Today we are surrounded by screens. In the era of hyperconnection, it is more easily written using a keyboard than a pen and paper. Faced with this observation, a new study from the University of Stavanger, Norway, sounds the alarm.
While handwriting is considered one of the major pillars of human communication, the youngest encounter difficulties and mastery less and less. Thus, generation Z would be losing a crucial competence for humanity and this could have harmful effects on cognitive development.
Of the importance of handwriting
Little by little, notebooks and pens were replaced by computers and smartphones. Taking notes by hand is increasingly rare. The consequences are irrefutable: scientists at Stavanger University believe that generation Z may well be the first to master handwriting at a functional level. Today, 40% of young users lose control of handling by hand writing to believe Norwegian scientists.
According to the study, the youngest displayed a significant degradation of their writing. It would generally be disorderly and difficult to read. The teachers have notified her for a while. Even university students display a drop in the quality of their writings, avoiding long sentences and writing less coherent paragraphs. The omnipresence of social networks and instant messaging platforms is surely not for nothing. Currently, rapid exchanges and abbreviations are privileged.
However, handwriting plays a fundamental role on several levels. At first, it allows more thoughtful and personal communication where digital writings are more often victims of their impulsive nature.
But writing plays, above all, a role in cognitive development. Writing by hand makes it possible to engage several cognitive processes simultaneously, such as memory, attention, organization or even problem solving. In addition, it requires sustained attention, discipline or patience. Handwriting acts more areas of the brain than when you type on a keyboard. Thus, it allows more in -depth learning as well as more solid skills.
Losing control of handwriting would therefore be disastrous for humanity. It is therefore not time to throw your notebooks and pens. Thus, it is recommended to take moments to continue writing by hand.
By: opera