I was on the phone the other day and I had to take some notes.
Now my handwriting isn’t the best by any part of the imagination, but I realised how foreign it was for me to write these days. I don’t actually use a pen much anymore and the more I think about it the more I can’t remember what exactly I use a pen for.
The end of writing? But maybe not the end of crayons
I use the phone to speak to someone, text to message them, chat boards or instant messaging services for immediacy and email for work-related or more formal conversations. I even use notepad on my laptop to write notes to myself, or notes on my phone. We don’t even have to sign cheques anymore as Debit Cards continue to replace them.
To make the use of pens even more minimalised than they already are, touchscreens are starting to populate everyone’s mindset – we drag, drop, swipe and tap, rather than even type on a keyboard.
Is this really going to be the end of the writing instrument? I very much doubt it – artists will still sketch, writers will still take notes and the skill of letter writing will continue, albeit most likely with less universal practice. Oh yes, lest us not forget crayons and felt tips will still be used for colouring
But as I look at my daughter learning to use an ipod before a pen, I’m wondering whether the craft of handwriting is really the going to be of upmost importance as it was when I was at school
