With 95% of teens owning smartphones, choosing between digital and paper journaling significantly impacts how you capture memories and process emotions during high school. Research from University of Tokyo shows handwriting activates brain areas tied to learning and memory more than typing, while digital formats offer multimedia integration and cross-device accessibility. Both options cost $100-300 over four years, but digital provides better searchability while paper eliminates distractions completely. [Find your perfect journaling format →]