Pen: An endangered species?

When sifting through the papers this morning, I was deeply saddened.

The gurgle on my insides and tug on my heartstrings was due to an article I saw reporting: 

  "Schools in Indiana are abandoning teaching children how to do joined up handwriting in favour of showing them how to type"

Now, is it just me or does this frighten the hell out of you?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of these technophobe fuddy duddies who spends their time nibbling custard creams,hugging a typewriter while moaning about modernisation , I'm awe inspired by the marvellous capabilities of the Internet...but doesn't the jump to a completely  digital world make your spine tingle?

What cuts me up the most though, is that I know this Indiana study is just the beginning. With the rapid growth of emails and expansion of online potential... the pen is slowly becoming neglected.

My reason for this little post though, was to dive into the sea of bloggers and soak up the general wave of opinions ...

I'm sitting at my work desk now, but I couldn't resist popping this finding online to see what the blogging world believes...so please, do pour out your opinions...

Anyone else, like me, scared to imagine a world consumed by technology and lacking the trusty pen?

Anyone else think they'd miss that feeling of pen-in-hand and  sense of control as your ideas flow through a nib and form on a page in front of you?

Anyone else just feel so much more content with a hard copy piece of writing and feel words on a screen lack dimension and security?

So, yes I'm aware this blog is a little hypocritical ... but I'm so intrigued! In fact  think I'm going to write an article for work on this today.  Are we about to dip into a icy online age? Will future generations and my children turn, perplexed and ask ''Mum, what's a Biro ?"

Shudders.