When was the last time you sat down and wrote a letter? Emails and little thank-you cards don’t count, so if you’re like most people, it has probably been a while. Today’s world is full of sending Snaps, quick texts, and direct messages, and we have lost touch with the sentiment behind writing letters.
Don’t get me wrong, I am no stranger to the world of the convenient messaging at our fingertips and I do not plan on leaving it behind. However, we often get stuck with a lack of meaning when communicating with each other, and starting a trend of handwritten letters will bring that meaning back.
Unlike texting, putting a pen to paper takes more time and thought. The message becomes more personal, especially when it is written in one’s handwriting. When writing letters, we’re forced to slow down our thoughts and think about what we want to write. There is no anticipation or autocorrect, just a paper and pen.
Beyond the nostalgia of passing notes in class or handwriting letters in school, the permanence of putting pen to paper is something that is completely lost in digital communication.
A lot of people communicate through social media, Snapchat being a popular platform. On Snapchat, messages automatically delete after 24 hours and photos and videos are only shown for a few seconds. While it does have a feature to save messages, it still speeds up the pace of messaging and lacks almost any permanence. Having the physical keepsake of a letter is 100 times more meaningful than any Snapchat memory.
There is also something so rewarding about the wait for a letter to arrive in the mail. We are so obsessed with instant gratification that we lose the satisfaction of having meaningful conversations. Taking the old-school “snail-mail” route creates more excitement and expectation, something that we have easily lost track of. Waiting days or even weeks may sound unnecessary, but unless in a work setting where time is little, romanticizing delays could be a healthier approach to communication.
So, if you find yourself growing impatient due to a strong obsession with digital communication, consider putting down your phone and picking up a pen. You’d be surprised by the changes it will make in your life.
