As everyone knows—and especially those reading this blog post—we have entered the digital age. I read a statistic the other day stating that 46% of smartphone users spend 5-6 hours per day on their device; 11% spend 7 hours or more! And that doesn’t include work-related smartphone use!
That’s incredible. Perhaps “deplorable” would be a better word.
As one might expect, most of that time is spent scrolling on social media and watching videos on apps such as TikTok and YouTube.
The effects of this digital transformation are legion, but one I want to zero in on is our interpersonal communication.
On an everyday basis, if we want to touch base with someone, we now send a text message. Remember when we used to pick up the phone, dial the number, and (hopefully) talk to the person on the other end of the line? I know, I’m dating myself here. Anyone born in this millennium has no idea what I’m talking about!
And look at how texting has affected us. We send a text, and if we don’t hear back right away, our mind goes into speculation mode. Is the other person OK? Is he mad at me? Did I offend him somehow? It’s been 5 minutes—why hasn’t he responded?
Some get so many text messages they may not reply at all—there are just too many to deal with, and only the urgent get a response.
Interestingly, this simple digital tool that promises to be so helpful and convenient—and it is (or can be)—can actually increase stress and anxiety!
Then there’s email.
Before texting came along, email dominated digital communication. It’s still huge, of course. If you’re like me, you have multiple email addresses for various purposes. And those inboxes fill up pretty quickly, don’t they? Honestly, most of the email I get comes from advertisers. A few from news outlets. A much smaller percentage comes as personal communication from someone—almost none, frankly.
There was a time long past in galaxy far, far away when personal communication required pen, paper, envelope, stamp, and postal service. Today’s young couples can’t fathom the process my wife and I had to go through to communicate with one another when I was in college 700 miles away.
Imagine this.
Talking on the phone meant I either had to find a pay phone for some privacy or use the dorm room phone, climb into a closet, and close the door. And then I had two options: call collect (and risk her dad answering the phone!) or third-party billing (meaning my parents got the charge on their phone bill). Well, there was the pay phone option, too, which meant having a stack of quarters to drop every three minutes, if I even had the money for it.
Hearing each other’s voice happened only every two or three weeks.
Written communication was the primary choice, and we wrote to each other daily.
Literally wrote. Paper and pen. Handwriting.
After a couple of days, we’d put the full pages in an envelope, write an address on the outside, put a stamp on it, and drop it in a mailbox. Typically, it arrived at its destination three days later.
You know the anxiety that arises when a text goes unanswered for a few minutes? That’s how I’d feel on the third day if there were no letter in my P.O. box. If still empty on the fourth day, it was like an unanswered, “You get my text?” On the rare occasion that five days passed without a letter, I was calling collect.
Hard to imagine, isn’t it?
Seriously, when was the last time you received a handwritten letter in your mailbox? But then, when was the last time you sent one?
Such a thing seems to have become a relic from a bygone era.
Which has impacted Christmas, hasn’t it?
Christmas day is less than two weeks away, and it used to be that by this time, the top of our piano or a fireplace mantle or a living room table would be covered with Christmas cards—greetings from afar from friends and loved ones. Most years there were so many, we had to add a basket to contain them all.
So far this year, we’ve received two.
Two!
I’m not faulting anyone. Not at all. We used to send out around four dozen ourselves, but like most others, it seems, got away from it.
Why?
Cost of postage? Perhaps—66¢ to mail a card!
Life’s too busy? Maybe. But maybe that’s a convenient excuse we use—after all, there are all these cool YouTube and TikTok videos to watch!
Or could sending greeting cards to our friends and loved ones be another victim of the digital revolution? After all, we can send a “Merry Christmas” text instantly—and even add a cool Christmas GIF. And the family Christmas letter can be emailed and save us 66¢ apiece! And goodness sakes, I can reach all my friends at the same time, instantly, with a catchy post on social media! Great new world, isn’t it?!?
As I’ve reflected on this, looking at our empty “card shelf,” I’m not so sure it’s all that great. Instead, I think we’re doing ourselves and others a disservice.
For one thing, there’s just the joy and excitement of getting a hand-addressed piece of mail. It’s such a rarity, after all.
Then, too, is the tangible connection. You’re holding in your hand a touchstone with someone perhaps you hadn’t thought much about in quite a while—maybe twelve months!—and they’re now at the forefront of your mind. Something comes to mind about that person or family. A past experience together. A past kindness. A shared grief. And your heart is warmed, encouraged, delighted.
And hopefully, the card in your hand with its brief scribbled note and signature causes you to stop for a moment and silently appreciate the sender. Someone took the time, expended the energy, and incurred the expense to mail you a word of greeting, personally wishing you a joyous Christmas. Someone thought about you and made a small sacrifice for your benefit!
Here’s the thing. If I pull out the address book and take a couple of hours to write my friends and loved ones, sending them my greetings from afar, I can bring them a few moments of joy through the connection.
The more I’ve thought about this, it struck me how much of the Bible—particularly the New Testament—originated as personal correspondence.
The gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were written by Luke to Theophilus. The apostle Paul wrote Romans through 2 Thessalonians to churches in their respective cities. 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon were personal letters from the apostle. The letters of James, Peter, John, and Jude were addressed to Christians facing a variety of challenges. Even the closing book of the Bible, Revelation, was initially delivered by courier to seven churches.
Can you imagine the joy, excitement, and blessing experienced when the couriers showed up with these letters?
I, for one, am thankful they weren’t sent through Gmail!
Now, I’ve got some Christmas cards to write…. Do I have your address??
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