How many of you over the age 24 still use cursive writing as your primary handwriting?

Question

I am a teacher and unless I make the conscious effort, I always write in block letter print. It's to the point now that you wouldn't be able to decipher several of the underdeveloped letters in my signature! Why do so many of us abandon cursive writing as adults?

Answer 1

I don't have statistics concerning how many have abandoned cursive writing after the age of 24, however if I could rate it, it is 7 out of 10.
These are the possible reasons:
1.Cursive writing is increasingly denounced as out-of-date and obsolete
Although the efficiency of cursive is debatable, there is no doubt that it is becoming less prevalent
2.Cursive can't be used to fill in forms, and confuses OCR software, including the machines used to sort mail
3.Some left-handed people may be at a greater disadvantage with cursive than printing .
4.Research shows that the fastest and most legible handwriters do not adhere to cursive style. For instance, highest-speed, highest-legibility handwriters join only some, not all of their letters (they skip the more difficult joins, and use only the easiest joins) and they do not use exclusively cursive letter-shapes.

In relation with no. 2, adults usually write more formal for many reasons, experience teaches us that block letter writing is more understandable that cursive ones

Answer 2

My cursive is nearly illegible. I print so others can read. Only when I want something to be illegible to others do I use cursive.
I read that cursive will become obsolete, except for signatures, because people use the computer to write long documents (such as research papers, letters, etc.) that were formerly written in cursive.

The push to have "Perfect Palmer" cursive writing in elementary school is a large reason I hated cursive writing to begin with. As a left-handed person, it was additionally torturous. Maybe cursive needs to die a well-deserved death.

Answer 3

I think many people just feel rushed all the time. Writing cursive neatly takes a little more time. Personally, I like writing in cursive and I love seeing others cursive writing. I really enjoy reading the old, I mean really old cursive hand writing. Some of it is so beautiful!

Answer 4

Mine is usually a combination. Some letters I write print - usually the first letter then the rest in cursive.

Answer 5

Yes, I always use cursive, and people do have trouble reading it. Maybe that's why so many adults use block letters.

But I do have a schoolteacher aunt who always uses block lettering, though her cursive is perfectly clear too.

Answer 6

I am left handed, and have always enjoyed writing in cursive.
I still use cursive handwriting 99% of the time.

Answer 7

42, male, straight, left-handed. I take particular pride in the attractiveness and legibility of my handwriting, and use it whenever possible. I worked at it to get it the way it is; I made the last conscious change in my letter formation when I was 14, and since then have been conscious of the smoothness of the line, the quality of the paper, and the fact that I do my best work with an old-fashioned fountain pen.

Answer 8

I could never grasp cursive writing in school. I had to fight teachers constantly about it. I could not read it for starters and to try to write it was pointless. I would always get marked down for messy script, when, to me, it was a messy form of writing anyway. How could they judge messy from neat? It was all messy to me!
I'm 29 now and do not write in cursive and is still hard to read.

Answer 9

Well, Im 26 and I write in a manuscript fashion. I dont and never have liked to write in cursive, which is good bc you wouldnt be able to read it.

Answer 10

Most of the time I write in cursive, it seems to have a smoother flow for me, especially when writing quickly.