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Give it a big hand

Fingers that peck away at the computer keyboard with ease are finding it difficult to pen a handwritten note

PHOTO: K. MURALI KUMAR

HANDWRITTEN NOTES A pen put to paper adds that personal touch

Some years ago, when a child held a pen and doodled on a paper, the excited parents showed off his "writing" to friends and relatives. Then, the child graduated to a four-line book and learnt to master cursive writing, dotting his i's and crossing his t's.

That was then. Now, a child learns to operate a computer mouse even before knowing what a pen is. And, spends more time with computers and video games than with good old pencil and paper. As for handwriting, what are the numerous fonts on MS Word for?

The age of printouts

Gone are the days when students carefully prepared charts at home as part of their project work. Now, OHPs (overhead projectors) and LCDs (liquid crystal displays) have taken over. And, an official letter, a report or a resume is usually a computer printout.

All this dependence on the computer is taking its toll on people's handwriting. Forget being legible; most children just about manage to scrawl whatever they have to write.

"For assignments, students prefer downloading material from the Internet and submitting printouts. They don't even take the pain of typing it out or reading through the material. As for writing, no one seems bothered about taking the time off for it," says P.E. Thomas, a lecturer in mass communication. He could insist that his students submit handwritten assignments. "But, the handwriting is so bad that I ask them to type it out."

He has been observing the steady dwindling of the number of students with good handwriting. "Now, only a few children in each class have a neat handwriting. The problem arises when they face their exams. Because of their bad presentation, they cannot score very well."

Handwriting does count during examinations. It can make the difference between a great and an average score. Punitha would know. An intelligent student, her illegible handwriting and careless presentation ensured she missed out on crucial marks in her Class XII exams.

So, are we creating an entire generation of children who cannot write? Possibly. This situation also reflects in the decreasing ability to spell out words, say teachers. Many just use the spell check. Because they don't write out words, children don't remember them, they add. A computer makes typing and storing data easier. Those who are used to hammering away at the keyboard find it difficult to write with a pen. "My flow of thought slows down when I have to write on paper," says Shantini, a student.

The reason? "Those who are used to moving their fingers up and down the keyboard find it difficult to move them sideways, a must while writing," says K. Chellappan, who runs a centre to which teaches people to improve their handwriting.

Forget the tangible benefits of a good handwriting. A person who writes neatly can score emotionally too. Says Sughashini: "One of my friends only sends me handwritten letters. When I see the letter, it brings back memories of the person. A typed letter lacks emotions."

Even in these hitech days, there are people who still prefer using a paper and pen. Stephen, a librarian, and his group of six friends, always write long letters to each other.

"No other medium can replace handwriting in expressing thoughts effectively," he says. Anusha, a college student, says that people need to strike a proper balance between writing by hand and typing. As for her, she decides whether to pick up a paper or switch on the computer based on the subject. To record her personal feelings and thoughts, she opts for paper. One can develop good handwriting by practice, she insists.

"Practising an hour a week helps develop a stable handwriting," says Chellappan. However, one has to be patient, as change cannot take place overnight. Also, handwriting should be developed under proper guidance, he advises.

SHARON PREETI

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