The Implications of the Decline of Handwriting in a Digital Society
This Guardian article by Christine Rosen outlines the fast decline of handwriting in our highly digital society. With the heightened presence of typing and different technologies such as the autopen, there are concerns that we are not only losing the practical skill of handwriting, but also valuable cognitive benefits that come with this important skill. Different technologies like the autopen, which replicates signatures, further perpetuate the diminishing role of handwriting. Some educational systems such as in the U.S. and Finland, are eliminating cursive instruction, which leaves future generations unfamiliar with this method of handwriting.
The shift away from handwriting has some negative implications such as the potential for errors in serious professional settings relating to legibility and various cognitive consequences. Research has found that handwriting enhances learning by engaging the brain more deeply compared to typing. The author also argues that beyond cognitive impacts, handwriting also offers emotional connections since it offers uniqueness and highlights individuality in a way that technology cannot replicate.
Overall, the article asserts that we risk losing essential skills as we further embrace digital means of writing and that we need to balance new technology with traditional skills in order to preserve important human experiences.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.