The big picture: Gen Z, often considered digital natives, grew up glued to screens. However, their mastery has its limits – particularly with the humble physical keyboard, which seems as foreign to them as the possibility of getting scammed online does to boomers.
A recent Wall Street Journal report delves into Gen Z's surprising lack of keyboard typing skills, featuring interviews with several individuals and revealing some startling statistics.
The report cited data from the US Department of Education, showing that in 2000, a staggering 44 percent of high school graduates took a keyboarding course. By 2019, that number had plummeted to just 2.5 percent. One might assume this is because Gen Z is so adept at typing that formal instruction seems unnecessary. Unfortunately, the reality is quite the opposite.
Christine Mueller, a former tech educator in Oklahoma City, witnessed this phenomenon firsthand. While the school district provided laptops to students, it did not teach them how to type efficiently. In response, she organized the city's first "Key Bee" – a spelling bee-style competition designed to encourage typing practice.
The results were eye-opening. The fastest student reached an impressive 91 words per minute, while the average fourth grader's speed improved from a sluggish 13 words per minute to 25 words per minute.
As for why Gen Z struggles with typing despite their tech-savvy reputation, a survey from the Pew Research Center suggests that many educators assume students naturally pick up typing skills through constant device usage.
Many students have embraced tablets and mobile devices over physical keyboards. Paige DeChaney, an 18-year-old from Illinois, wrote an eight-page memoir entirely on her iPad, skillfully using the on-screen keyboard. She admits she's "gotten weird looks for typing on my iPad screen."
The data supports this shift. Between March and May 2024, 39 percent of assignments submitted through the online education platform Canvas came from mobile devices.
Another trend highlighted in the report is students watching their hands as they type to ensure accuracy, indicating a lack of keyboard confidence.
As states transition standardized tests to computer-based exams, the report emphasizes that students with better typing skills can score higher since they can focus more on the test content rather than the keyboard.
Perhaps this is why there are signs of renewed interest in formal typing instruction. Tim Dikun, COO of Teaching.com, the parent company of Typing.com, has observed a surge in demand for typing curricula from states like New York and Texas due to their shift to computer-based testing.
However, if you're Gen Z, formal training isn't absolutely necessary – earlier research found that self-taught typists who use an average of six fingers are just as fast as professionals using all 10. So, with a bit of practice, you can improve your typing skills on your own.
Image credit: Vlad Deep, Pixabay
Despite tech-savvy reputation, Gen Z falls behind in keyboard typing skills
