Throughout our lifetime, computers have been integrated into our daily school lives more and more. While some teachers seem eager to transition into full digital learning, others have a certain air of passive aggression about it. So in order to compare the two, we need a full list of pros and cons for each method.

Pros of Digital Schoolwork:

• There are permanent documents. Doing assignments online makes it almost impossible to lose your work. Even if you absolutely destroy your computer, you can still log into your accounts to access them. It would be hard to delete something permanently, even on purpose. 

• Less backpack weight. With seven classes a day and different curriculums requiring their own supplies, there is a lot of weight to carry around, even if you use a locker. Online textbooks and assignments lessen that weight, as several classes could easily be reduced to one laptop.
• Added learning flexibility: putting lessons and assignments online makes it easy for students to catch up on work when absent and review content they might have missed. It makes organization easier since you can find all your work by searching for things on your applications. 

Cons of Digital Learning:

• Increased risk of plagiarism. Plagiarism is made a lot easier when you can copy and paste someone else’s words into your assignments, and it can be difficult to tell when someone does this. It can also contribute to unreliable research when someone just does a quick Google search instead of actually trying to understand the material.
• Extra screen time. It’s undeniable that teenagers have a constant relationship with screens, and spending your whole 8-hour school day on a computer definitely has its effects. 

Pros of Paper Schoolwork:

• There are less distractions. Having infinite access to the internet and not knowing what’s on someone else’s computer can make it hard for teachers to keep a class on task. That’s not an issue when everyone looks down at the same paper.
• That good old traditional feeling! Sometimes after all we do with technology, it feels good to write with a pencil on paper or hold a physical book.

Cons of Paper Schoolwork:

• Physical writing. If you’re like me, writing long paragraphs on paper can put lots of stress on your hands, which really builds up throughout an assignment. Plus, it definitely adds time to your work, increasing pressure on timed assignments.
• Destructible materials. Paper is very fragile, and as much as the “my dog ate my homework” joke is overplayed, one water spill or pressing your eraser too hard could destroy all your hard work if you’re not careful.

While both options have pros and cons, digital schoolwork seems to be the better option. It has better pros and its cons have easy workarounds. But everyone has their own views, and full transitions won’t happen soon. But what do you prefer? Paper or digital schoolwork?