The importance of Doodling

A study was done several years ago which discussed the benefits of doodling on memory.  Those who conducted the experiment hypothesized that doodling helps memory because it prevents a person from completely zoning out or daydreaming, which actually takes up much of your mental capacity and makes you less aware of your surroundings, and therefore you hear less of what is being said. I am personally very excited about this study, and is an excuse I have used numerous times when I have been caught doodling in class. In high school I used to draw mazes in class, which resulted in a few masterpieces actually, and looking back I could still answer questions when the teacher called on me in class.  When I completely zoned out or started daydreaming however, I had no clue what was going on.

So great Doodling is good for memory, so what? Well the problem now is that people don't doodle as much anymore.  Now that almost everyone has a phone that doubles as a hand held computer and a boombox and has Candy Crush and Bubble Pop and Flappy Bird etc, there is no reason to doodle.  There is an even lazier option which people normally take. During class people either text or Snapchat or scroll through Instagram etc.  All of these activities are just a more sophisticated form of zoning-out.  These are mind-numbing things which parade around as games but are really just time consumers which allow you to zone out and do something at the same time.  Honestly, it would probably be more productive to daydream.  The technological replacement for doodling has successfully taken the place of relieving boredom but with none of the benefits. Also, doodling at least normally results in something interesting, an outward show of something about you, while games and instagram do nothing.

Now I, myself, am definitely equally susceptible to the mindless activities which take over my class time, but I have started to make a conscious effort to pay attention, although it is very difficult when sleep deprived, or doodle at the very least because I have noticed that although I attend class I am completely lost while doing my homework because I am not mentally present or even aware during lecture.  I really don't want my Smartphone to make me more dummmerer.

With the ability to be virtually anywhere at anytime except whilst on the subway, it is hard to not take that option.  It is hard because people get annoyed when you don't answer their texts and if you ever want to know something, why wait to speculate about it later when you can Google it? Why look out a window for the weather when you can look on your "Kitty Tells the Weather" app?  Why get back to someone later when you can respond right now!? The lack of mental presence in the classroom is becoming more and more evident and pervasive in all schools, but in colleges and universities it is much harder to regulate and many have a more laid back approach: everyone's education is in his or her own hands why make them listen. Yes doodling wasn't exactly paying attention either, but at least the doodler was more present.  Phones are becoming like a tight leash on everyone's mental and physical state and it is seeping into class time. Teachers used to hate doodling, now they definitely hate phone use more, so I think doodling would be the more socially accepted and beneficial form of distraction.  Either way the lack of doodling is not conducive to the learning environment, and I for one am heartily opposed to it!