Handwriting vs. Computers

There seems no question but that handwriting essays, which has existed since who knows how long, is on the way out. Laptops, PC's, Mac's, IPhones, PDA's... no one wants to handwrite anymore. Every time you look up someone is texting. When was the last time you received a handwritten letter from Grandma? School work is done on blogs and other forms of technology and even children take keyboarding in first grade.

Most people haven't received a handwritten letter for years. In fact, handwritten letters are referred to as "snail mail". E-mails have replaced the traditional handwritten letter for several reasons. They are significantly faster and easier. E-mails travel at the speed of light. Compare that to "snail mail" which travels at the speed of a truck or a plane. E-mails are also free as opposed to the cost of postage for a letter.

Classwork is expected to be typed for several reasons. Typing on a computer is neater and can be more creative because of the different fonts and colors. Typing on a computer is much faster than handwriting. A student can easily type fifty words a minute whereas a person can only handwrite about thirty words a minute. Before you turn a paper in you can use spellcheck. If you skip a word while handwriting you have to erase everything and re-write. Compared to a computer where you can use insert to type in a missing word.

Children are learning at an early age to type. There is a reason for this. Keyboarding helps the children get prepared to type essays in the upper grades. In addition to this, children are becoming more familiar with technology. The children are learning skills that will help them in the future.

Technology has caused this shift from handwritten work to typed work. Technology has made typing on a computer easy, fun, and fast. E-mails have replaced handwritten letters. Typed assignments have replaced handwritten assignments and children are learning keyboarding skills all because technology has made typing more convenient than handwriting.