E-Mail Vs. Snail Mail

Kishore C.S. (March 2000)

The other day I had to visit post office to buy stamps. I suddenly realized that I never bought even a single inland letter or post card in last few years. I have become so much dependent on e-mail now that I have lost the habit of writing letters.

In pre e-mail era receiving letters through postman was a significant event in every day life. Especially when I was staying in hostel, letters from family or friends used to make all my classmates feel important. Every day we used to rush to our rooms after lunch to check for letters. One who doesn’t receive letter that day comes back upset and the one who received letters will cheer up others as the ‘lucky’ guy of the day. The letters used to convey that there are a few who care for us.

Things have changed once e-mail era has arrived.

E-mail has following advantages compared to snail mail (as the letters are now referred to)

• It is fast: You communicate with friends and family across the world with ease.
• You can send one message to many people at the same time

But e-mail has spoiled quite a few things

• Length: e-mail messages are very short compared to letters we used to get. I still remember 3 page letters I used to receive sometimes give elaborate details.
• Language: Many of the messages are in English: Till such time we start sending e-mails in mother tongue this will persist. I miss reading my mother tongue and am fast losing the habit or reading mother tongue.
• Nuances of writing: a typed message will not carry the emphasis one can put into a hand written message. The joy of reading a handwritten message which carries hidden meanings cannot be put into e-mail. Adding colors, changing fonts can be done in e-mail to give emphasis but not the long drawn letters that our parents or grand parents used to write.
• Custom Letters: I also had a few friends you used to put pictures or very stylish and creative ways of writing letters which I miss now.

Overall I feel e-mail does not have the ‘personal touch’. Now every message is in the ‘same format’ of typed English and is always in the same tone. Only information conveyed is different.

But I cannot imagine getting back to the habit of writing letters. I still prefer sending e-mail which is fast and quick. I lost communication with people who don’t have e-mail ids because I just can’t sit down to write a letter. And I also urge everyone I meet to get an e-mail id if he intends to keep in touch with me. I even forced my father to get an e-mail id.

Rarely do I receive a personal letter by post. The only things I receive are bills to be paid, junk mail and magazines. Earlier I used to call up home during lunch and ask my wife whether any letters are there for me. Now my wife calls me after I reach office to check whether there were any e-mails in today.

I think we just have to get used this e-mail. Welcome to the e-mail ERA!

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