As AI dulls children’s patience and critical thinking, educators say handwriting and learning an instrument can rebuild the skills technology erodes
AI has changed how students approach their studies. But reliance on AI and other technology can affect the development of crucial soft skills in children.
“The skills most under pressure are patience, sustained attention, critical thinking and contemplation,” says Ryan Stevenson, co-founder and director of Bright Heart Education, a UK-based tutoring agency. “These all require time, whereas AI can generate answers almost instantly. Proper thinking is a lifelong skill that AI should serve, rather than being its master.”
Sukhmani Ojha, an ICT facilitator at Carmel School Hong Kong, notes that AI has impacted students’ willingness to devote time and effort to solving problems.
“The most significant loss is the capacity for ‘productive struggle’ – the willingness to sit with a difficult problem, make mistakes and build a solution from scratch. The oyster cannot produce a pearl without grit,” she says.
To help nurture and build on the skills that have been dulled by AI use, Stevenson emphasises two solutions: encouraging young children to practise handwriting regularly, and taking up a musical instrument.
“Digital literacy alone is not enough. Children also need judgement, creativity and the ability to evaluate information critically,” he says. “When children write by hand, they are processing, selecting and organising information rather than simply recording it. That deeper engagement strengthens memory and understanding.”
Beyond fostering creativity and critical thinking, handwriting can also strengthen spelling, vocabulary and writing skills, and improve hand strength and fine motor skills such as coordination and precision, says Nick Staffa, lower school vice-principal at Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS). “All these skills are transferable and support overall development in other areas, such as maths and science,” he adds.