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Generation Z is losing the skill we've had for 5500 years. What about the handwriting?
By Karpiński Jacek / 1 April 2026 ::02:46
According to a survey by the University of Stavanger, about 40 percent of the members of the generation Z has a serious problem with controlling communication by handwritten writing. It's not only a good handwriting, it's a functional usage of a card and a pen in everyday situations.
About 4 out of 10 young adults have difficulty writing by hand at a level adequate for free, clear communication.
Young people born from the late 1990s to early 2010s practically live with a screen in their hands. Communication is primarily a smartphone keyboard, shortcuts, emoticons, reactions in applications. The pen and card are increasingly associated only with an exam or formal document.
How Digitization Changes the Brain and the Way of Learning
Contrary to appearances, manual writing is not just another "data input interface". Neuropsychology studies show that erstwhile we draw letters with a pen, another areas of the brain are activated than erstwhile tapping a keyboard.
- stronger encoding of information in long-term memory,
- a better knowing of the text read and written,
- greater attention to content, not only to form,
- training of visual and motion coordination and tiny motor
When this activity fades, it's not just that the writing becomes uglier. The full quality of information processing changes. A student who only takes notes on a laptop frequently writes more words, but remembers little content. Handwriting requires selection and shortening, so it promotes understanding.
The problem is highlighted by lecturers from different countries. According to the coverage quoted by the Turkish paper "Türkeye Today", more and more students honestly do not know how to deal with a longer text written by hand. They feel insecure erstwhile they gotta compose something on a card and like to rewrite everything on a telephone or laptop.
- a better knowing of the text read and written,
- greater attention to content, not only to form,
- training of visual and motion coordination and tiny motor
When this activity fades, it's not just that the writing becomes uglier. The full quality of information processing changes. A student who only takes notes on a laptop frequently writes more words, but remembers little content. Handwriting requires selection and shortening, so it promotes understanding.
The problem is highlighted by lecturers from different countries. According to the coverage quoted by the Turkish paper "Türkeye Today", more and more students honestly do not know how to deal with a longer text written by hand. They feel insecure erstwhile they gotta compose something on a card and like to rewrite everything on a telephone or laptop.
Instead of reasoning about what's better, they stick to what's "learned" - as if no 1 knows how this process takes place. Student youth is inactive not independent, "goes" on trust to parents and surroundings from childhood and youth, inactive does not have experience allowing for autoflexion. Age matters!
Professor Nedret Kiliceri notes that even university students have a problem with basic principles of writing. They come to class without a notebook and a pen, hoping to do everything on the keyboard. This is no longer a single case, but a regular life in many groups.
Students avoid longer sentences and consistent paragraphs. Instead of developing thought, they compose down single, disconnected sentences – like posts on social media.
Professor Nedret Kiliceri notes that even university students have a problem with basic principles of writing. They come to class without a notebook and a pen, hoping to do everything on the keyboard. This is no longer a single case, but a regular life in many groups.
Students avoid longer sentences and consistent paragraphs. Instead of developing thought, they compose down single, disconnected sentences – like posts on social media.
From letter to ‘stretch of short messages’
This kind of reasoning powerfully resembles Instagram or TikTok's logic: quickly, briefly, without developing themes. As a consequence The ability to build arguments, describe complex phenomena and draw conclusions in the form of coherent text is decreasing. And that's not only what college essays require, but besides work reports or authoritative emails.
| Class notes | Immediately, in a notebook, frequently expanded | On your telephone or laptop, point passwords |
| Letter / Longer Message | In the form of paragraphs, with introduction and termination | A series of short sentences, frequently without structure |
| Written checks | Letter usually readable, unchangeable handwriting | Non-permanent, frequently illegible writing, deficiency of liquidity |
What precisely do we lose erstwhile cards and pens disappear?
Leaving handwritten writing is not just a sentiment to plaid notebooks. There are respective very concrete consequences:
Leaving handwritten writing is not just a sentiment to plaid notebooks. There are respective very concrete consequences:
- decrease in the ability to concentrate on longer content,
- difficulty in building longer, logical statements,
- a worse memory of the material being processed in class,
- I'm sorry. weaker recognition with its own text – everything looks the same as on the screen,
- I'm sorry. loss of individual character of the writing as an component of identity
Handwritten writing besides has an emotional dimension. A handwritten note, a note from a loved one, or own writings from school times carry a different value than a file in the cloud. In the era of fast news, many inactive keep letters or notebooks from their youth – as something tangible and personal.
- difficulty in building longer, logical statements,
- a worse memory of the material being processed in class,
- I'm sorry. weaker recognition with its own text – everything looks the same as on the screen,
- I'm sorry. loss of individual character of the writing as an component of identity
Handwritten writing besides has an emotional dimension. A handwritten note, a note from a loved one, or own writings from school times carry a different value than a file in the cloud. In the era of fast news, many inactive keep letters or notebooks from their youth – as something tangible and personal.
Professor Kiliceri combines changes in the writing of young people straight with the culture of social media. Apps geared to immediate consequence reward short, emotional messages, not patiently developing thoughts. This shifts to all forms of writing – besides on a card.
If you produce dozens or hundreds of microcommentaries all day, you get utilized to the superficial language. The capitals appear to be exhausting and unnecessary. As a result, even during exams or credits, any people compose as if they were creating a series of entries in the application, not logical text.
If you produce dozens or hundreds of microcommentaries all day, you get utilized to the superficial language. The capitals appear to be exhausting and unnecessary. As a result, even during exams or credits, any people compose as if they were creating a series of entries in the application, not logical text.
Is the Z generation truly “not able to write”?
The problem is that school, college and many professions are inactive based on the conventional text. Without the ability to compose – both by hand and longer speeches – it is hard to find yourself in the formal circulation of information. The collision between the language of the application and the requirements of education and work will so increase.
The problem is that school, college and many professions are inactive based on the conventional text. Without the ability to compose – both by hand and longer speeches – it is hard to find yourself in the formal circulation of information. The collision between the language of the application and the requirements of education and work will so increase.
Is the screen compatible with the notebook?
Parents and teachers can support this direction through simple gestures: encouraging a paper journal, writing greeting cards, making “analogue” notes from crucial conversations or meetings.
A individual raised in the planet of smartphones does not gotta quit digital habits completely to improve his writing. Just a fewer concrete steps:
- erstwhile a week to take notes of classes only by hand,
- prescribe your own more crucial text from the screen to the card – as a form of training,
- practice writing longer paragraphs in a paper notebook without jumping between applications,
- limit "one word – 1 emoticon" messages in social media, trying to build full sentences,
- keep your handwritten notes and return to them after a while to see progress.
Even a twelve minutes a day dedicated to conscious manual writing gives measurable results. The Scriptures become more readable, the thoughts get better in order, and longer texts no longer origin specified fear.
- prescribe your own more crucial text from the screen to the card – as a form of training,
- practice writing longer paragraphs in a paper notebook without jumping between applications,
- limit "one word – 1 emoticon" messages in social media, trying to build full sentences,
- keep your handwritten notes and return to them after a while to see progress.
Even a twelve minutes a day dedicated to conscious manual writing gives measurable results. The Scriptures become more readable, the thoughts get better in order, and longer texts no longer origin specified fear.
Why this change affects everyone, not just students
Although investigation focuses on the Z generation, a wider trend affects everyone. We are filling the papers with a pen, and we are clicking “I accept”. Even signatures replace electronic initials. If we do not consciously cultivate writing skills, we will easy lose something that has distinguished people for millennia: the ability to calmly, thoughtfully express thoughts on a card.
Handwritten writing will not vanish overnight, but may come to the function of niche skill – a bit like calligraphy. From how schools, families, and young people themselves respond to today’s investigation data, it depends on whether in a fewer decades a handwritten note will be something everyday, or alternatively an exotic curiosity from another era.
And you?
Are you taking notes in your notebook?
The full thing here
Osp1.pl/01-173037-generation-z/
The full thing here
Osp1.pl/01-173037-generation-z/
