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A notable side effect not mentioned is that the biro began the downfall of cursive handwriting, as described by an interesting Atlantic article: https://www.the

A notable side effect not mentioned is that the biro began the downfall of cursive handwriting, as described by an interesting Atlantic article: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/08/ballpoint-pens-object-lesson-history-handwriting/402205/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/08/ballp... I still use fountain pens, although that is arguably an affectation--they were already on the way out when I was in school. Cursive reduces the number of times you lift the stylus from the paper, greatly reducing the number of blots or gaps in flow of a fountain pen. Biros don't have that problem. Still, writing in cursive on good paper with a proper fountain pen has an aesthetic that I'd not like to give up. Arguably, the shift to keyboarding completed cursive's downfall. My children report that, although they did learn cursive in primary school, they now (High School) don't know anyone who uses it. I've had post-secondary students complain that they have difficultly reading cursive comments on submissions, even if I've taken pains to write neatly (I no longer challenge them thus.) I do find one thing puzzling: why has the effort once expended on teaching elegant cursive not shifted over to instruction in touch typing? None of my students report having had instruction in that (I've polled them several times). It seems odd to me that very so very few of the so-called "digital natives" I work with can challenge the skills I learned on an IBM electric 45 years ago.

oh_sigh 6y ago
They can probably touch type on their cell phone, just not on a full QWERTY keyboard.
- nine_k 6y ago
  It is likely hard to impossible to touch-type on a cellphone: the keyboard is always on the screen, so the eyes (nit touch) constantly help adjust fingers' positions. This does allow for impressive speed, though, especially with autocorrect.
- Broken_Hippo 6y ago
  The problem with this is twofold: 1. There isn't much to touch on a screen except the screen. On a keyboard, some keys are different sizes and we often have a key that allows us to know proper finger placement (mine is j and f: I've used keyboards with a dot on d and k too). 2. Cell phone layout isn't as standardized as a qwerty keyboard. Sure, the letters are in the same spot, but symbols aren't always there. We have other methods to quicken touch screen typing, though: Swipe-friendly keyboards and predictive text.
Polylactic_acid 6y ago
I think I witnessed the exact moment cursive officially died in my area. I was born in 1998 and some time in primary school (Don't remember when) the school was teaching non cursive to the lower years and cursive at about year 5 (I think) the year I reached that year they had removed it from all years and it was never taught for the rest of the time I was in school.
vel0city 6y ago
Some schools do prioritize touch typing. At the middle and high school I went to in the US, there were several mandatory computing courses to teach some basic computing skills. One of the main things they worked on was touch typing, which did work out to a good chunk of your grade. They had some typing tutor software which would report results to the teacher's database. For tests, they would drape a cloth over your hands and keyboard. Intentionally pulling the towel away was considered academic dishonesty and followed the same kind of rules as cheating. The school I went to did have an elementary school associated with it. From what I understand they also made a point to teach typing proficiency as a focus on computer classes. Some schools do teach it, but I do agree it appears it is sometimes overlooked. I have many, many peers who despite having a job behind a keyboard every day have poor typing form, cannot touch type, and have some incredibly low WPM. Even some basic training on typing could potentially make them much faster typists. But its just not a priority in their lives.

oh_sigh 6y ago

They can probably touch type on their cell phone, just not on a full QWERTY keyboard.

nine_k 6y ago
It is likely hard to impossible to touch-type on a cellphone: the keyboard is always on the screen, so the eyes (nit touch) constantly help adjust fingers' positions. This does allow for impressive speed, though, especially with autocorrect.
Broken_Hippo 6y ago
The problem with this is twofold: 1. There isn't much to touch on a screen except the screen. On a keyboard, some keys are different sizes and we often have a key that allows us to know proper finger placement (mine is j and f: I've used keyboards with a dot on d and k too). 2. Cell phone layout isn't as standardized as a qwerty keyboard. Sure, the letters are in the same spot, but symbols aren't always there. We have other methods to quicken touch screen typing, though: Swipe-friendly keyboards and predictive text.

Polylactic_acid 6y ago

I think I witnessed the exact moment cursive officially died in my area. I was born in 1998 and some time in primary school (Don't remember when) the school was teaching non cursive to the lower years and cursive at about year 5 (I think) the year I reached that year they had removed it from all years and it was never taught for the rest of the time I was in school.

vel0city 6y ago

Some schools do prioritize touch typing. At the middle and high school I went to in the US, there were several mandatory computing courses to teach some basic computing skills. One of the main things they worked on was touch typing, which did work out to a good chunk of your grade. They had some typing tutor software which would report results to the teacher's database. For tests, they would drape a cloth over your hands and keyboard. Intentionally pulling the towel away was considered academic dishonesty and followed the same kind of rules as cheating. The school I went to did have an elementary school associated with it. From what I understand they also made a point to teach typing proficiency as a focus on computer classes. Some schools do teach it, but I do agree it appears it is sometimes overlooked. I have many, many peers who despite having a job behind a keyboard every day have poor typing form, cannot touch type, and have some incredibly low WPM. Even some basic training on typing could potentially make them much faster typists. But its just not a priority in their lives.