Message 1: marry mee
Message 2: Pooh Bear, you are my one and only. There is no sunrise tomorrow if you are not at my side. Every day I wake up hoping to see your beautiful brown eyes staring back at me. Please make me the happiest person in the world and say you will be my date for homecoming.
The difference between these messages are HUGE! A text arrives with little to no context, frequently extremely cold or extremely hot (some would say inappropriate), and regularly is filled with recycled memes whose original recipient is like a needle in the haystack.
Contrast this with receiving a personal note, handwritten by a friend who found time to write to you. Imagine yourself receiving the second message; first, you probably don’t look in the mailbox every day for personalized letters, so imagine the moment of surprise, a rush of joy and excitement. You most definitely will read it more than once, and surely you won’t dump it in your trash can. That’s the beauty of a handwritten letter. It carries something that a text or email simply cannot: individuality.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m a 16-year-old with a daily screen time easily over 4 hours, and according to my parents my phone is practically glued to my hand. But here’s the thing: while texting is quick, easy, and efficient, it doesn’t have the soul that comes with a letter.
Look, I’m not here to slander technology’s name or ignore the positive effects texting has had on my networking. Instead, I’m here to offer an argument for something that may seem old-fashioned but is more important than ever in our fast-paced, digital age: the handwritten letter.
Sure, texting has helped us stay more connected. But this isn’t about whether texting is effective. It’s about the personality and intention behind our words. A message typed in seconds can start to feel like an assembly line; add emojis here, sprinkle a GIF there, and finish with an “LOL.” The deeper meaning? Lost in the threads of messages you’re just trying to catch up on.
But a letter? A letter forces you to reflect, to be intentional, to slow down, to focus on the person you’re writing to, to really think about what you want to say. And in that process, something beautiful happens – a Mona Lisa, a work of art, you forever stopped time and captured the moment on ink and paper. Letters are the perfect alternative to texting. Here are 4 reasons why you should be sending an occasional note to a friend or family member:
- Forces you to focus
- Allows you to articulate your emotions and feelings
- Limits your screen time
- Makes you and the receiver feel great (recall the Pooh Bear message)
I’m not saying to call Verizon and cancel your mobile plan. I’m not saying to stock up on stamps. Instant communication forever will be an integral part of connecting us all. But when someone puts effort and time to write a personalized note; that’s special! So, if you really want to enhance a relationship, put down the phone, pick up a pen, and send a letter!
