It’s been a while since I’ve written in cursive. I don’t think I even remember all the letters. Being a computer guy (read ubernerd), I quit handwriting things the moment I could get away with it. I think it was somewhere around 13 or 14. Prior to that, I was still required to turn things in handwritten in school.
I recently read an article at Lifehacker with the same title (http://lifehacker.com/5323302/is-cursive-handwriting-dead), in which they speak on the general decline of cursive handwriting and its effect on writing practices. They say “People born after 1980 tend to have a distinctive style of handwriting: a little bit sloppy, a little bit childish and almost never in cursive.” The question is, does this stem from the abundance of computers in society? I feel that this may be an indirect cause, but I think it ultimately comes down to teachers not enforcing handwriting at an early age anymore.
What this breeds, is a culture of illegible handwriting. A previous boss used to pass me handwritten notes with instructions, commands, passwords, etc. on them and I would ALWAYS have to ask for clarification. But, I can’t throw stones since my glass house is pretty illegible itself. Sometimes I wish I had spent more time on my handwriting, then I write something out long hand and my hand cramps and I realize why I like typing on the computer more. Well, there will be plenty of time to improve my handwriting after civilization collapses and we’re all living in caves again.