Last week I had a conversation with a friend about on-screen chat. He had sent over a thousand emails that month, beating a previous record of 962, which begged the question of whether he was hiding behind his screen when it comes to client liaison or whether that had simply become the new normal.
It’s not just email, I proffered up. Think about how many text messages, WhatsApp messages, instant messages and Facebook messages you send a month and you have yourself a total that could well be three or four times the number of emails you send. We have become screen stuck across the board, it would seem, with numerous implications.
One of which is our ability to write. According to new research a third of Brits say they barely write any more, with 39 per cent saying handwriting is less important now thanks to email, text messaging and social media.
A spokesman for STABILO, who conducted the research, said: “While the findings suggest people are writing by hand less frequently now, they also show having a particular handwriting style is important to us.
“There are more ways to communicate now than ever but handwriting remains a key skill which allows people to demonstrate their individuality.
“Handwriting is such an important skill to have and one we believe should continue to be taught in schools.”
Writing shopping lists are the most common way people typically write by hand – followed by to-do lists in second place and form filling in third.
Seven in ten UK adults reckon the quality of handwriting in Britain has deteriorated over the past 50 years – with half believing handwriting styles are more diverse now.
The STABILO spokesperson added: “The analysis of handwriting or graphology is a fascinating subject and can be used to interpret all sorts of things about an individual.
“Often our handwriting is saying more about us than we realise and can indicate not just personality traits but also a person’s mind set – and even sometimes what their lifestyle choices are.”
