Write ‘baseball’ in cursive; Handwriting challenge shows surprising result

A recent TikTok video posted by Jomboy Media Entertainment (jomboymediaent) shows him asking people under the age of 25 to write the word ‘baseball’ in cursive. While this sounds like a straightforward writing challenge, the result surprised many, especially the older generation (including me!).

Is cursive writing a lost art in the US?

In 2010, the United States adopted the Common Core State Standards, eventually leading to the decline of teaching students how to write in cursive. As the world around us quickly adapted to the new age of technology, so did the way of learning. Nowadays, it’s more common for students to use gadgets like laptops as tools to take down notes, and thus, handwritten (specifically cursive writing) seems to be a thing of the past.

“That’s it, this made me just order a cursive handwriting workbook for my teenagers. 😅 They will not embarrass me like this. 🤣”

“one had a hieroglyphic in it”

In the writing challenge video, OP asked 9 people under 25 to write in cursive. Out of the 9, only one of them really nailed the challenge. There were 2 others who came close to writing ‘baseball’ in cursive correctly, but it seems it was a tricky task for them to complete. The rest of the people in the video either wrote in print or were creative and used what one commenter said was “hieroglyphic.”

@jomboymediaent

Asking people under 25 to write “baseball” in cursive #handwriting #cursive #penmanship

♬ Funny – Gold-Tiger

Fortunately, in April 2024, 23 states in the US mandated the use of cursive writing, which is being taught in public schools, according to the National Education Association.

The TikTok video might be humorous in nature, but it opens up a larger conversation about the evolving role of handwriting in the new-aged world. While the future of cursive remains to be written (pun intended), a recent resurgence in some states suggests it might not be a dying art just yet.