Computersight -

Thanks to the digital age, we do not have to search the thick dictionaries or encyclopedias in order to find something. However, this benefit is not the total benefit of digital technology. There are also extra paper consumptions due to this easiness that reduces the net benefit tremendously.  7 main reasons why we are using more papers are listed below.

1. During the times hand writings and carbon copies are used the option of cross lining the mistyped word and correcting was highly accepted. Because it was a lot of time to reproduce these papers and the managers had knew these from their past careers. However, today most of the supervisors do not accept documents even with a single correction  on the paper. This results with reproducing again and again the same single document.
2. For reviewing of documents, the printed copies are given to the supervisors for signature. Unfortunately they always find something to change. Afterwards, the new version is given to the boss and with a “Maybe we can do” he could want something else and else. Approximate revision amount for a document is generally 3. If the importance increases, this number is also increases. Moreover, we should also consider the self-check revisions that are eliminated before being submitted. This is nearly 3 more times of printing. 
3. Due to the ease of printing, very few people choose to print only the corrected page/s instead of printing the whole document. Consider a 10 pages essay. If the writer realizes a mistake on the 5th page, he changes it from the computer and reprints the whole text again. He is not so wrong because many times this change causes the remaining part of the text move very different positions in the paper. Almost everybody gives one chance to one page printing but  after some inevitable errors and embarrassments, simply gives up. The attraction of printing with high-technology printers maybe another motive. Also think of someone frequently going to the printer. He looks much more hard working than the perfect first time printing employee.
4. While looking for some information on the Internet we reach some relevant documents. Afterwards we want to use it as a reference. You know well, we really like to underline the relevant parts with colorful pens. However the problem here is the amount of the printout we take. For example, if we are going to use only one single sentence, we may print 10 pages that will not even be read.
5. Think that you made a beautiful AutoCAD drawing of a construction project. You see it on the monitor screen but will you get satisfied unless you take your drawing in your hands and check the lines whether they are really there or not? Mostly we say “Let’s see how it looks on the paper”. Additionally, if we are talking about architectural or civil engineering drawings the plot paper sizes would be A1 or A0. Then again we could not save any paper with “Computer Aided Drawing”.
6. All of us are not experts of office programs like excel or world. We have a dream of our document’s printed hard copy versions but after printing we get something which we would not even want to put to the recycling bin. Then we try again and again. This would go up to 10th time maybe. I want to remind that at this level we have not started to review the text itself, yet.
7. With the ease of printing and reproducing the documents, we tent to distribute to the departments or persons that would have nothing to do with that information. Also hand-notes could be considered at that category. For a simple note we can produce hundreds of papers and give every person a single paper. But why do we have message boards or email addresses?

As you could see, paper consumption did not really reduced with the help of computer enhancements. On the other side we could say that paper usage increased with these modern ways. Do you want a prove? Then you should check your recycling bin and try to compare its size with the old times.

I hope you do not print this article for any reasons even though I also find it very suitable for underlining. However, we have to quit this habit before we have to stop due to the finish of paper itself.