Cursive writing is often referred to as a form of art and is considered more elegant and efficient than basic handwriting. While many believe this to be true, it seems as though this form of “art” is fading into the past. As a senior in high school, I can confidently say that cursive has no place in my life—other than for signing documents, which is becoming increasingly rare due to the digitalization of the modern world. On the other hand, my grandparents and even my parents feel that it is a necessary skill everyone should possess. So why do our opinions differ so drastically?
The first step to answering this question is to understand the feelings behind both sides of the spectrum. For not only my grandparents but many older generations, not knowing how to write or even read cursive can be seen as a disadvantage—particularly when it comes to reading older documents. They also feel that asking for help, especially at an older age, can be embarrassing. I believe that most people who advocate for teaching cursive and preserving it are older individuals with emotional attachments to this form of writing because they grew up with it. This can be seen around the world with languages that are on the brink of extinction; often, the oldest members of a society or tribe are the last ones who can speak the language, and it will likely die with them. It’s not that people can’t learn this form of writing—it’s that they either refuse to or aren’t given the same opportunity to learn it as in the past.
To find out why this once-common form of writing is becoming less and less used, we need to first look at when the decline in teaching cursive began.
The major decline in schools teaching cursive can be traced back to the early 1980s, when schools began shifting from handwriting to typing. During this time, cursive was still taught, but it played a much smaller role while typing became more prominent. According to NPR.org, in 2010 the United States government removed cursive from the Common Core standards for K–12 education altogether. This allowed schools to decide whether to teach cursive or focus more on typing. Many schools opted to prioritize typing due to technological advancements and the belief that technology would become even more integrated into everyday life.
As of today, there are virtually no important documents that aren’t available online in a typed format that anyone can read. This is why I believe the claim that people will be unable to read historical documents is not entirely valid. I also believe that asking a family member for help is not embarrassing—especially considering that many students never had the opportunity to learn cursive in school.
How long will Americans hold on to this tradition that was once commonplace? To find the answer, we must simply wait and see.
Tylor Cary is a 17 year old Senior attending Center Grove High School in Indiana.
