When did you last write a letter by hand? In a digital world, where sending a text or email is more convenient than using snail mail, is traditional pen and paper dying out? Some people claim that writing has many benefits. So maybe it’s not time to put away your pen yet.

These days, when people request things in writing, a typed, electronic document will be accepted. 【小题1】. But crafting a handwritten document is unique: It requires planning and thought, and it helps you to remember spelling and punctuation.

【小题2】. This is particularly relevant for students. They are used to typing notes into a laptop, which is thought to lack the “tactile feedback (触觉反馈) ” to the brain that contact between pen and paper does. BBC Worklife website quotes Hetty Roessingh from the University of Calgary, who says that “taking notes by hand involves cognitive (认知的) engagement in summarizing, paraphrasing, organizing, concept and vocabulary mapping.”【小题3】.

There are everyday benefits to using pen and paper too. Scribbling notes, shopping lists or messages on the back of an envelope can still be useful, quick and portable.【小题4】. Pen pal writer Katherine Moller told the BBC: “...it is so personal and so precious to know someone chose to turn off the virtual world to spend some time with you.”

【小题5】especially if your smartphone, tablet or laptop runs out of power!