Why Om Malik, the founder of GigaOm, prefers handwriting to keyboard strokes
"I was doing some research for an essay and ended up on a website called, Drawright, which had a nice piece on why handwriting trumps typing. Here are my favorite five reasons.
"1. By feeling the writing surface, holding the writing instrument, and directing precise movement with thought, you give your brain a full workout! In contrast, typing is a simple, memory-based movement. Executing keystrokes is just a repetitive movement.
"2. Research shows that children who practice their handwriting have higher levels of literacy and cognitive development. This is likely because as children learn how to quickly translate mental images of letters into a physical form, they begin to understand how letters form sentences and meaning.
"3. Boosts reading comprehension: Strong writing skills also improve reading comprehension.
"4. Retains knowledge: Handwriting notes (such as in a class) helps you retain knowledge more than typing on a keyboard.
"5. Increases creativity: Writing and drawing by hand increases creativity because we are forced to slow down, consider the big picture, and come up with creative ideas. You use the right side of your brain."
Article: Why Handwriting Beats Typing
Related Article: This Is the Single Most Powerful Productivity Tool I’ve Ever Used, And I’ve Tried Them All