In an ironic twist of fate, technology has killed communication.
When you think about the technological leaps we have made in the last 20 years, the end results are staggering. Two people at opposite ends of the country can talk to each other face-to- face via FaceTime. Email threads have made it possible for dozens of people to communicate on the same topic, even if they’re all on separate continents. Texting has effectively replaced talking on the phone for the younger set mainly because a simple sentence may be the only thing that needs to be said. And yet, despite all these fast, innovative channels of communication, we have forgotten the simple luxury of picking up a phone and carrying on a conversation. Instead of beautiful, long, handwritten letters that represent time spent thinking about another person, we exchange incomplete sentences that contain phrases like “LOL,” “K,” and “TTYL.” Thoughts can even now be conveyed in 140 characters or less thanks to Twitter. It seems that people under 30 have spent so much time communicating with their thumbs, penmanship will soon go the way of the Dodo bird. Receiving a letter through the postal service these days has been reduced to a novel experience. To see a handwritten envelope with your name on it nowadays brings a sense of excitement and curiosity to mind. One might say, “Why did they write me a letter? I never get letters. They could have just emailed me.” And to think we were once so enthralled by the concept of the telegram.
Of course, I’m glad I live in an era of instant gratification where I don’t have to wait weeks or even days to hear back from someone I’m trying to speak to. I love the fact that absolutely anyone, regardless of where they live, can be reached in a matter of moments through texting, FaceTime, or Facebook. It’s just frightening to think how quickly we can feel out of sorts whenever we’re in a position that deprives us of Wi-Fi or cell service.
I can't help but think about the lost art of letter writing. Once upon a time, people actually took the time to sit down, whip out a pen, and write their thoughts and feelings onto a piece of paper with the intention of sending to another person. To see your name written out nicely on an envelope, stamp and all, indicates that someone cares enough about you to take time out of their busy day and spend it focusing solely on you. Wouldn't that make you feel equally (if not more) special than if they just sent you a text saying, "Hey"?
