4 benefits of writing by hand

Scientists and famous authors like Truman Capote agree: Handwriting may be a lost art, but it's still an invaluable skill

These ancient writing utensils may actually help to keep your fragile mind intact!
(Image credit: Courtesy Shutterstock)

Like millions of other people who have spent the better part of the past decade tapping at a keyboard, swiping various screens, and staring into a monitor of one kind or another, my handwriting has slowly mutated into a vaguely familiar assemblage of sticks and circles that, on a good day, might be able to pass for a third grader's. And cursive? You'd be better off asking me to blindly draw a series of puzzling loops, not unlike the John Hancock of a certain Treasury secretary nominee. "Let's face it: Cultivating fine handwriting is now an indulgence, a hobby for the minded, like knitting, or decoupage," argues Julia Turner at Slate. "Our children must learn to write in school — but they probably don't need to write that well."

There's evidence, however, that writing the old-fashioned way is really good for us. Here, in no particular order, are four ways handwriting is still helpful:

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Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.