When was the last time you received a letter? Not a typed out paragraph sent from messages. An actual piece of paper with handwritten words on it.
Many people might not even remember the last time, and some may not have received one.
In a world of digital communication, handwritten letters have become a thing of the past. Now, the only thing we have to do to communicate is hit a button. That text is then forgotten minutes later, and a new conversation is made. The cycle continues.
Ella Engelhardt, a first-year middle/secondary education major, discussed how technology has changed the way people communicate.
“We live in a world where people really want instant gratification, and really want things to be efficient and easy,” Engelhardt said. “So it’s much easier to send a text right away and get an answer right away, versus the prolonged process of writing a letter and receiving a letter.”
It’s true; texting is more convenient than going to the post office. However, texting takes away the sentiment. You may have a difficult time deciphering what emotion is trying to be conveyed in a text message. You only have emojis to help express emotion but even then, it’s not as meaningful as the physical aspect of a letter, especially because Gen Z uses little to no punctuation when chatting. The recipient is then left to interpret the message in a way the sender perhaps didn’t intend.
Max Haley, a junior sports media and strategic communications double major, believes handwritten letters are more intentional than a text.
“When you’re thinking about writing somebody a handwritten letter, there’s usually personal meaning behind it,” Haley said. “Even if it’s as simple as, ‘I was just thinking of you. I just wanted to see how you’re doing,’ just to check up. There’s intentionality behind that.”
With a handwritten letter, its impact is different. It shows how much you value a person and that you are willing to put in the time to write about your relationship with them. The action itself is already more personal than sending a quick text, and it can mean a lot to the recipient.
Haylee Florkey, a senior English creative writing and Spanish double major, emphasized how writing your words on paper rather than digitally feels more raw.
“I think writing notes on paper shows that you took the time to really reach out to that person, especially if it is a person that you only communicate [with] digitally,” Florkey said. “That’s usually where I find myself writing handwritten things. You put your personality in how you write — your handwriting — the way you choose to do drawings in the margins. It comes across more human to human.”
It’s also the excitement of receiving a letter that makes it feel so much more meaningful. Imagine the joy on the recipient’s face when they open their mailbox and see a personalized letter written just for them. Especially when the only mail we receive are bills or paper ads. A handwritten letter could really brighten their day.
Engelhart said she received a letter from her sister, and it was something that really meant a lot to her.
“My sister sent me a handwritten letter at the beginning of college, and that just made me feel really loved, valued and known,” Engelhardt said. “It was really great because I was in a new place, but someone from home was reaching out to me.”
Laura Shupe, a senior healthcare and business double major and president of Letters of Love, shared that the reason she and her friends started the club was to make a positive impact on children through handmade cards. The Letters of Love Club’s mission is to make handmade cards for children in the hospital.
“There’s so much joy in the world, and if we can provide a little ray of sunshine in their day, that’s the whole goal,” Shupe said. “A lot of these kids are going through things that we can never even comprehend. So this is a really great way to give back in kind of a small way, but also in a really meaningful way.”
I think the whole intent of putting pen to paper is to hope the person reading it feels seen. When I write letters, my hope is to remind people how important they are to me because you never know when someone needs to hear it.
I also write because it makes me feel more connected in my relationships. The physical aspect of a letter makes it feel so much more intentional. It takes a lot of invested time to sit down and craft the exact words to say. It’s a special form of love that brings people a lot of joy. With a text message, you don’t necessarily get to feel the same amount of vulnerability.
Plus, it’s harder to keep a text message, especially if it gets lost by more text chains. A letter is timeless, and easier to store. To be able to go back to it and know exactly what that person feels for you is really substantial.
I’ve never thrown away a letter I’ve received. Every single one holds value and reminds me of different times in my life. It’s also a reminder of the bonds I’ve built and how much of who I am comes from the people who have cared for me.
Maybe that’s why letters matter: they slow us down, strengthen our relationships and remind us that someone cared enough to put pen to paper.