Together with the development of technology, the number of people using traditional tools such as pens, pencils, or brushes tends to be on the decrease. In this essay, I will outline some reasons for this decline and I also believe that this tendency might be a negative development notwithstanding its several benefits.
The major reason for the decrease in handwriting is digitalization. The advent of smart devices including computers, tablets, and smartphones offers convenient methods of communication and writing. Particularly, writing digitally allows users to type, share, and edit documents easily along with some special tools integrated into platforms like spell check, or text prediction. Therefore, these features make digital writing appealing and efficient. In addition, the shift away from manual writing to digital one to keep up with the fast-paced nature of modern life. Today, people have been stuck in hectic schedules, and hence they may not have a sufficient amount of time to write by hand. They prefer quick note-taking methods on portable equipment instead. There is no need for them to bring a notebook, pencils, or pens, which are cumbersome.
Regardless of the aforementioned benefits, this trend also brings about negative consequences. The abandoning of handwriting has resulted in the loss of cultural identity and customary relationships. For example, each stroke of a letter may reflect your feelings and affection to the receiver, but emailing or preprinted cards are emotionless. According to certain studies, writing by hand may have several beneficial impacts on brain processes. Its benefits are comparable to those of studying music, such as rehabilitation, creativity, and social involvement. If handwriting becomes obsolete in the future, human awareness may suffer to some extent.
In conclusion, it is evident that the involvement of technology makes our life, let alone writing, more convenient. From my perspective, the decline of handwriting has a bad influence on our spiritual life and society. Therefore, it is preferable for us to combine old ways with current technologies in a balanced way.