Paper
Paper products are kind of dying. Newspapers, magazines, cards, physical pieces of mail, and books have all been ported online. Instead of reading the daily newspaper, we are now free to browse for any headline we want, reflecting the increasing capacity for individuals with an internet connection to access almost anything they could possibly dream of. Furthermore, with the internet, text on a page has turned into video -- why watch the news about a fire if you can see it? Also, we can now listen to the news -- audiobooks, podcasts, videos can all be listened to without really needing engagement, meaning that we can both listen in on a video/podcast/audiobook and do something on the side, such as cooking or driving.
With that being said, paper is still super cool, and for me, useful. Firstly, paper is there. It's physical. It's tangible. Sure, science says technology can bla bla bla, but a physical piece of paper is nice as it's in your face -- you can't escape it. Also, it's super accessible. My phone broke a little while ago, but my pencil and paper didn't. Since I have my daily schedule/todo on smol sheets of paper, I could carry on with my life even though there was no phone -- recording down everything important, and knowing what to do when.
Also, paper is more, well, sentimental. I remember the excitement I felt when I got the first piece of mail. Finally! Something that was for me, specifically! Of course, I was too young to realize that companies send advertisements such as the one I got en-masse, but the fact that I was personally singled out by some person or entity really made 7 year old me happy. Nowadays, I've gotten jaded when getting mail; it's usually from corporations asking me to sign up for this new service or do some other nonsensical action, and furthermore, no one sends paper mail anymore; it's too laborious to physically grab a piece of paper, an envelope, a stamp, then drop it off at a mailbox, it's much easier to open your computer, click a button, and start typing away.
With all that being said, why do I still use paper? Sure, it's reliable, unhackable, and not prone to errors, but is there anything else?
Well, paper, like I mentioned is sentimental. Getting a handwritten, detailed letter from a friend means much more (to me at least) than getting some store-bought card with a "Happy Birthday" and name on it. Clearly, someone put more effort into one than the other, and one is valued more than the other. As a child, I used to abhor writing cards, because while my peers would just write "you are a good friend, happy birthday" my Mom would make me write 3 or 4 sentences about the person. This was especially excruciating when I had to write for an older figure, such as a teacher, because like 2nd grade me just couldn't handle that much and didn't see a problem with just "thanks for teaching me" or whatever else I wrote. Nowadays, however, to the people who I write (or will write) letters to, I try to put thought into every sentence -- whether that mean that I write a whole paragraph, or simply put one word in a stylish way on that piece of paper.
And the impact it has is truly tremendous. You can't hang your ipad on a wall, but you can put a card, or a piece of paper. Sure, you can take a screenshot of whatever and stick it on the wall, but it isn't the same -- it doesn't capture the intent and spirit that a simple piece of paper with handwritten letters gives off.
And that's why I still use paper.
(Paper is also more flexible -- you can fold it, draw arrows on it however, and turn it upside down or arbitrarily. Sure, digital stuffs are replicating the paper feel, but it always feels slightly off, slightly uncanny. That's another reason I use paper. Paper, however, is hard to sort through when it stacks up and is easily lost...)