Example: Old people often complain about young people not having “basic knowledge” and say that younger generations know and understand less of the world than they do.
Example: Old people often complain about young people not having “basic knowledge” and say that younger generations know and understand less of the world than they do.
It’s entirely subjective and one generation’s “basic knowledge” may be someone else’s “useless esoterica.”
For instance, old people jerk themselves a lot about writing cursive and driving stickshift (and winning WW2 somehow???) but don’t know how to put their phones on silent.
On the other hand, people are forgetting how to read and how to learn, and I’d say that’s basic knowledge… so, case-by-case.
Checkmate, I can write cursive, drive manual all the time, and put my phone on silent 😉
I also can operate an 1890 Victrola.
Am I normal? No.
All knowledge, even “basic” knowledge, is learned. No one was born with the ability to write cursive or operate a manual transmission. Manual transmission drivers can even spot a newbie on the road when they pop the clutch and stall out. We all learned these skills.
The real issue in modern society is that we aren’t effectively teaching the newer generations these skills, whichever ones our society considers basic. Thats a problem far more complex than this post can really cover.
But I don’t think it’s too much to ask students to have way less screen time (no phones in school and less reliance on laptops/tablets for assignments and lessons.) I’d also go so far as to suggest schools do away with sports if they are unable to meet their academic mandates (school is for teaching academics, sports are a “pass-time” because they were activities we did with the free time we had. If you aren’t accomplishing the goals of your institution your institution doesn’t deserve the reward.)
I think part of it is that the concept of teaching yourself things or learning on your own seems to be vanishing.
Totally!!
My take: the inability for a human to be bored today has killed the love of learning. Bored? Open the Tok and scroll. In ye olden far before times (even before Ye Family Computer of Yore) you were bored as a kid and used your brain to find activities.
When I was a kid and even now, when I’m bored I look around me and do a project or fix something or learn how to do something ive been wanting. I just want to learn all the time. I feel thats really rare now.
I’d agree on zero screens in school,or at minimum, Linux only laptops. Zero tablet bullshit.
Fair argument. Just wanted to point out that cursive has actual academic benefits. For one thing writing and drawing use both halves of the brain and since cursive is a form of drawing it engages both sides better than writing alone would. The information has a better chance of being retained that way.
Taking notes by hand also improves the odds of the information being retained with the added benefit of having a hardcopy to look back on if you forget. Like a grocery list. Taking notes is labor intensive so cursive was developed as a way to quickly write. Thats the whole point of it.
Luckily some schools are bringing back paper and pencil and teaching cursive because of the unmitigated disaster digital-only schooling has proven itself to be.
Edit Added some of the documented benefits of cursive handwriting since so many people are calling me out. Yes, cursive is good for you. Practice it, take time and improve the letters you write sloppily and you’ll learn to love it. I know, I was once like you and had to work to improve my cursive and now I love it.
Cursive writing helps improve brain development, memory retention, and fine motor skills.
Brain and Cognitive Growth
Stronger neural connections: Writing in cursive engages both sides of the brain, unlike typing or standard print.
Better memory: The continuous motion of linking letters helps students remember words and grasp new concepts.
Aids learning challenges: The fluid style helps students who deal with dyslexia or dysgraphia by treating each word as a single connected unit.
Motor Skills and Writing Ease
Finer hand control: Shaping connected letters builds hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity.
Less hand fatigue: Smooth, flowing lines reduce the stop-and-start stress common in regular print writing.
Fewer letter reversals: Connected motion stops young children from confusing similar letters like “b” and “d”.
Practical Uses
Reading history: Knowing cursive allows people to read old family letters, journals, and major historical papers.
Personal signatures: It gives individuals a reliable way to sign official forms, checks, and legal documents.
Isn’t cursive faster?
Generally yeah. That was one of the main selling points of cursive
I don’t know that cursive has demonstrated benefits, but writing by hand does improve learning, as does reading on paper.
Cursive has a weird cult following. As someone who likes the idea of cursive, it took quite a bit of effort to give up on it. It’s only theoretically faster, and it does so at the expense of legibility. I can’t read my own writing at speed, and I can´t read Charles Darwin’s either.
I started taking up Gregg shorthand to solve this problem. Faster and more legible, even without abbreviations.
Cursive writing helps improve brain development, memory retention, and fine motor skills.
Brain and Cognitive Growth
Stronger neural connections: Writing in cursive engages both sides of the brain, unlike typing or standard print.
Better memory: The continuous motion of linking letters helps students remember words and grasp new concepts.
Aids learning challenges: The fluid style helps students who deal with dyslexia or dysgraphia by treating each word as a single connected unit.
Motor Skills and Writing Ease
Finer hand control: Shaping connected letters builds hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity.
Less hand fatigue: Smooth, flowing lines reduce the stop-and-start stress common in regular print writing.
Fewer letter reversals: Connected motion stops young children from confusing similar letters like “b” and “d”.
Practical Uses
Reading history: Knowing cursive allows people to read old family letters, journals, and major historical papers.
Personal signatures: It gives individuals a reliable way to sign official forms, checks, and legal documents.
Dyspraxia gang say no to that