Cursive Writing Becomes An Endangered Species

Cursive is becoming a thing of the past.

The technological age has steadily picked up speed, and in doing so, has erased the need to write your John Hancock on papers. Not only is cursive writing outdated and antiquated, but schools all over our nation have changed their guidelines, taking cursive out of the curriculum and replacing it with typing classes.

Even though we have entered a new era, cursive handwriting still has a small place in society. When teens get their permits and drivers license, they are required to sign their name. Sign. That means cursive. Children print their names. But now we’re all adults so we write in cursive now, right?

Not only are students having a difficult time writing in cursive, but reading the loops and curves also proves as a challenge, not only for teens, but for some young adults as well. Growing up, my grandmother has always sent me a lengthy letter, saying how proud she is of me and how much I’ve grown. I love to get letters from her, but I have a problem: I can barely decipher her curly calligraphy!

I blame my early education for not providing me and my peers with the tools to read and write in cursive. I fear that my generation will go down in the history books as the one that only writes in print. How will we apply for jobs? How will we look professional in the business world?

It’s not too late for our generation to learn the art of cursive. We need to act now and do so before we start signing for credit cards and contracts. It’s true that the state does not require students to learn how to write in cursive, but those who want to succeed in life need to take the pen into their own hands and learn the craft for themselves.

Let’s stop the print-only world. For the new generation, it’s time to bring back cursive.