Has your handwriting gotten worse?
Summary
Triggered by a viral photo of Angelina Jolie’s hotel note, this episode explores the decline of legible handwriting in the digital age. Guests discuss the loss of cursive literacy, citing a Harvard study, and share personal anecdotes about deciphering messy notes and doctor’s prescriptions. The conversation highlights the practical safety issues of illegible medical scripts and the value of traditional writing skills.
Topics discussed
Government of Ireland: Build Ireland recruitment ad
Angelina Jolie's handwriting sparks online debate
Cormac Lally: Handwriting as a basic civilised skill
Loss of cursive standards and the impact of screens
Harvard study on cursive literacy and parental involvement
Cormac Lally's pride in his legible notes
Terry Prone: Anecdotes about his poor handwriting
Handwriting analysis results for Terry and his husband
Observations on Tom's 'floating' cursive style
Sheena Mitchell: Patient safety issues with doctor scripts
Improvement in prescription readability via digital health
Does a fancy pen improve handwriting quality?
Sean Moncrief joins and discussion on note-taking
Show sign-off and credits
Listen ad-free on Castria