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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.

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[–] schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works 38 points 1 day ago (23 children)

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.

[–] cardboardboxfort@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (15 children)

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.

[–] roundabout@feddit.org 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] cardboardboxfort@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Generally yeah. That was one of the main selling points of cursive

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