Writing by hand: an activity from the past that helps you concentrate

Our world is moving faster and faster. This rule applies even more in our hyper-connected society, in which we are increasingly used to doing two or more activities at the same time: we should listen to music while we work or study, perhaps even read the news of the day and comment on it with our friends on WhatsApp, after ordering a takeaway dinner, checking the weather forecast and choosing from the Netflix catalogue the film or TV series to watch in the evening.

The pandemic has only partially hindered this speed, forcing us, with smart working (or distance learning) to combine more and more moments of work or study with… everything else. So, it should come as no surprise that, in contrast, certain actions that belong to the past are becoming increasingly important in the lives of an ever larger segment of the population. One example? The passion for writing by hand.

The experts are sure: we need to slow down, to take breaks, to rediscover some “old” activities linked to the everyday life of the past. Writing our thoughts by hand or simply jotting down a to-do list on paper is a way for us to remain ourselves and escape from the hustle and bustle of being hyper-connected. According to a study published in the journal Psychological Science, writing by hand increases concentration, memory and our ability to be concise. And this rule applies to everyone, even the youngest, who have practically grown up with a smartphone in their hands.

Confirmation of this theory comes from the Canadian youtuber Amanda Rach Lee, who, now in her early twenties, has over two million followers on YouTube (a lot, not exactly a niche passion), thanks to her videos, in which she teaches the art of writing and beautiful calligraphy. Further proof of this is the increase in sales of customised advertising fountain pens, which are climbing the list of objects from the past that we are gradually learning to rediscover. Some are genuine luxury works of art, costing hundreds of thousands and even millions of euros. Fortunately, however, even an old Bic is good enough to find yourself…

 

Translated by Elisabetta Ciocca

Reviewed by Prof. Rolf Cook