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Use More Paper - the global analog revival

Use More Paper - the global analog revival

Written by: Jerzy Rajkow-Krzywicki
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 Why millions of people are turning back to vinyl records, film cameras, paper notebooks, dumbphones, and cassette tapes. It's not nostalgia. It's resistance. Against digital addiction, against tech feudalism, against a way of living that's making us sick, distracted, and owned. Hosted by Jerzy Rajkow, who spent 22 years running operations & technology at a global law firm. Walked away. Now he's hosting Use More Paper → the show about the global analog revival. www.usemorepaper.com

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Jerzy Rajkow-Krzywicki Parenting Philosophy Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Jose Briones - digital minimalism, dumbphones and analog things interview

    Jose Briones - digital minimalism, dumbphones and analog things interview
    May 4 2026
    I recently sat down with Jose Briones - digital minimalism advocate, book author, and YouTuber - for a conversation about intentional technology use, dumb phones, and the analog life. I first discovered Jose through his YouTube channel, and this conversation did not disappoint. We covered a lot of ground, from the history of technology in our homes to the surprising link between financial freedom and digital independence. Here is what came out of it.=========The topics covered in this conversation - screen time effects on mental health, the attention economy, the cognitive benefits of handwriting and analog tools, and the relationship between financial autonomy and wellbeing - are backed by a growing body of peer-reviewed research. Here are some key studies and papers grouped by topic.Screen time, smartphone use, and mental healthRatan, Z.A. et al. (2021). "Smartphone Addiction and Associated Health Outcomes in Adult Populations: A Systematic Review." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22), 12257. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182212257Twenge, J.M. & Campbell, W.K. (2018). "Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study." Preventive Medicine Reports, 12, 271-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003Abi-Jaoude, E., Naylor, K.T. & Pignatiello, A. (2020). "Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health." CMAJ, 192(6), E136-E141. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190434Allcott, H., Gentzkow, M. & Song, L. (2022). "Digital Addiction." American Economic Review, 112(7), 2424-2463. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20210867The attention economy and addictive designBhargava, V.R. & Velasquez, M. (2021). "Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction." Business Ethics Quarterly, 31(3), 321-359. https://doi.org/10.1017/beq.2020.32Lupianez-Villanueva, F. et al. (2020). "The Struggle for Human Attention: Between the Abuse of Social Media and Digital Wellbeing." Healthcare, 8(4), 497. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8040497Mujica, A.L. et al. (2022). "Addiction by Design." Medical Research Archives, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v10i2.2677Benefits of handwriting and analog toolsUmejima, K. et al. (2021). "Paper Notebooks vs. Mobile Devices: Brain Activation Differences During Memory Retrieval." Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 15, 634158. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.634158Van der Weel, F.R. & Van der Meer, A.L.H. (2024). "Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity." Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1219945. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945Marano, G. et al. (2025). "The Neuroscience Behind Writing: Handwriting vs. Typing - Who Wins the Battle?" Brain Sciences, 15(3), 285. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15030285Financial autonomy and wellbeingFischer, R. & Boer, D. (2011). "What is more important for national well-being: Money or autonomy? A meta-analysis of well-being, burnout, and anxiety across 63 societies." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(1), 164-184. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023663Ngamaba, K.H. et al. (2020). "How closely related are financial satisfaction and subjective well-being? Systematic review and meta-analysis." Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 85, 101522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2020.101522 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr
  • Carl Pullein - analog productivity interview

    Carl Pullein - analog productivity interview
    Apr 13 2026

    I recently sat down with Carl Pullein, a productivity consultant and YouTuber who has spent over a decade helping people get organized. Carl has been using Todoist for twelve years, Evernote for sixteen, and last year he ran a full-year experiment with a Franklin Planner. We talked about why people keep switching tools, why paper still matters, and why convenience might not be as good for us as we think.


    What came out of the conversation surprised me. Not because the ideas were new, but because they made so much sense - and because science keeps confirming what a simple notebook already knew.


    Here is what I learned.


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    Do Your Own Research

    Here are peer-reviewed studies and resources on handwriting, cognition, and the topics discussed in this article, grouped by theme.


    Handwriting, Memory, and Brain Activation
    • Umejima, K. et al. (2021). "Paper Notebooks vs. Mobile Devices: Brain Activation Differences During Memory Retrieval." Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 15, 634158. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.634158
    • Mueller, P. A. & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). "The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking." Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159-1168. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614524581
    • Van der Weel, F. R. & Van der Meer, A. L. H. (2023). "Handwriting but Not Typewriting Leads to Widespread Brain Connectivity: A High-Density EEG Study with Implications for the Classroom." Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1219945. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945
    • Ihara, A. S. et al. (2021). "Advantage of Handwriting Over Typing on Learning Words: Evidence From an N400 Event-Related Potential Index." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 15, 679191. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.679191


    Handwriting and Learning in Children
    • Longcamp, M. et al. (2008). "Learning Through Hand- or Typewriting Influences Visual Recognition of New Graphic Shapes." Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 20(5), 802-815. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2008.20504
    • Marano, G. et al. (2025). "The Neuroscience Behind Writing: Handwriting vs. Typing." Life, 15(3), 345. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15030345


    Handwriting and Spelling in Schools
    • Scientific Reports (2025). "Comparing the Effects of Typing and Handwriting on Spelling Performance in School." Nature Scientific Reports. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-03369-x


    Digital Impermanence and Preservation
    • Library of Congress Digital Preservation resources: https://www.digitalpreservation.gov


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    52 mins
  • The Minimal Phone review

    The Minimal Phone review
    Mar 12 2026
    By popular demand, here is my Minimal Phone review. And it's not just a quick first-impression kind of thing. I've been using this phone as my daily driver for four months now. It replaced my Punkt MP02, and I have quite a few thoughts to share.I don't usually do phone reviews because there are better channels for that. But I do think I have something worthwhile to say about this particular kind of device. I have real experience with dumb phones. I was using the Punkt MP02 for a very long time. Half of my family uses a Punkt MP02. My daughter uses one right now. And the Punkt is a really dumb phone - classy, very well designed, but really dumb. It just does calling, texting, and a very basic calendar. That's it.So the Punkt is dumb and a smartphone is really too smart. The Minimal Phone sits right in between. And that's where it gets interesting.---------Research and Further ReadingHere are peer-reviewed studies and reputable sources related to the topics covered in this article:E-ink displays and eye health:Rogers, R. et al. (2023). Study on the effect of displays on human retinal cells. Journal of the Society for Information Display. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. DOI: 10.1002/jsid.1191Siegenthaler, E. et al. (2012). Reading on LCD vs e-Ink displays: Effects on fatigue and visual strain. PLoS ONE. PubMedMaducdoc, M. et al. (2017). Visual consequences of electronic reader use: a pilot study. International Journal of Ophthalmology. PMCBenedetto, S. et al. (2013). E-Readers and Visual Fatigue. PLoS ONE. PMCBlue light and circadian rhythm disruption:Hatori, M. et al. (2017). Global rise of potential health hazards caused by blue light-induced circadian disruption in modern aging societies. NPJ Aging and Mechanisms of Disease. PubMedTähkämö, L. et al. (2019). Systematic review of light exposure impact on human circadian rhythm. Chronobiology International. PubMedHaghani, M. et al. (2024). Blue Light and Digital Screens Revisited. Journal of Biomedical Physics and Engineering. PubMedWahl, S. et al. (2019). The inner clock - Blue light sets the human rhythm. Journal of Biophotonics. PMCOuyang, X. et al. (2020). Blue light disrupts the circadian rhythm and creates damage in skin cells. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. PubMedHarvard Health Publishing (2024). Blue light has a dark side. Harvard HealthScreen time, children, and parental modeling:Canadian Paediatric Society (2017). Screen time and young children: Promoting health and development in a digital world. Paediatrics & Child Health. PMCMerkaš, M. et al. (2025). Effects of Parents' Smartphone Use on Children's Emotions, Behavior, and Subjective Well-Being. Frontiers in Psychology. PMCAlrasheed, M. et al. (2025). Impact of Screen Time on Development of Children. Children. PMCHarvard Medical School (2024). Screen Time and the Brain. HMS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    13 mins
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