Does Anyone Remember, Pencils? By Michael Ferguson

     There are many disturbing signs of cultural decline, including the trend of physical weakness arising from a sedentary life style and the neurotic use of computers. It seems that this trend has got so bad that children are becoming too weak in the hands to be able to use a pencil:
  https://www.naturalnews.com/2018-03-04-doctors-shocked-as-children-no-longer-able-to-hold-pencils-due-to-endless-use-of-mobile-devices.html 

“A study carried out by the Heart of England Foundation NHS Trust found that young children are entering school without the hand strength and dexterity needed to hold their pencils due to the widespread overuse of touchscreen tablets and phones. The ability to grip and move a pencil requires a strong control over the fine muscles in the fingers, and children who are constantly using touchscreens don’t get the opportunity to develop these essential skills. Parents have no one to blame but themselves, according to British pediatricians. Many parents find it easier to park their kids in front of an iPad than to encourage them to build with blocks or participate in other activities that build hand muscles such as coloring. One mother recounted to the Guardian how her son’s school contacted her because he was “gripping his pencil how a caveman held sticks.” He was unable to get a proper grip to write, and the six-year-old is now attending weekly occupational therapy session to develop strength in his fingers.”

     This article brought back memories of one of my teachers, who was old when I was young in the 1950s, who knew how to write correctly, and instructed us in the noble art of holding a pen correctly. It was a valuable lesson that children today will need to learn.