’t foresee a future built upon a handful of corporations desperate to keep one addicted to their services.

While it has been an overall boon and I certainly appreciate the ease in which technologocal advances have improved our lives, touching paper resonates something deeper within us.

It can get us to think and be free in ways that technology simply cannot.

Let’s not rush to get rid of it.