This question has been debated in productivity communities for decades, with loyal supporters on both sides. The paper camp says, "It only feels real when I write it down." The digital camp says, "Sync and search are irreplaceable."
In truth, the answer is not right or wrong. It is about fit.
The advantages of paper
Writing itself is thinking. Research shows that handwriting deepens memory more than typing. When you write a task down with a pen, you encode it through both muscle memory and visual memory, making it stick better.
No distractions. You open a phone app to record one thing and end up scrolling for twenty minutes. Paper does not send notifications.
Ritual. Opening a notebook every morning and writing down today's tasks is itself a ritual that activates focus. Many highly effective people keep this habit even while using digital tools.
The advantages of digital tools
Cross-device sync. Add a task on your computer and it appears on your phone immediately. When an idea comes up outside, you can capture it on your phone right away.
Search and filtering. A task added three months ago may take a long time to find in a paper notebook. A digital tool finds it in one second.
Reminders and due dates. Paper cannot wake you at eight tomorrow morning to tell you there is an important deadline. Digital tools can.
Data and statistics. How many tasks did you finish this month? Which type of task is easiest to procrastinate on? Digital tools can tell you. Paper cannot.
My suggestion: use both
The most effective approach is often not either-or, but using each for what it does best:
Use a digital tool as your "collection bucket" -- anything you think of at any time or place goes there first. Whether you are on your phone or computer, capture it quickly.
Every morning, choose the 3-5 most important tasks for the day from the digital tool, write them on paper, and place the paper somewhere visible. That sheet is today's "battle map."
This gives you both the broad view of a digital tool and the focus and ritual of paper.
The most important point
Whatever tool you choose, the most important thing is: keep using the same system. The system does not have to be perfect. What matters is that you trust it, put things into it, and act according to it.
Tools are containers. Execution is the core.