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Writing by hand improves cognitive abilities, says expert

Old-fashion hand-writers are more likely to remember better than those who use devices to take notes.

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
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Sun, November 4, 2018

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Writing by hand improves cognitive abilities, says expert Writing by hand can help to empty the mind. (Shutterstock/File)

T

oday’s technology is designed to make life easier. In the past, we had to use a book and a pen or a pencil to write things down, but now we tend to turn to a note-taking application on our smartphones or laptops.

Despite the modern conveniences, Kompas.com reports that writing by hand is actually good for the brain as it improves cognitive abilities.

Deborah Dewi, an expert in handwriting analysis, said that there was a significant difference between processing information by typing or writing, saying that the more people use their hands to write, the more the brain cognitive area is improved.

Read also: How to: Boost your memory, maintain brain health

She also mentioned that hand-writers are more likely to remember better than those who use devices to take notes, explaining that writing by hand is considered more complex when compared with typing as it involves different parts of the body, including fingers and arms, stimulating different areas of the brain.

“Have you ever felt like your brain goes blank? That’s because our mind is overloaded,” said Deborah, the only Indonesian graphologist recognized by the American Association of Handwriting Analysts (AAHA) and the American Handwriting Analyst Foundation (AHAF).  

She said that writing by hand could also help to empty the mind.

Deborah suggested bringing back a handwriting culture, saying that typing was not supposed to eliminate handwriting. (jes/wng)

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