Since the 1970s, futurists have been predicting a paperless society. Oddly enough, several decades and technology enhancements later, we’re actually consuming more paper than ever. Are we ever going to outgrow the thin white sheets? And why do we need to anyway, exactly?

On the surface, paper is seen as an outmoded tool in this so-called digital age. Then there is the problem of cost, because though the manufacturing of and printing on paper are relatively cheap, storing an ever-increasing pile of them can become quite expensive. In terms of efficiency, paper documents severely lag behind their digital counterparts in that they cannot be accessed remotely, are difficult to revise, and sending documents means putting up with slow delivery (it could even be lost along the way). Lastly, there’s the obvious environmental concern, especially now that people are becoming more aware of the negative impacts of wasteful living.

Knowing all this, it’s only fair to ask: Why does paper persist? The following story may provide us some insight. In a study by Abigail Sellen and Richard Harper for their book “The Myth of the Paperless Office”, some policemen were given laptops to use during their rounds instead of the usual pad of paper they carry. The problem was that when people started to tell the police about their complaints, the cops had a hard time trying to input the information on their laptops and couldn’t concentrate on the complainants. Needless to say, the people weren’t very happy. This reveals two issues: 1) devices must be better designed to perform the needed tasks, and 2) we’re just more used to paper compared to computers (and other devices) for certain activities.

Other factors contributing to the difficulty of shifting to a paperless office are existing business procedures and government regulations. These usually necessitate having documents in print for record purposes, especially those requiring signatures. There’s also the question of whether the intended recipient of a digital document has the technology in place to process them, and preference for a “soft copy” rather than a “hard copy”. Another thing is the confidence of people in digital storage. Discs degrade, hence the need for multiple backups, and file formats are ever-changing, which may cause compatibility issues in the long run.

All these issues need to be addressed in order to drastically minimize the use of paper, and it will almost certainly take time. Personally, I doubt we’ll ever live in world without paper, and for some things, we may just have to accept that it’s simply the best tool to use. But this does not excuse us from using it to the point of excess. In the near future, I think the younger generation who grew up in front of the computer will probably be better with the transition. There’s hope for the trees yet.