shocked at dds WPM?!

[Belsnickel]

Out of interest after looking at jobs online i thought id test my words per minute. went on a couple of different online counters and got between a measley 31-36 wpm the highest i got was 41 but that had a lower accuracy.

DD who is 12 asked what i was doing and she said theyd done that at school and she thought hers had been about 60 wpm.
I said are you sure and looked up the average which is 38-40 with proffesional typists averaging about 65-75

she wanted to do one and first one came out at 68 WPM with 99% accuracy! I cant believe ive never noticed how fast her fingers move shes a machine! AIBU to be shocked? is this just normal in teens -who never are away from a keyboard-

I think the average is out of date - keyboard use is so commonplace now among younger people that typing is second nature. I used to work in a fast paced media environment, last time I tested I got 86 WPM. My father had 98-99 WPM.

To add, she did a few more afterwards and all came between 65 and 68 WPM and 98-100% accuracy

Sounds normal to me. My WPM is 120, which I can only attribute to having grown up with computers and being constantly on them for work. It's become one of those basic skills that most young people now have by default - although I feel as if this trend will soon reverse since now most children use tablets and touchscreens rather than keyboards.

That must be out of date. Professional typists?? What decade is that from?

ah ok that makes more sense. although it leaves me feeling less proud of my 38 😂😂😂

Right well my flabber is well and truly gasted! i thought i was a decent speed before i tested it hahaha!

i cant touch type though but i still thought it was a respectable speed!

It’s a ‘practise makes perfect’ situation. Keyboard use is much more prolific in all areas.
I wonder if the reverse is also true - can todays youngsters write as fluidly and quickly and previous generations who only
learnt to write unless sent to secretary school?

Touch typing can be improved though, it's just through habitual use and type of keyboard. I find tilted Windows-type keyboards easier than the flat smooth Mac keyboards (but I keep buying Mac so go figure...)

That’s very average, sorry OP.

My eldest has a 120 WPM... which is sickening as I've been trying (on and off) to learn to touch type properly since 1996 and they have reached that in a couple of years at school.

In my defence, it was all chalk and slate when I went to school 😀

haha yes! they have the advantage of growing up typing thats my excuse and im sticking with it 😂

I just did an online test (after reading your post and getting curious).

In 'the olden days' (ie when I was at school in the 70s 🤣) I learnt to type on a huge, clunky, manual typewriter and then went on to 'Secretarial College'. I've still got my RSA Typewriting certificates 😍 My fastest WPM then was 110 (which got me a distinction). I still touch-type, whilst carrying on a face to face conversation...I'm a teacher now, and my children think I have magic powers, as I'm typing on my laptop and having a good old chat to them as they sit on the carpet 🤣

I was very surprised that my speed is still 90 WPM after all these years! But then, when we were taught at school, the keys were covered up (so we couldn't see the letters) and we got a slap with a stick if we made more than 4 errors 😨😱 😬

Those averages used to use much stiffer keyboards. When I learnt to type it was on a mechanical keyboard, and if you went too fast the keys would jam. As a result I learnt to type slowly and deliberately, hitting each key cleanly. You could never correct.

My kids just about brush the keys, and correct lots and lots. Which makes it possible to do things much faster.

These speed tests are all variable as to what results they throw out depending on the complexity of the text and the amount of numerals and punctuation thrown in. Mine varies by 30wpm according to which site I test on. I'm faster than most and can type accurately and have a chat with someone in the room without needing to look at the screen purely because I spend so much time typing. Like most things, it's purely down to repetition/practice.

Can't say I'm fast on the keyboard but in a similar vein DH suggested getting me a nice notebook and quality fountain pen (we both like fountain pens) but then we realised that neither of us actually wrote much now, it's all on the computer or phone.

I've got my new notebook and pen and have decided to start writing again to enjoy using them.

Yep, mine used to be about 100-120 as well when I worked in the police 999 control room. Taking emergency calls means you learn touch typing REALLY quickly.....

I'm a lot slower these days in a very different role, but still about 70wpm.

this is so interesting! i think im going to have to have a daily practice. purely because all these are putting me to shame!
rather than dd being super speedy it appears im a snail!

As @SpringIntoChaos said, the really freaky thing is being able to have a verbal conversation and a completely separate online chat conversation at the same time.
I wonder if hearing people who are fluent in one of the sign languages can do the same (or does it depend on WHAT sign language - as it would be easier if the face and head aren't used).

1000 years ago when I started working, I did audio typing for medical notes/letters. My WPM was about 85-100 then.
I’m not as fast now, as I don’t sit and do it all day, every day. But the old Mavis Beacon typing practice comes back to me, and I touch type as standard.

out of practice, but managed 64wpm at first go, 97% accuracy. Learned to touch type as a teenager back in the dark ages, encouraged by my parents who had foresight and said that keyboard skills would be a core skill during my lifetime.

I was curious so I did a couple of online tests. My wpm is typically around 60-65 with 98-99% accuracy. I'd say I'm pretty average - never actually learned to type properly, just figured it out as I went along.

Funny you say that. I had that conversation with a colleague recently, who was flabbergasted that I was listening to a podcast, having an in person conversation, and continuing to type an email response, all at the same time. It never really registered with me that’s what I do; or that it might be different to others.

Mind you, I wouldn’t be able to count to 30, if someone was talking to me at the same time! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣

As has been said already, not particularly fast at all. My average speed is about 90 WPM without trying - if I really went full pelt, I could do 110 to 120 WPM, but it wouldn't be sustainable over a long period.

(I'm slower typing in second languages.)

All it is, is a reflection on whether you grew up around computers or not. If you didn't grow up around computers, you probably developed other skills.

Same here (except I learned in 1986). I used www.typingtest.com/. I got 75wpm and 98% accuracy.

I learned to touch type decades ago on a manual typewriter, it was like a tank! My final speed tests were between 70wpm and 75wpm.