While scrolling through twitter today, I noticed a tweet from SparkPR. The tweet linked to a video called Snailmail vs. Email. In the video, people were asked about how frequently they received emails vs. handwritten letters, and how both communication tools made them feel.
Not surprisingly, they all said they received emails almost every day, while a handwritten letter was a rarity and a treat. They called emails overwhelming and daunting, but they said handwritten letters made them feel warm and fuzzy, overjoyed and appreciated.
When I watched it, I obviously couldn’t agree more. But it got me thinking about the idea of email and efficient communication vs. snailmail and emotional communication.
We email to get information from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Conversations are brief, and the most important info is always emphasized first. We are meant to receive and act on email info. I cannot even count the number of times I have sent or received an email simply saying, “got it”.
But snailmail is used to express something so much more. My parents raised me to always send handwritten thank you notes. Whenever one of my friends’ parents come into town and take me to dinner, whenever someone gets me a birthday or Christmas gift etc. I used to write hand letters at summer camp, so I could explain my experiences to those at home. Holiday cards from Grammy and Grampy come on every Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and birthday without fail.
These handwritten cards show a true emotional connection with people who are important to us. The main takeaway is that this feeling couldn’t ever come across in an email. Sure, there are e-cards, and emailing with a friend abroad is a quick way to get updates on their life. However, it will never give us the same sense of excitement, surprise and joy that a handwritten letter does. The time and effort put into a letter mean so much more than just firing off an email.
My dad sent me a handwritten letter this week. I talk to him on the phone weekly, and most of the things he wrote he had already told me via phonecall. But I still felt his love from 400 miles away just through looking at his handwriting. He sat down, probably during a busy workday, and took the time to let me know that he cares. And that is what is so important to realize. Letters show you care. They show love. They show all emotion, really. And this is something an email will never accomplish, even though it is the number one form of communication we use today.
Snailmail will always trump email with personality and emotion. No matter what.
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The producer of the video also created this awesome collaborative art project to show the importance of handwritten letters:
http://www.snailmailmyemail.org
“Snail Mail My Email is a worldwide collaborative art project where volunteers handwrite strangers’ emails and send physical letters to the intended recipients, free of charge. In 2013, 243 volunteers collectively sent 2,500+ letters over a seven day span.”
Charlie D. 