Do Left Handed People Keep the Mouse on the Left Side?
Thank you for the ask. In my case, I prefer to keep the mouse on the right side for most of my activities, but the choice isn't definite for everyone.
Personal Experience: Mouse Usage Adjustments
As a left-handed person who grew up in an environment with many right-handed individuals, I never felt a strong need to adapt the mouse to the left side. This is particularly true since my first exposure to a mouse was earlier than most, right at the dawn of its use in daily computing.
Nevertheless, I have noticed a shift in my own habits. Currently, I alternate between using the left and right side of the mouse based on the settings of my workplace or home computer. When using a desktop at home or at work, the mouse is set up on the left side, but when borrowing someone else's computer, I revert to right-handed usage.
The Role of Age and Early Exposure
The choice of which hand to use for the mouse can heavily depend on the age at which one started using a mouse. People who began using a mouse at a young age, like this writer, might be accustomed to having their left hand primarily on the keyboard and their right hand on the mouse. This makes it more practical to keep the left hand on the keyboard for those reasons discussed below.
The dominance and training of the left hand for typing, the placement of more useful characters on the left side of the keyboard, and the fact that the dominant hand can more efficiently hit keys on the sides of the keyboard without lifting the non-dominant hand off the mouse, all support left-handed people keeping the mouse on the right side initially.
Training and Adaptation Over Time
Because the initial training and defaults for computer usage were designed with right-handed individuals in mind, it was more natural for left-handed people to adapt their left hand for a wider range of keyboard operations. However, as technology has evolved, new interfaces are being developed that may cater more equally to left-handed and right-handed users. For those who start using a mouse today, it may be equally easy to start with a left-handed hand if they are accustomed to doing so.
Ergonomically speaking, it is possible to train the non-dominant hand to perform tasks that are typically performed by the dominant hand. The brain can be reprogrammed for specific tasks, but it does take significant practice.
Adaptation to New Interfaces
My personal experience similarly suggests that when using a new piece of technology for the first time, one tends to adapt to the interface rather than changing it. In my case, I grew up with the mouse on the right, and despite occasional attempts to use it with the left hand, these efforts didn't persist.
However, there is evidence that some individuals switch hands due to medical issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome. This indicates that while the initial tendency might be to use the dominant hand, it is not an innate decision and can be changed with practice and adaptation.
In conclusion, while I, as a right-handed user, find it more convenient to use the mouse with my right hand, the choice of which hand to use for the mouse primarily depends on personal preference and the context in which the device is being used.
Feel free to explore the options and find what works best for your own setup and comfort.