Double spaces after periods have an antiquated history in typography and no place in our modern society. But millions of Americans, including President Barack Obama himself, continue to mindlessly punch the space bar twice — or, disturbingly, three times — at the end of each sentence without ever questioning why.
When the typewriter became ubiquitous, the monospaced type it produced made white space between periods and the next letter less obvious. Double spaces were introduced to enhance readability. But with the typewriter nearly obsolete, double spaces after periods are no longer necessary. In fact, they damage readability and waste Americans' precious time and resources.
As a modern society, we can do better. President Obama, please stop using double spaces at the end of sentences.