Sep 08

Paper Addiction

Posted by Jeff Ross | Category: Globalisation, The Economy | Tags: , , , , ,

I attended a meeting last week, one of those large formal meetings, with a seemingly endless agenda with all the associated papers and not one, but two, people taking minutes (just in case they missed anything)…

At the start of the meeting, as the coffee mugs chinked, everyone emptied their cases and produced a stack of papers that they “needed for the meeting.” About half the people around the table also produced a laptop or PDA along with a fair number of iPhones.

As I looked at this, I thought to myself - why does it seem so difficult for us to give up our addiction to paper?

I have to confess, I do it as well. I receive an email for a meeting and my first thought is to print it out and put it in the case. Go into any computer or pc retailer and most floor space is given up to printers in one form or another. I lose track of the number of stationery companies offering me ever-less-expensive reams of inkjet and laser paper.

So, why do we do it, why is paper still so attractive?


  One comment to “Paper Addiction”

  • 1 Chris Says:
    October 9th, 2009 at: 1:26 pm - Report abuse

    I think there are several reasons why ‘paper is still attractive’. First, it is often easier and quicker to print of something, and run with it than it is to disconnect a laptop and the endless peripherals we attach to them. Second, we all have experienced too many BSOD and computer freezes not to take a paper copy, just ‘in case’. Third, most people find it easier to read, analyse and process information on paper than on a screen - especially in meetings. Finally, one of the main reasons is that most companies despite their pledge to move to a ‘paperless office’ insist on hard-copies of everything. This often involves duplication, and a waste of resources on printing reams of paper.

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