Fun factor (does it feel like a hobby or a chore?).

Health factor (the physical, emotional, and mental benefits).

Here’s the list of criteria – or “main desires” – that I used for organizing all the pros and cons: These simply have to be nurtured to match the “holistic” experience of paper journaling. Plus, beneficial brain stimulation and therapeutic value are still part of journaling on a computer. But these traits aren’t that big of a deal compared to the many inconveniences caused by inferior productivity & efficacy, security & privacy, and accessibility.īy contrast, although typing in a digital log may feel emotionally numbing at first, the above factors otherwise weak in paper journaling turn into decisive advantages, making electronic journaling the ideal choice. Summary of the Positives and NegativesĪ handwritten analog journal is portable, low-cost, healthier, and arguably more fun to maintain. And, it seems that even though I like the tactility of pen-to-paper, I’m actually far more consistent, productive, and efficient at keeping a digital journal. Second, I layered these findings against the backdrop of my own experience to form a calculated opinion.

If a criterion ends up with more pros under it than cons, I consider it to be positive overall, and vice versa. From there, I categorized these under criteria that are important to us folks who journal regularly. Why can I say this with conviction?įirst, I got all scientific and pondered over as many pros and cons of journaling on either platform as I could find. Overall, there are more advantages to keeping a journal on the computer rather than on paper. Is It Better To Journal on Paper or Computer? A stylus and touchscreen can also mimic the feel of analog writing. Although a handwritten journal may be better for cognitive and emotional factors, these benefits also come with digital journaling. In a gist: journaling on paper vs computer – which is best? A computer journal is better because of its greater productivity, convenience, security, and accessibility.

Has musing with a keyboard instead of a pen damaged the spiritual, holistic side of the practice? I think we can all agree on this.īut you likely want an answer to whether the convenience of today’s millennial tools snuffs out the centuries-old essence of analog journaling.

Maintaining a digital journal (journaling on a computer or a tablet) is a lot easier to do than on paper.

Day one journal vs onenote vs evernote