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Psychology reveals surprising personality traits of people who still write grocery lists by hand

Could this really be relevant? Yes.

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Phone or handwritten? The great debate ensues.

Are you the type of person who always writes grocery lists by hand? Perhaps on the back of a receipt, in a special notebook, or on an index card? Do you insist on this method, even though you’re the only one in the store unfurling paper like an ancient scroll while everyone has their heads down, tapping away at their phones?

Lists are undoubtedly important. In a recent poll, research revealed that the average British adult writes an average of three to-do lists a week—which, in some cases, can add up to 9,766 lists in a lifetime. “Evidently, we all rely on lists for one aspect of life or another,” commented Shahbaz Khan from STABILO, a high-quality pen and pencil company.

But when it comes to the actual list-making, does the method in which you create it really matter? Apparently, yes. And your choice, handwritten or digital, can say a lot about your personality.


 grocery list, grocery, lists, handwritten, handwriting People who write their lists by hand might be able to remember them better.Photo credit: Canva

 

If you prefer handwriting, you’re likely…

 

To have a mind that operates like a filing cabinet.

In 2024, two professors at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Dr. Audrey L.H. Van der Meer and F.R. (Ruud) Van der Weel, found that handwriting activates more elaborate and widespread brain connectivity patterns compared to typing. They suggest that the physical act of moving your hand while writing creates spatial and temporal patterns in the brain that promote learning.

In a similar study, Japanese researchers found that participants who wrote calendar events by hand on paper showed increased brain activity—particularly in memory regions—compared to those who recorded the same information on smartphones. The hand writers also recalled the information 25% faster than those who typed. Writing by hand triggers extra neural activity in regions tied to learning and memory. So, no matter how messy your handwriting might be, that grocery list might also be giving your memory a little work-out.

via GIPHY

To be naturally conscientious and understand the secret to success.

Conscientiousness isn't the same as self-control or self-restraint—rather, it refers to a person's tendency to be organized, reliable, goal-directed, and self-disciplined. It's no surprise, then, that those who score highly in conscientiousness tend to be successful: they aim for high-profile outcomes and have the ability to develop well-thought-out plans to accomplish their goals.

Comfortable getting tactile.

Nothing quite compares to writing with your perfect pen. (By the way, what's yours? A Pilot G2-2? Uni-ball Vision Elite? Or perhaps something fancy, like the Squire Classic Pen from Baronfig?) It's a complete sensory experience as your pen glides across paper. This physical connection helps create a deeper engagement with the task at hand.

 woman, child, grocery, shopping, list Writing your list by hand could curb impulse shopping. Photo credit: Canva

To not buy on impulse.

Yanliu Huang and Zhen Yang from the LeBow College of Business at Drexel University examined how handwritten shopping lists differ from digital ones. Their research showed that people who write lists on paper tend to make more planned purchases and fewer impulse buys.

However, there are a few downsides to a handwritten grocery list…

Let's face it: sometimes you can't read your own handwriting. When rushing, you might scribble illegibly, forget items, or leave the paper at home entirely. (Pro tip for forgetful hand-writers: snap a photo of your list before heading out, just in case.)

Paper lists are also cumbersome to update on the go. Picture this—you've just remembered you need onions while backing out of the driveway, but now you're scrambling for a pen. Don't do this. Plus, paper lists make it difficult to coordinate shopping with other people.


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If you’re #DigitalForever, you’re likely…

 

In a poll of 2,000 people in the United Kingdom, researchers found that when it comes to list-making, only 40% use their phones, while 63% write on notepads and 24% use sticky notes. So congrats—you're right in the middle!

Extremely efficient and organized.

Your phone is a miracle list-maker: people who use digital lists value practicality over sentimentality—they appreciate the power of automatic sorting, expense tracking, and integrated coupon features. These lists can be updated instantly and accessed from almost any device, making them the most efficient, streamlined option.

Someone who uses data to make decisions.

Beyond expense tracking, many apps provide nutritional data, meal planning suggestions, and inventory management—helping you make smarter, healthier food choices. You're not just shopping anymore; you're strategically planning your nutrition.

 groceries, grocery shopping, produce, lists, shopping, nutrition Digital lists are perfect for collaborations. Photo credit: Canva

Collaborating with someone in the kitchen.

The beauty of a digital list is that it can be shared with others in real time, allowing multiple people to add items seamlessly. This eliminates miscommunications and duplicate purchases while reducing paper waste and promoting environmentally friendly habits.

The digital life has its downsides, too…

Taking a break from your phone can be refreshing, but keeping your grocery list there means more screen time—potentially leading to digital fatigue or distractions from notifications and other apps. There's also the practical concern: what if your phone dies, you lose Internet connection, or your service drops out while shopping?

Grocery shopping can be such a treat. Whether you use digital lists, handwritten scribbles, or memory tricks to track what you need, there's no wrong approach. The “best” way to write a grocery list depends on you: your personal preferences, your lifestyle, and what works for your routine. Ask yourself, “What will make me feel the most organized and calm?” Then let your grocery list lead the way.


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Students

Teacher reveals her 'Roman Empire,' is connection between childhood play and high school academics

Cutting down on recess has long term educational impacts.

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Teacher reveals lack of childhood play leads to poorer high school academics

Nearly everyone has their own version of a "Roman Empire." It's the thing you think about at different points in your day often for no connected reason. You have amassed a lot of information on this random topic and could probably talk about it for hours. Many people's "Roman Empire" is the literal Roman Empire, which is where the phrase came from after someone claimed that a lot of men think about the collapse of the Roman Empire unprompted throughout the week.

A teacher who goes by the moniker of Miss Redacted on social media recently shared about her own "Roman Empire" and it was quite surprising. The teacher teaches high school students and has made an observation about her students' physical development when it comes to fine motor skills and being able to sit in chairs for longer periods of time.

But what sparked the conversation about the importance of play for physical development and subsequent academic success is a video by a preschool teacher, Miss Redacted shares.

gif of Grover from Sesame Street in a cap in gown reading a blackboard that says "School"School Teacher GIF by Sesame StreetGiphy

"They teach preschool and they were talking about how the kids like, literally can't do anything. They can't hold a pencil for long periods of time, they can't play with play dough, they can't color, they can't spray a spritz bottle and my Roman Empire is the connection between physical development through play and academics," the teacher says.

Miss Redacted reveals that she currently teaches U.S. History to eleventh graders but before she started teaching high school, she also worked with Early Headstart, a program geared towards child development for low income families.

"I feel like because that's been my experience, I really view child development from an interesting perspective and I'm able to make a lot of connections between younger kids and older kids and why they are the way they are, and why they do things that they do," she reveals before explaining further that kids have been evaluated heavily using standardized testing which means play is being "ripped out of schools."

gif of kids playing on a playground from "The Simpsons" Playing Season 3 GIF by The SimpsonsGiphy

Miss Redacted explains that this isn't just happening in elementary schools, but preschools as well. In some of the schools she has spoken with, elementary students are only given recess for 20-30 minutes once or twice a week. The rest of the week they are expected to be in class as recess is seen as part of "specials" like library or art. It's not always something students are given on a daily basis as some schools believe it's taking away from valuable educational instruction time.

Of course children play outside of school, but school recess equipment is designed specifically for gross motor development and meets the additional recommendations by the CDC about child activity levels. The Center for Disease Control recommends that children between the ages of 6-17 have moderate to vigorous activity for at least 60 minutes a day with a mixture of aerobic, muscle strengthening, and bone strengthening activities. While some kids may be meeting or exceeding this recommended level of activity with sports outside of school, others may not be due to the increase of screen time in young children.

 
 @awalmartparkinglot ♬ original sound - miss redacted✨🪩🩷🇵🇸 
 
 

This teacher sees the difference in her high schoolers when they have not had the proper amount of physical activity as children saying, "When I see my high school students, I can see the impact of that. A lot of my high school students still hold their pencils like this," she says while demonstrating a fist hold on a pencil. "And I want to make it clear, I don't want this to come across as body shaming at all, I do not care what you look like but I've noticed a lot of my high schoolers do not have physical strength and stamina."

Miss Redacted further explains that fine motor strength is built first by having core strength which is built up through play, "So if you were not playing that much as a child, you're either on an iPad or you're doing standardized testing, or like those weird modules they make them do now. If all your time is being spent on technology and not physical play, you're not lifting yourself, you're not pulling things, you're not crawling, you're not building that core strength so then it's also hard for you to build that fine motor strength."

gif of a child climbing a pillar kid childhood GIFGiphy

Before electronics replaced typical childhood play, fine motor skills were refined by playing with small items, whether it was making friendship bracelets, putting puzzles together, playing with Polly Pockets or Play-Doh. Miss Redacted shares that even her AP U.S. History kids have a hard time holding their pencils and sitting upright for longer periods of time without their hands becoming too fatigued for them to even be able to finish their required essays during AP exams.

The teacher laments, "me as a history teacher should not have to do strength training to get you to be able to pass your test but I don't know. It's like so my Roman Empire. I think that, that is one thing that's a really big problem in education, is that people don't realize how much the brain and the body are connected."

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Parenting

Dad shares the genius checklist of tasks his kids must complete before any screen time

A brilliant example of using positive incentive.

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Imagine if everyone adhered to these guidelines.

We know too much screen time is not good for us. We also know that younger folks are particularly susceptible to screen addiction. What we don’t fully know is how to effectively help teens and tweens manage the habit, especially when screens are such an everyday part of life.

However, psychiatrist, author and dad of seven Richard Wadsworth recently went viral after showing his own personal strategy for getting his kids to do something other than scrolling. It could be the perfect solution for parents to not only break screen addiction, but instill some other healthy ritual as well.

In the clip, we first see Wadsworth’s tween son doing deltoid exercises with dumbbells. Which he apparently got up at 6:30 am to do.

What could possibly incentivize practically anyone, let alone a preteen to wake up at the crack of dawn to lift weights? Read on.

Wadsworth then showed a typed out list of various tasks that must be performed before even setting eyes on a phone or tablet. The list included a short workout in the form of one mile on the treadmill or 20 minutes of another exercise.

Wadsworth explained that rather than enforcing strict rules, this method provides necessary structure without taking away choice.

“I’m not forcing my son to exercise every day, but I am setting rules and boundaries around his screen time,” he said. “He decided he wanted to have more time after school to play with his friend. And so in order to do that, he realized that he’d need to wake up a little bit earlier and exercise in the morning.”

In addition to exercise, the list included domestic chores like cleaning the bedroom and shared areas, finishing homework, doing laundry, preparing for the next day…and, perhaps most importantly…making sure the toilet is flushed.

“We have all of their screens locked away. And if they want access to any of them, they need to come ask us and we’ll go through the list together. And they’re not getting their screens until the list is done,” Wadsworth continued.

He also drew a comparison between screen time and sugary sweets, noting how most parents probably wouldn’t routinely allow kids to eat dessert before a nutritious meal, but instead allow it to be a treat.

“Just as you would hopefully have your kids eat dinner before they had their dessert, you should probably be having them do something positive…before they get on their screens." Hence why he tries to get his kids to complete their list before going to the phone.

And in case you’re wondering how Wadsworth’s son feels about all this, he reported having “so much energy for school” feeling “so much better” since his dad introduced the to-do list.

 
 @doctorwadsworth #greenscreen #parenting #parentingtips ♬ original sound - Richard Wadsworth 
 
 

Bottom line: kids need guidance from their parents. And Wadsworth recommends clear cut boundaries to help them develop good habits, “because if you don’t do it, nobody else is.”

Wadsworth’s parenting hack was well received, with quite a few grown adults saying they could benefit from this type of boundary-setting in their own life.

“Even I’m addicted to this screen. I have to tell myself to put it down all the time and I’m a grown adult. Kids definitely need this!” one user wrote.

Another added, “I need someone to do this for me (I’m 28).” To which Wadsworth replied, “we all need parents sometimes.”

Even with potential TikTok bans, social media isn’t going anywhere. The sooner parents can implement guidelines like these, the better equipped their kids will be at balancing tech savviness with tech dependence.


This article originally appeared last year.

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