Tamil Nadu CM Vijay makes handwritten notes in Assembly: Why it's a powerful habit

A trivial moment in the Tamil Nadu Assembly has sparked a larger debate on memory, attention and cognitive discipline in the digital age.

Recently, a video of the actor-turned-Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay diligently taking notes during an Assembly session has quietly gone viral on the internet. In a world of smartphones, instant recordings and endless scrolling, the physical act of a leader writing things down resonated with many.

Psychiatrists and cognitive health experts say that’s a normal but rare reaction in today's tech-driven, social media-addiction age.

With that in mind, Firstpost spoke with Dr Meenakshi Jain, Senior Consultant, Psychiatrist, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, to understand how note-taking is a habit so powerful that it can easily give digital productivity tools a run for their money.

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Here's why note-taking is a powerful habit

Note-taking is not simply an old-fashioned habit. It is deeply ingrained in the human brain’s way of processing, storing and recalling information.

“Handwriting activates various parts of the brain at the same time, especially those associated with attention, comprehension and memory consolidation,” says Dr Jain.

When people handwrite their notes, it slows down the brain and makes it really consider the information, rather than passively absorbing it. “This enhances focus, retention and cognitive engagement,” she says.

Several studies back the power of note-taking

This idea is supported by several international studies.

People who wrote notes by hand had better conceptual understanding and better long-term recall than people who typed notes on laptops, according to research published in Psychological Science.

Experts believe that handwriting prompts summarization rather than verbatim copying, so the brain actively interprets information.

Psychiatrists say note-taking serves as a mental anchor in high-pressure settings. It’s often used by leaders, students, doctors and professionals to organise their thoughts, reduce cognitive overload and improve decision making clarity.

'Taking notes is intentional attention': Dr Jain

In today’s distracted world, Dr Jain says the habit has another, overlooked psychological benefit.

Taking notes is intentional attention. The mind is less distracted. It heightens mindfulness and reduces the tendency to wander,” she says.

India is witnessing rising concerns of digital fatigue, shrinking attention spans and reliance on devices for memory. Mental health practitioners are increasingly encouraging small cognitive exercises like journaling and handwritten planning and note-taking to keep the brain actively engaged.

Frontiers in psychology also reported in 2024, “handwriting activates neural pathways related to learning and emotional processing more deeply than passive digital consumption.” Experts say these little daily habits may be even more important as our dependence on screens increases around the world.

Maybe it was a matter of seconds in the viral Assembly moment. But for many psychiatrists it pointed to something that modern life frequently forgets: sometimes the brain remembers better when the hand moves more slowly.