Gen Xers and Millennials watch Gen Z kids try, and gloriously fail, to write in cursive

If you're on TikTok, you've more than likely seen "The Cursive Challenge," at some point over the years. Parents–and even teachers–get the Gen Z-ers in their lives to attempt a style of writing that is no longer taught in many schools.

The videos range from people who are truly earnest in their attempt at the challenge to those who are hilariously baffled by the fact that cursive writing even exists at all. One such person was Chaun Domingue (@Chaundomingue on TikTok), who tries to get his Gen Z daughter to pass the test. He gives her a handful of words, and she gives it an honest try until she adorably devolves into a giggling fit. He then shows her how it's done.

Even celebrities have gotten in on the fun. On the Cincinnati Bengals TikTok page, a handful of NFL football players give it their all. Handed just a whiteboard and an erasable marker, they're asked to write "Bengals" in cursive. While the first player tries, we hear someone admit, "I haven't written in cursive since, like, fifth grade." They're good sports (of course), and some do a decent enough job, but for the most part, it's a "B" followed by unrecognizable squiggles – which gives everyone a good-natured laugh.

The comment section had some notes. One points out that Chase Brown "had the biggest smile on his face like he was so proud of his work." Another notes that "Mac (Hippenhammer) just adding a bunch of extra end letters."

The style of writing remains a hot topic. Over on the Southern Living blog, writers Valerie Fraser Luesse and Zoe Gowen make a case for the style in "5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Know Cursive." The gist of the post, at least for the writers, is that cursive writing is a nostalgic tradition. "Cursive is a lost art. Scratch that. It's an art. It's not lost quite yet. When you write in cursive, you are encouraged to embrace your creative side."

They also maintain that it's faster than writing in print and, quite simply, "It looks nice." "A flowing cursive is one step closer to the art of calligraphy, and it's a necessity if you want to sign your name in a formal fashion."

But many on Reddit seem conflicted. On the subreddit r/stupidquestions, someone essentially asks why we stopped teaching cursive. The top comment answers pragmatically: "Because it’s hard to read, and with the onset of everyone using technology, with the fonts we have on the screens in front of us, it’s just what we’re used to now. Calligraphy is an art, and there are plenty of calligraphy artists online making videos of their work." But they add a hopeful note: "For what it's worth, they still teach cursive in schools, at least in Australia. And GPs (general practitioners) the world over are keeping cursive alive, too."

Another Redditor agrees: "I wrote in cursive until teachers asked me to stop in 7th grade. Students would exchange work and grade each other, but apparently, a number of students had complained they couldn't read my cursive. Even knowing cursive, I struggle to decipher the handwriting from the colonial era. If I am looking at primary sources, it's easier translating ancient Latin than reading English from a personal letter of a 17th-century politician."

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This person adds a technical explanation: "Because today, we have pens which can be lifted without dropping ink, which would screw up writing. Technology evolved, and we adapted to use the fastest way, which is not cursive but some kind of hybrid."

However, some still prefer it. "I'm probably one of the few people who finds it much easier to write in cursive, probably because I was never taught to write in print. For context, I went to primary school in France in the 2010s. I'm not sure if they still teach it now, but I think the majority must still do."

This comment surprisingly got some negative feedback: "Many U.S. states now require cursive as part of the elementary school curriculum. Good! Why? Because it's a 'grown-up' skill that should be a normal part of a child's social education – like self-feeding, potty-training, and self-dressing. Also, because cursive writing is expressive and beautiful. Print is common and clunky. And, as a poet once put it, 'If eyes were meant for seeing, then beauty is its own excuse for being.'"