Want To Sharpen Your Brain? Pick Up The Pen And Start Writing

The World is a Global village today and the traditional method of communication through writing letters has been replaced by other ways of communication. Technology has advanced to such a stage that we can instantly connect with people across the globe within matter of few seconds. Rather than penning down o paper we now find it more easy and natural to send text messages and emails, typing out our messages within a very short time. There are no doubt advantages of these fast modes of communication however; we seem to be losing out on lot of things that are associated with writing.
Especially when it comes to education there has been a decline amongst students when it came to writing. The advanced curriculums in schools have also changed and it is common for students in today's educational system to dislike or avoid writing process. Most of the students feel that writing takes too much of their time. Some find writing very laborious while others who have processing difficulties like dyslexia or dysgraphia. However, we cannot deny the fact that students no longer enjoy the more refined process of written communication given the fact that a very big chunk of their studies and leisure is spent around gadgets which are faster-paced. Some children also avoid writing because they have a hard time getting started and the pressure overwhelms them. Some struggle to organize their ideas fluently, low vocabulary also because children these days are more prone to watching things on their mobiles or computers rather than reading books. There are many other reasons too.
As parents and teachers we need to help the children deal with their lack of enjoyment of the writing process. It can be started very early like in the primary classes by making the students write letters to each other. Make them understand the techniques of writing and appreciate their efforts and also make them appreciate the art of writing. Help them develop more efficient skills.
We need to pay more attention to writing has psychological benefits. It has been seen that writing helps people communicate highly complex ideas more easily and effectively. Hand writing also sharpens the brain because the sequential hand movements while writing activate large regions of our brain that are responsible for thinking, language, healing and working memory. Study has proven that the mere action of writing unleashes creativity not easily accessed in any other way. Handwriting increases the neural activity in certain parts of the brain. Writing is almost like a form of meditation.
Many famous and successful authors like Stephen King, J.K.Rowling, Franz Kafka and many others used the pen even though they had access to the type writer. They chose the pen and paper and let the letters travel through the pages. The pen does seem to have the magical power to guide the writer to places where computers don’t seem to be able to access.

By: Madhuchanda Saxena
Content: https://theconversation.com/where-has-the-joy-of-writing-gone-and-how-do-we-get-it-back-for-our-children-101900