“Writing is, after all, a technology, and most technologies are sooner or later surpassed and replaced.” - Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic
Most states in the US do not require students to learn cursive handwriting. Finland has dropped joined-up handwriting lessons in school.
It has been stated that writing in cursive helps brain and memory function, but so does good nutrition. Cursive helps in developing motor skills, but so does drawing and painting. You write faster when you write cursive, but is that faster than typing?
"Cursive should be allowed to die. Very small proportions of adults use cursive for their day-to-day writing.” - Morgan Polikoff, The New York Times
Should we allow cursive to die?
Losing knowledge of cursive may deprive us of understanding of our own personal and collective history. Consider not being able to decipher your grandma’s letter written to your mother on your birth. Imagine relying on a cursive writing expert to read out your family’s most personal details to you.
There is also the pleasure of reading a hand-written note, getting that autograph or putting your signature with a flourish - all in cursive.
These thoughts have been 'penned' on a keyboard. Soon enough, future thoughts will be penned by voice, as voice recognition keeps getting better!
Would Shakespeare’s signature in block letters still be as valuable*?
*Only six known William Shakespeare signatures exist in the world today, each valued at 5 million dollars—making them the most valuable autographs in the world.