Joined-up handwriting is less common among younger Britons
Although sometimes seen as a little superfluous in an age of smartphones and laptops, handwriting still carries importance for many – it is often unique, with a handwritten message often feeling more heartfelt than a typed one. Some believe your handwriting can show your personality, while we’ve all had struggles reading somebody else’s. But what do Britons think of their handwriting, and do they actually use it?
Nearly six in ten Britons (58%) would describe their own handwriting as at least fairly neat, though just 10% would regard themselves as having very neat penmanship.
Women are more likely to rate their own skill, with 70% describing their handwriting as fairly or very neat, compared to just 45% of men, one in six of whom (18%) instead admit their scrawl isn’t neat at all.
But while self-reported handwriting ability doesn’t change with the generations, with 57-60% of all age groups saying they have neat handwriting, writing styles have. Eight in ten over 65s (80%) say they write in cursive or joined-up handwriting, compared to just 55% of 25-49 year olds and less than half of those aged 18-24 (46%).
Instead, a third of 18-24 year olds (35%) write in block letters, something true of just 11% of those aged 65 and over. A further 5% of young people write in block capitals, although this is roughly in line with other generations (6-8%).
However, while 13% of men write in block capitals, just 2% of women do.
Overall, 63% of Britons say they have joined-up handwriting, while 21% use block letters and 7% say they write purely in block capitals.
How often do Britons write things out by hand?
Although most Britons may rate their handwriting abilities, some have expressed concern in recent years that digital technology is killing off the artform, particularly among younger generations.
However, this does not appear to be the case. Three quarters of Britons (75%) say they write out short lists by hand at least a few times a month, while 71% of Brits are taking notes by hand on a similarly regular basis. In both cases, this includes around seven in ten 18-24 year olds (69-72%), showing the practice has not died out yet.
Longer form writing by hand, though, is less common. Just one in six Britons (17%) update a personal journal or diary by hand at least a few times a month, while only 7% of the public are handwriting letters that regularly.
While less of a regular activity, 29% of Britons say they are handwriting messages in greetings cards at least a few times a month, though this does widen to 90% doing so at least a few times a year.
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Photo: Getty
