Vox
June 14, 2026
The Hidden Value of Handwriting in a Digital World
TL;DR
As digital devices replace pen and paper, handwriting skills are declining in schools, but research shows handwriting offers unique cognitive and emotional benefits that typed communication cannot replicate.
Key Takeaways
- 1Handwriting instruction has drastically decreased in schools, with some kindergarten classrooms dedicating only 10 minutes per week to it
- 2Handwriting is deeply personal and unique to each individual, functioning like a fingerprint that creates emotional resonance
- 3Handwritten notes have a distinct emotional impact that typed or digital communication cannot achieve
- 4There are hidden cognitive and developmental consequences to abandoning handwriting in favor of keyboards and touchscreens
- 5Handwriting serves an important moral and personal value beyond just functional communication
Notable Quotes
“Handwriting is so deeply personal to all of us. So, I think it's akin to really our fingerprints for everybody.”
— Shawn Datchuk, special education professor at the University of Iowa
“There's just something incredibly powerful and just something that resonates emotionally with our handwriting that I think we would lose if we just engage in all a typed or computer-based communication.”
— Shawn Datchuk
Chapters
1. The Decline of Handwriting
Exploration of how handwriting instruction has diminished in modern classrooms, with some kindergarten programs allocating minimal time to teaching this skill despite its historical importance.
2. The Personal and Emotional Value of Handwriting
Discussion of why handwriting matters beyond practical purposes, highlighting its deeply personal nature and unique emotional resonance compared to typed communication.
3. What We Risk Losing
Examination of the hidden consequences and potential losses when society moves entirely to digital communication, including the emotional and developmental aspects of handwriting.
Key People & Entities
- Shawn Datchuk
- Special education professor at the University of Iowa researching the value and importance of handwriting
Glossary
- Handwriting
- The act of writing by hand using a pen or pencil, as opposed to typing or digital input methods