With today’s society being basically obsessed with technology, how has this affected our general communication skills? I feel that a majority of our conversations are constantly revolving around things we’ve seen on social media, what the newest apps or games are, etc. I’ve heard a number of people today say how they hate phone calls. Some even refuse to answer their calls. What happened to phone calls? Even more so, what happened to letter writing?
I’m not so sure that people still believe in letter writing. I can assure you, though, that it is still quite real. How do I know? I currently rely on letters to communicate with a particularly important individual in my life. Without these letters, I would know nothing. I wouldn’t have any form of communication with this person for months at a time. Why do people still think that letter-writing is nonsense? These letters are something I look forward to each week.
Every time I bring up phone calls or letter writing, I get odd looks from those around me. Why have these forms of communication, which used to be our major means of communication, become almost a sort of taboo? Just the words “phone call” makes people cringe. The thought of putting physical effort into writing and mailing a letter just appears to be more of a chore. When I tell people that I receive hand-written letters in the mail, they often associate it with being just a nice gesture, not a source of actual communication.
Yes, I agree that letters are nice gestures in today’s day and age, but it also shows meaning and effort. No one has to write a letter, as it is more “effort” than sending a text, but I feel like it can strengthen people’s communication skills. If you can communicate over the phone with verbiage and through letters by expressing your thoughts on paper, then your communication skills will be quite diverse. People are more apt to hold a variety of conversations without the assistance of a technological device or mobile phone.
I’m not saying that people should stop communicating through technology, but just remember that phone calls and letter writing are not dead. Pick up a phone and call your relatives or friends next time instead of texting them. Write a letter to a loved, just to let them know you are thinking about them. Pen pal programs still exist, too! And I’m sure we’ve all seen events that involve writing letters to send to those in the military or those in the hospitals. It’s a small act of kindness that will forever bring smiles to the faces of those recipients.
The effort of phone calling and letter writing is something that becomes rarer each day. I do not think that these forms of communication will ever completely fade away, but keep in mind that any kind of communicative effort will almost always be appreciated. Why not be old school for a day? Pick up the phone or pick up a pen.
