Modern technology antiquates newspapers and handwriting.
In the old days of journalism, almost everything was done by hand. Notes, articles, random musings– you name it, they hand wrote it. But with the Grim Reaper wrapping newspapers and print media in its vice-like grip, one can’t help but wonder what will happen to handwriting.
Signs point to a slow, yet similarly imperative demise. Most college students “take notes” on their electronic devices and write all their papers on a laptop; taking notes via hand is considered “slow” and “outdated”. So is reading a newspaper. Third grade, the grade once dedicated to practicing and learning cursive, has morphed into a crash course in iPad training and computer labs. Education aside, the days of handwritten letters, thank you notes and holiday cards are gone. Handwriting is virtually obsolete.
The same can be said about newspapers current status and influence. Their depletion indirectly led to the subsequent demise of handwriting and handwritten forms of communication. Ironically, this shift in tradition is tantamount only to the technological change that prompted it.
As newspapers ride off into the sunset (hand in hand with handwriting) one can only hope that their impact is great enough to at least infer the historical weight of handwriting. After all, handwriting is the mark of a civilization.
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