Pictures vs. Words

[Sunny]

In a conversation the other day with a genetics professor, she told me that research is showing changes in our DNA, as far as the way we learn. People are becoming more and more oriented to pictures, graphics, etc. The younger they are, the more they respond to pictures and the less to words.

I think this is pretty obvious just from looking at the Internet, streaming TV, phones, and so on. We all seem to be relying a lot on emoticons to convey or give a little extra oomph to our words. On Netflix, we don't get a straight forward list of movie and series, we get a screen display of boxes, each one containing what looks like a movie poster. Pictures of the good-looking stars, instead of a short verbal synopsis. (The synopsis usually does follow, after you click on the picture.)

Cursive writing is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, and young people seem to rely on the written word less and less. Our brains are evolving so fast that we can barely keep up!

 

[Ken N Tx]

I have heard this years ago..
.

 

[chic]

I've always thought in pictures as opposed to words, but love cursive writing. One day it will be an art form and I'm glad I lived during a time when we all learned it.

 

[Llynn]

Cursive has had an interesting evolution in just my lifetime. The old copperplate that my Grandparents wrote was so beautiful it always made me ashamed of my own scribble. I was taught something called Mrs. Kittles penmanship method in which every letter began and ended with a loop. We called it roley-poley writing and hated it. The cursive I produce today is about half printing but at least it is legible.

My mother and her sisters all went to the same school and were taught by the same teacher. Not surprisingly their cursive writing looked nearly identical and was almost as nice as my Grandparents.

I always thought it interesting that although the cursive of my Grandparents, Parents and myself varied widely, I could easily read theirs. In my career, I had reason to study some documents from the early 1800s and it was easy to read that as well. I bet the folks from that era couldn't read mine.

 

[Catlady]

Sounds like our DNA is getting dumbed down.

 

[Llynn]

Sounds like our DNA is getting dumbed down.

Perhaps 23 and me will develop a test for it.

 

[Repondering]

My penmanship is a hybrid of the Marion Richardson mode of handwriting I learned in the British colony of Hong Kong and the American forms I observed in USA high school.
When I left a note for a dear friend at the front desk of an assisted living facility a few months ago, two 20-something employees seemed to be fascinated as they watched my cursive script flow onto the paper. When I asked them about it they confessed that they'd never seen cursive handwriting actually being done in real life before.

They were probably amused at my use of pen and paper rather than texting my friend's phone.

 

[Catlady]

They were probably amused at my use of pen and paper rather than texting my friend's phone.

They probably felt the same way I do when watching an actor in an old movie write something with a feather. I'm simply fascinated by it.

 

[Gary O']

I always thought it interesting that although the cursive of my Grandparents, Parents and myself varied widely, I could easily read theirs. In my career, I had reason to study some documents from the early 1800s and it was easy to read that as well.

Yeah, my Grampa O' could lay it out pretty good.

From his Bible;

 

[Capt Lightning]

Today, a picture is worth 1024 words

 

[JustBonee]

Cursive writing has been re-introduced to elementary schools in the last couple years. ...especially in the South.
Someone feels kids need to write their names, and read old documents, etc..

“Handwriting is slower,” Trubek said, “And sometimes you just want to slow down.”

https://fox6now.com/2019/04/12/cursive-writing-is-making-a-comeback-in-classrooms-in-several-states/

 

[Red Cinders]

It seems to me as if society is regressing. With the emphasis on communicating with pictures rather than words, it's as if we are again becoming cavemen. It would be sad to see cursive writing be forgotten much like shorthand, which is now only remembered by a handful of us.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

If cursive was useful, it would still be taught. But we hardly use pens and paper anymore-we use devises with key boards. Can you imagine trying to decipher others penmanship in this forum. I have trouble with that loopy scrawl most teenage girls have.

 

[Sunny]

My problem with this is not so much cursive vs. printing, it's the idea that words seem to be much less important to young peole than they were to previous generations. I agree with Red Cinders; my first thought was also, "What are we, returning to being cave men?" Our written and spoken languages are one of the greatest human achievements. Somehow, sending each other cute little smilies does not cover the same ground.

 

[RadishRose]

We learned the Palmer method. I wish I'd stayed with it as today, I write a botched version of it and print together. It's a mess. I'll write the same letter 2 different ways sometimes.

Cursive writing is much quicker than printing. The pen stays on the paper much longer than constantly lifting it and putting it down again.

 

[RadishRose]

On the other hand, just drawing a symbol can incorporate an entire phrase or idea, without laborious drawing out of each and every sound, as with Chinese writing for example. Not so bad.

 

[Gary O']

I write a botched version of it and print together

That's me

but mostly print...sorta