Talking Your Tech: Still writing letters?
The U.S. Postal Service is in trouble, saying it may have to close many offices and cut back on delivery due to budget shortfalls caused by the lower postal volume. The problem: folks don't send as many letters as they used to, because of the rise in e-mail and texting.
So it got us to wondering — when's the last time folks sent a real, physical letter? Do people actually write them anymore? Or is it all e-mail and texts?
While in Las Vegas recently, we stopped by the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, where we spoke to a cross-section of potential letter writers, locals from Las Vegas and California, and folks from as far away as Brazil, Australia and New Zealand. Here's what they had to say:
Yeah, they still write
— "Absolutely. I write letters to my girlfriend in Connecticut. A letter feels more personal than a text message," says Californian Kyle Madson.
His girlfriend, Matoula Tsetsos, says "It's definitely more special. It's something I can keep. It's sentimental. A text or e-mail gets deleted. We need the post office. They're vital. I'd be upset if I had to just send an e-card."
— "The last time I sent a letter? Two weeks ago. In England, we still write them, for business mainly. It's something that's still done," says visitor Gary Shortland.
— "Sometimes an old-fashioned letter shows sincerity as opposed to just getting on the computer and being tech savvy. The old-fashioned way still works best for me," says Joyce Taraborelli, Las Vegas.
— "Both of my daughters are in colleges, so I write letters all the time. They're more personal. They enjoy getting things in the mail. It's a different feeling when you open up a letter than it is when you open an e-mail," says Robbin Nemec, Maryland.
They write, but very, very rarely
— "I have an auntie who lives far away, in Dublin, I send her cards and things," says Carol Shortland. For everyone else, "it's texting and e-mailing and Facebook."
— "I don't write letters. (The) computer's easier," says Amy Berthelot, Canada.
— "We don't write letters in Malaysia. E-mails are more convenient," say Colin Chew.
Condolences don't work in digital form
"An e-mail is `yeah, let's catch up,' but if someone has died, you're not going to put that in an e-mail. You're not going to send a text message. So you send a note for that," says Angela Keel, Australia.
Nothing beats getting something in the mail
"It's quite exciting to open the mailbox, and find there's something for you," says Bryn Templeman, New Zealand.
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