Learn touch typing – it's worth it

How common is touch typing? Generational and cultural gaps

• Some participants claim almost all younger white-collar workers touch type; others strongly disagree, citing many colleagues who hunt-and-peck or use poor techniques.
• Reported averages (e.g., ~40 wpm) are used as evidence that many do not truly touch type.
• There are notable cultural differences: in some countries it was historically taught (often as a “secretarial” elective) and later dropped; in others, it was never institutionalized.
• A coming cohort raised mainly on touchscreens often struggles with physical keyboards, modifiers, and symbols, relying heavily on phone-like habits and autocomplete.

Should touch typing be taught in schools?

• Many argue it should be a basic school skill, given how many jobs require extensive keyboard use for decades.
• Others note schools often no longer offer typing classes, even when “computer classes” exist.
• Some contend heavy users will learn organically; others push back that structured teaching accelerates learning and avoids bad habits.

Value vs. skepticism: Is it really “worth it”?

• Proponents say:
  • Keyboard “disappears,” improving focus and flow.
  • Faster and more accurate long-form writing and communication.
  • Feels like “typing at the speed of thought,” especially combined with editor shortcuts (e.g., Vim).
• Skeptics counter:
  • Thinking, not typing speed, is usually the bottleneck in programming.
  • With code completion and AI assistants, raw typing matters less.
  • Some already type >100 wpm using idiosyncratic methods without pain and see little marginal benefit.

Layouts, technique, and ergonomics

• Several describe switching to Dvorak, Colemak, or variants (including language-specific layouts) as a way to:
  • Reduce strain and pain.
  • Force a “fresh start” and correct bad habits.
• Others report successfully retraining on QWERTY, often using blank or unlabeled keycaps to break visual dependence.
• There’s debate over strict home-row technique vs. “natural” evolved styles; high-speed typists sometimes diverge from textbook fingering.
• Ergonomic and split keyboards, thumb keys, and custom layers are repeatedly cited as major RSI mitigations and comfort improvements.

Learning strategies and tools

• People mention formal classes, chat (AIM/IRC/MUDs), games (Typing of the Dead), and modern trainers (Monkeytype, TypeRacer, Keybr, KTouch, Typelit, TypeQuicker).
• Common advice: prioritize accuracy over speed, avoid looking at the keyboard, practice problem symbols/rows separately, and accept a temporary productivity hit when retraining.