In Defense of Using Your Handwriting

In a world of keyboards, handwriting is quickly becoming a quaint relic from the olden days. Typing is so much faster, our entire lives are captured in mobile devices, it’s hard to imagine why anyone would bother beyond the occasional thank-you note. Even those of us who grew up when penmanship was a daily necessity, are losing our ability to form letters and successfully spell words without auto-correct.

Before you throw out your remaining pens and paper, there are some surprising penmanship benefits that involve a lot more than just good etiquette. On a very basic level, a handwritten note is so much more personal than a quick text or email. Or even a typed letter. It’s a tangible thing, infused with your personality, intimacy and energy. Giving someone a longhand note shows that you’ve put thought into your words; it conveys warmth and sincerity.

brainpower

Believe it or not, writing by hand might also make you smarter and improve your memory. Several studies have found that using handwriting enhances children’s ability to learn. A 2012 study at the University of Bloomington — involving pre-literate children — found that the act of forming letters freehand, rather than tracing or typing, stimulated the parts of the brain used for reading.

Studies have also found that there’s a difference between printing and cursive handwriting benefits. According to Psychology Today, «Cursive writing helps train the brain to integrate visual, and tactile information, and fine motor dexterity. Cursive writing helps train the brain to integrate visual, and tactile information, and fine motor dexterity.» The article goes on to say, «The benefits to brain development are similar to what you get with learning to play a musical instrument.» That’s major!

A college handwriting

Another 2014 study found that college students who took longhand notes in class, retained more information than those using keyboards. The authors theorized, “It may be that longhand note takers engage in more processing than laptop note takers, thus selecting more important information to include in their notes, which enables them to study this content more efficiently.»

Going back to the whole personal aspect, according to another 2014 study, despite their increasing prevalence, e-signatures are still considered less trustworthy and slightly less valid than a good old-fashioned John Hancock. Come to think of it, The Declaration of Independence is a perfect example of the gravitas and personality of longhand. It’s most famous signature had so much personality that the name John Hancock has become synonymous with signature. Now go write some letters to your nearest and dearest!

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