Last updated 8/26/2025
Papyrophiliac. Yes, there is a word for a person who loves paper. There’s even a word for those people who collect paper, hallmaphiles. This might be hard to believe, especially in the digital age. Every piece of paper that humans used to collect and store, insurance cards, maps, mail, warranties, user manuals, receipts, recipes can all be found in digital form. This raises the question: Does Paper have a psychological hold on humans?
Despite the explosion of digital tools and solutions, paper remains a constant in the modern professional environment. Even as we move towards more streamlined digital processes, many businesses and professionals are still reluctant to give up paper. Understanding the psychological behaviors and reasons for this resistance is key to overcoming the barriers to digitization.
The Rise of Paperless Predictions
Since the late 1970’s when the predictions of a paperless society began it was always with the belief that productivity would increase and cost would decrease. When every desk in the office hadhas a computer, it was thought that certain processes, such as bookkeeping, logistics and more, would be automated, removing the need for paper. What futurist didn’t reckon was that with each of the desktop computers would come desktop printers. Technology brought the cost to printing documents down so low that printing whole documents was inexpensive.
Between the 1980’s and 2000’s paper use increased exponentially, spawning thriving industries for document storage and shredding services. Major companies like Iron Mountain, which provides records storage and management, and Shred-it, specializing in document destruction, capitalized on this surge in paper usage, generating substantial revenues from businesses needing to store and dispose of physical records.
Remote Work and the Shift to Digital Documentation
The tide began to turn in the 2000s, as digital storage gained credibility and stronger security controls emerged. The pandemic accelerated this shift dramatically. Post-pandemic behavioral research now shows that over 70% of professionals prefer digital documents for efficiency and safety, and nearly 60% of organizations say their workforce has permanently reduced reliance on paper since 2021.
Remote and hybrid work fueled this transformation. With distributed teams, digital documentation became not just a preference but a necessity, supporting secure access, seamless collaboration, and compliance from anywhere.
Psychological Factors: Why Paper Still Lingers
Even with all the advantages of digital, paper retains a strong grip due to:
Comfort in Tangibility – Paper feels “real” and physical, offering a sense of permanence.
Lack of Trust in Digital Security – Some professionals still worry about lost files or cloud breaches.
Perceived Control & Familiarity – Long-standing filing practices feel safer than new digital systems.
Cognitive Bias – The endowment effect causes people to overvalue paper simply because they own it.
Lack of Immediate Incentives – Without visible short-term benefits, digitizing feels like extra work.
Cultural Transformation in Action: Franklin Foods
While resistance to change is real, some organizations have embraced automation to reshape their culture and workflows. Franklin Foods, a 124-year-old cream cheese manufacturer, provides a clear example.
Facing inefficiencies in paper-based finance and credit memo processes, the company partnered with Mosaic to implement Epicor ECM and Intelligent Data Capture. The results went beyond productivity gains—they represented a cultural shift:
Manual invoice processing eliminated, freeing finance staff for strategic analysis
New automated credit memo workflow, replacing arbitrary, error-prone approvals
Centralized digital document packages, ensuring visibility and compliance
Sustainability gains, with paper, toner, and energy usage dramatically reduced
“With DocStar, we eliminated tedious manual tasks and empowered our teams to work on higher-value initiatives,” said Sara Anderson, Assistant Controller at Franklin Foods.
By building new workflows into their daily operations, Franklin Foods not only modernized financial processes but also fostered a culture of accountability, sustainability, and forward progress.
Why Do Professionals Hold on to Paper?
- Comfort in Tangibility: One of the main reasons professionals cling to paper is the physicality of it. Paper is something we can hold in our hands, organize into files, and physically interact with. When you’re holding a physical piece of paper, it feels "real," whereas digital documents can sometimes seem abstract or intangible.
- Lack of Trust in Digital Security: Despite the significant progress made in securing digital information, some professionals are reluctant to adopt fully digital solutions due to a lack of trust in technology. Paper has long been seen as a "secure" option, and the idea of "losing" data on a hard drive or in the cloud can be unsettling.
- Perceived Control and Familiarity: In a world driven by technology, it’s natural for professionals to want to maintain control over their documents. While digital systems offer a certain level of efficiency and organization, some people find comfort in the well-established practices of paper filing systems. The familiarity with organizing and storing files in a physical space makes paper feel like a safer bet.
- Cognitive Bias and the Endowment Effect: The endowment effect is a psychological phenomenon where individuals assign more value to things they own simply because they own them. In the case of paper, professionals may feel that their paper documents hold more intrinsic value because they’ve had them for a long time. There’s a cognitive bias that causes individuals to prefer what they’re familiar with, which can create resistance to new ways of doing things, even when the new approach is more efficient.
- Lack of Immediate Incentives: Sometimes, the resistance to going paperless boils down to a lack of immediate incentives. For many professionals, the process of digitizing paperwork can seem like an inconvenience with no immediate payoff. The effort required to scan, categorize, and store files digitally can feel unnecessary, especially when paper still "works" for their needs.
Addressing the Hold Paper Has on Modern Professionals
While paper has a strong grip on many industries, it’s possible to reduce its dominance by addressing the psychological factors behind its use.
Educate on Digital Security and Trust
One of the most effective ways to ease the transition from paper to digital is to build trust in digital security systems. Education about the robust security measures that are now in place for digital storage can help ease fears about cyber threats. Highlighting the encryption, password protection, and compliance features that digital platforms offer will reassure reluctant users that their documents are secure, if not more so, than their paper counterparts.
Introduce Hybrid Solutions
Rather than forcing a sudden, all-encompassing shift to digital, offering hybrid solutions can ease employees into the transition. For example, integrating digital document management systems with paper filing for a gradual phase-out can help employees feel more comfortable. When employees have the ability to gradually replace physical files with digital ones, they will likely feel more in control and less resistant to change.
Create Incentives for Going Digital
To encourage a quicker adoption of digital solutions, organizations can create incentives for employees to digitize their work. This could involve offering bonuses for the number of files scanned, or providing training to make the transition easier. Highlighting the immediate efficiency gains that come from going paperless, such as quicker access to information, less physical storage space, and fewer errors, can help generate excitement around the move.
Ready to Lead Your Team Through Change?
Paper may still hold nostalgic value, but its dominance is waning. By understanding the psychology behind resistance and supporting employees through structured change management, companies can finally break free from outdated processes.
Download the Guide: The Evolution of Content Management – A Change Management Roadmap and learn how to move your organization beyond paper with confidence.
