Imagine ten years from now, it could be quite feasible that children wouldn't be taught handwriting at school and would just learn to type.
Would that be such a bad thing?
Yes, it would.
You might argue that typing is better, because it's easier to do and easier to read. But the reason that handwriting is harder is exactly why it's so important.
As most people can type significantly faster than they can write, it's like taking verbatim notes. But the trouble is, you're not being forced to think about what you write.
When you take notes by hand you can't write everything down. This means you have to think about the “essence” of what's being said.
Writing by hand actually uses more of the brain, as you need to make several strokes for each letter. Your working memory gets activated, as well as brain areas used for thinking and language. On a keyboard, one tap creates an entire letter, so your relationship with making the letter is shorter and more superficial.
The more areas of the brain that are firing, the stronger connection is between the content of what you're writing and your brain; therefore the more you'll be able to remember later on.
Now you might argue that surely it's better to take more comprehensive typewritten notes at a meeting, conference or lecture and then review and distill them at your leisure. But research has proved otherwise.
The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard
Research ...
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