The history of human evolution is inextricably linked to that of technology. Each new tool facilitates or enables the acquisition of new skills, which contributes to our progress as a species. Therefore, technological advances often arrive in the field of education with great promise.

This is the case with digitization: the incorporation of devices, educational platforms and interactive resources in classrooms has driven significant public investments and reforms in numerous countries .

After the initial enthusiasm, we now have evidence that the mere incorporation of digital devices does not guarantee improvements in learning. On the contrary, older technologies such as reading on paper or handwriting remain particularly effective for understanding and organizing information, and for building knowledge.

Knowledge needs structure

Understanding is not just about accessing information. It involves being able to relate data, place it in a context, arrange it in a sequence, and make sense of it.

Authors such as the American psychologist Jerome Bruner , the French philosopher Paul Ricoeur , and the researcher Walter Fisher have pointed out that a fundamental part of our understanding of the world is organized through narrative structures.

We don’t understand a historical process, a scientific problem, or a social conflict through isolated facts, but rather by integrating information into narratives that explain what happens, why, and how the different elements relate to one another. This type of understanding can hardly be built from brief fragments or discontinuous content. It requires texts that develop ideas, establish relationships, and allow us to follow a logical thread.

Why do we keep reading books?

That is precisely why reading is a cultural practice that has accompanied societies for centuries. As the writer Irene Vallejo reminds us , books have been one of the main tools for preserving, transmitting, and creating knowledge for more than two thousand years.

It’s no coincidence that they’ve endured. Some tools survive because they are especially well-suited to human needs, and that’s the case with the book. Just as we continue to use the spoon, the wheel, or the pencil, reading long texts remains one of the most effective ways to understand complex realities.

Writing follows a similar logic. Creating your own text—and especially doing it by hand—requires you to organize your ideas, establish relationships, and shape a coherent discourse. Beyond simply recording information, it’s about structuring it. And in that process, understanding is consolidated.

What the research says

In a sense, we are facing a paradox: the more technology has spread in classrooms, the more evident the importance of practices such as reading on paper or handwriting has become.

A widely cited meta-analysis has shown that comprehension of complex texts tends to be greater when read in print format, especially when reading requires sustained attention.

Experts like psychologist Maryanne Wolf have warned that reading in digital environments promotes fragmentation, which hinders the development of deep reading capable of integrating ideas and building meaning.

Something similar happens with writing. Various studies have shown that handwriting encourages a more active processing of information, while using a keyboard tends to promote literal transcription.

The shift in some educational systems

In this context, some of the educational systems that led the digitization process are reviewing their course.

The case of Sweden is one of the most frequently cited. After years of focusing on digital devices, the government has promoted measures to reinforce the use of printed books and handwriting, partly in response to concerns about reading comprehension.

Along similar lines, other European countries have introduced restrictions on the use of mobile devices in classrooms or have promoted more limited screen time in the early stages of education. In Denmark , Finland , and the Netherlands , these measures have been linked to improved attention spans, supported by recommendations from international organizations such as UNESCO .

In Spain, several autonomous communities have introduced restrictions on the use of mobile phones in classrooms . Some educational initiatives are reinforcing practices such as reading on paper or handwriting, for example, through the integration of school libraries into educational projects or the reintroduction of notebooks and printed materials in the classroom .

Neither nostalgia nor rejection: recovering what is essential

What’s at stake isn’t a return to the past or a rejection of technology. Digital tools have greatly expanded access to information and offer valuable possibilities. But this progress doesn’t eliminate the increasingly clear evidence that some practices—like reading complex texts and writing by hand—remain fundamental. Therefore, rather than a step backward, what we’re seeing is an adjustment.

In an educational context increasingly marked by digitalization, the challenge does not seem to be choosing between screens or paper, but recognizing that not all forms of knowledge are built in the same way, and that some still need – perhaps now more than ever – time, continuity and sustained attention in reading and writing.

Author Bio: Angel Barbas is Professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Social Pedagogy at UNED – National University of Distance Education