When Did People Stop Writing Letters As Part Of Everyday Life?

[nostalgic]

Letter writing was a basic part of everyday life for most people throughout the 19th Century and well into the 20th Century. During World War II the only way for many families to keep in touch with their relatives in military service was with hand-written letters. This continued during the Korean War (1950-53) and, to a lesser extent during the Vietnam War.

 

But other than during wars, letter writing went into decline starting as early as the middle of the 20th Century. My guess is that the main reason for the decline was the growth of quality telephone service and its steadily declining cost. What do you think?

[Pickwick]

The major cause is the internet and emailing, now the use of cell phones. We are able to pick up messages anywhere. My son is in the UK at the moment and he picks up my emails via his iphone instantaneously. Most email messages I receive are Banal and uninteresting, the person sending sounds impersonal. That's because writers no longer give any real thought as to what they want to say.

 

The decline in letter writing accelerated in the 1990s, and it is inevitable that this current generation will see its demise. The down side of course is that nothing of significance will be left for future generations to get a grasp of how people lived their lives.

 

I have read a collection of letters from one of my wife's relatives who wrote to his Mother from 1836 - 1850. He relates his travels through Ohio, Missouri and down the Mississippi river. When I read them I found it not only revealed his character and personality but brought back to life the atmosphere of that period.

 

I can't see this electronic age doing that.

Edited October 15, 2012 by Pickwick

[Jerome Tarshis]

First, I agree that relatively cheap and convenient long-distance telephony played a large part in the decline of letter-writing. But that suggests to me, at least, that many of the people who had been writing the letters were not greatly motivated by the thrill of writing by hand with water-based ink, the urge to literate expression, or other such high-minded things. They were using the hand-written letter as a means to an end, and although some of the surviving letters can seem magical, many others, I'd guess many more, can seem pedestrian. When there was an easier way to keep in touch, people adopted it, because that was exactly what they'd wanted to do, keep in touch.

 

The same was true of ball-point pens: people who had written with fountain pens all their lives, people who were in no way lacking in FP experience, thought the ballpoint offered the better way to write.

 

Second, in my circle of acquaintance if not in everyone's, email has been the salvation of letter-writing. Certainly in my family. People who had long since stopped writing letters, whether by hand or on the typewriter, suddenly became copious and expressive. My sister's wit, long remembered from when we were both young, has been brought out once again by electronic correspondence. People who would absolutely not write me a letter on paper will write me lovely eletters.

 

People with whom I have what could be the most perfunctory kind of relationship, or none at all, such as those who send me electronic press releases, rise to the occasion when I send them considered replies. People in their twenties, some of them. If there's any one thing in my life that discourages an old man's brooding on the death of everything worthwhile, it is the way email has brought me exchanges of letters whose equal I could not have expected in the 1950s. I'm sorry for those who haven't been similarly blessed.

[J.R.]

I spent my working career in wireline telephony, and I can add just a little to the conversation. Early to mid-20th century, long distance rates were so much higher than postage, it didn't make any SERIOUS dent in written communication. Traditionally, even today, traffic thru the telephone network drops significantly (around 80%), after normal business hours. As late as 10 years ago, I was still paying 7 cents per minute, for long distance service.

 

The advent of email, and commonplace use of computers certainly replaced personal correspondence of course. And, if my 37 year-old daughter is any indication, texting seems to be replacing emails now.

 

That being said, in my personal experience, the "over 60" group I used to regularly email, and whom I now send short handwritten notes to, has thorougly enjoyed receiving 'Real' letters again. I doubt that in my lifetime, we'll ever see the later generations embrace writing again, which is a shame ( I think ).

 

One more (personal) observation... altho I don't text, nor own a cellphone, from what I have seen, the people who DO use this form of communication, really have nothing interesting to say, nor do they take the time to actually communicate any news of importance, abstract thought or useful dialogue. That is, of course, strictly my personal opinion, not the state of civilization.

 

Take care,

J.R.

[Pickwick]

  On 10/15/2012 at 5:42 AM, Jerome Tarshis said:

First, I agree that relatively cheap and convenient long-distance telephony played a large part in the decline of letter-writing. But that suggests to me, at least, that many of the people who had been writing the letters were not greatly motivated by the thrill of writing by hand with water-based ink, the urge to literate expression, or other such high-minded things. They were using the hand-written letter as a means to an end, and although some of the surviving letters can seem magical, many others, I'd guess many more, can seem pedestrian. When there was an easier way to keep in touch, people adopted it, because that was exactly what they'd wanted to do, keep in touch.

 

The same was true of ball-point pens: people who had written with fountain pens all their lives, people who were in no way lacking in FP experience, thought the ballpoint offered the better way to write.

 

Second, in my circle of acquaintance if not in everyone's, email has been the salvation of letter-writing. Certainly in my family. People who had long since stopped writing letters, whether by hand or on the typewriter, suddenly became copious and expressive. My sister's wit, long remembered from when we were both young, has been brought out once again by electronic correspondence. People who would absolutely not write me a letter on paper will write me lovely eletters.

 

People with whom I have what could be the most perfunctory kind of relationship, or none at all, such as those who send me electronic press releases, rise to the occasion when I send them considered replies. People in their twenties, some of them. If there's any one thing in my life that discourages an old man's brooding on the death of everything worthwhile, it is the way email has brought me exchanges of letters whose equal I could not have expected in the 1950s. I'm sorry for those who haven't been similarly blessed.

 

Taking into consideration that you are from the same generation as I am. Your comment about considered replies is significant in the fact that your correspondents give thought to what they are about to write.

 

This is important in any form of correspondence. Unless we do send considered replies then there is the danger of our message being misconstrued, and the recipient could overreact and return an offensive reply. Because this is an extremely fast and useful means to communicate more self control is needed.

 

The most common problem with this electronic communication is editing, and a lot of individuals press the send button and the message can no longer be retrieved.

 

This is shown up in some of these forums where arguments get heated up and some individuals respond without considering their reply, and go on adding further controversial fuel until a moderator has to bring it to a halt!

[SteveE]

As recently as 1970, when I was in military training, letter writing was the primary means of communicating with the family. In the case of the trainee, this was due not only to the cost of long-distance telephone, but also to the convenience of letter writing. One could write when time permitted, and mail the letter when possible. Phones just weren't that widely available.

 

Fast-forward some 35 or 40 years and I find that my daughter (mid-20's) is every bit as letter-literate as we were when I was writing home to the family. She sends me emails often, and they are a true view into her life and feelings. We write back and forth often, either exploring feelings or solving problems. This even though we have a cell phone package that allows free communication from one cell phone to another, and also in spite of the fact that she lives only about 30 minutes from mom and dad. I don't think letter writing will cease to exist, but I do think it will migrate almost entirely to electronic delivery. Traditional hand-written letters may become the work of hobbyists, rather than being part of everyday life.

 

I agree with the other poster (sorry - forgot who made the point) that unless people print their emails, which most do not, then future generations may lose the ability to see life as we write about it.

[Pickwick]

  On 10/15/2012 at 4:09 PM, SteveE said:

As recently as 1970, when I was in military training, letter writing was the primary means of communicating with the family. In the case of the trainee, this was due not only to the cost of long-distance telephone, but also to the convenience of letter writing. One could write when time permitted, and mail the letter when possible. Phones just weren't that widely available.

 

Fast-forward some 35 or 40 years and I find that my daughter (mid-20's) is every bit as letter-literate as we were when I was writing home to the family. She sends me emails often, and they are a true view into her life and feelings. We write back and forth often, either exploring feelings or solving problems. This even though we have a cell phone package that allows free communication from one cell phone to another, and also in spite of the fact that she lives only about 30 minutes from mom and dad. I don't think letter writing will cease to exist, but I do think it will migrate almost entirely to electronic delivery. Traditional hand-written letters may become the work of hobbyists, rather than being part of everyday life.

 

I agree with the other poster (sorry - forgot who made the point) that unless people print their emails, which most do not, then future generations may lose the ability to see life as we write about it.

 

I'm formulating the idea of scanning my handwritten letters into my computer and sending them to my co-respondents via email. After all quite a number of reviews on fountain pens and inks are done this way.

 

During World War two I have learned that the U.S. Military Post Office microfilmed personal letters in order to get these delivered very fast. The Microfilm was photographed back on to paper and delivered on to the recipient. Correspondence in times of war is very important for morale.

 

My co-respondent would be able to print them if they so desired. I'll start with my Sister to see what reaction I get.

[GTOZack]

I've begun to notice the pattern in the society. Where people of my generation (teens to 30s year olds) are glued to their iphones or tablets emailing and texting. Ive began to get into fountain pen and penmanship as of a few years ago. I felt it was more personal writing letters to my relatives and loved ones. Lots of time they are asking ' why couldn't you just email me the letter? it's cheaper and faster! and you save the money on postage stamp' I fear for the future as well.

 

I certainly don't want the penmanship to fade in the future. Because think of this, common people back in the 1700's and the 1800's developed and used pocket watches to keep track of their orientation of time of day or night. They stowed it away in their vest pockets or pant pockets. Then there comes the wristwatches in the turn of century, fastfoward 100 years there's smart phones, guess where it goes? in pockets. It had came in a full circle.

 

I suspect that would happen to penmanship in the future. Its just that I fear that one couldn't discipher or write in cursive or even Spencerian. Thus ultimately insulting the writing style ridiculous and exaggerating.

 

I am going to keep the penmanship bright as much as possible by telling my children and grandchildren, writing improves your dexterity and motor skills actually.

[MTS2]

  On 10/15/2012 at 5:39 PM, Pickwick said:

  On 10/15/2012 at 4:09 PM, SteveE said:

As recently as 1970, when I was in military training, letter writing was the primary means of communicating with the family. In the case of the trainee, this was due not only to the cost of long-distance telephone, but also to the convenience of letter writing. One could write when time permitted, and mail the letter when possible. Phones just weren't that widely available.

 

Fast-forward some 35 or 40 years and I find that my daughter (mid-20's) is every bit as letter-literate as we were when I was writing home to the family. She sends me emails often, and they are a true view into her life and feelings. We write back and forth often, either exploring feelings or solving problems. This even though we have a cell phone package that allows free communication from one cell phone to another, and also in spite of the fact that she lives only about 30 minutes from mom and dad. I don't think letter writing will cease to exist, but I do think it will migrate almost entirely to electronic delivery. Traditional hand-written letters may become the work of hobbyists, rather than being part of everyday life.

 

I agree with the other poster (sorry - forgot who made the point) that unless people print their emails, which most do not, then future generations may lose the ability to see life as we write about it.

 

I'm formulating the idea of scanning my handwritten letters into my computer and sending them to my co-respondents via email. After all quite a number of reviews on fountain pens and inks are done this way.

 

During World War two I have learned that the U.S. Military Post Office microfilmed personal letters in order to get these delivered very fast. The Microfilm was photographed back on to paper and delivered on to the recipient. Correspondence in times of war is very important for morale.

 

My co-respondent would be able to print them if they so desired. I'll start with my Sister to see what reaction I get.

 

Hey the scanning idea is great! I think i'm gonna start doing that. Still for myself at 23 years young I think that the pace of life we now lead is just too fast. My generation is all about "THE NOW" and not later. Perhaps we can learn to take a step back and buy out the time to smell the roses and write a letter that conveys, not only words, but emotion.

[lemanfan]

Not all technology development is bad. Today, thanks to smartphones and web services like instagram, we not only get words but also pictures across the world in an instant.

[Pickwick]

  On 10/15/2012 at 7:10 PM, MTS2 said:

  On 10/15/2012 at 5:39 PM, Pickwick said:

  On 10/15/2012 at 4:09 PM, SteveE said:

As recently as 1970, when I was in military training, letter writing was the primary means of communicating with the family. In the case of the trainee, this was due not only to the cost of long-distance telephone, but also to the convenience of letter writing. One could write when time permitted, and mail the letter when possible. Phones just weren't that widely available.

 

Fast-forward some 35 or 40 years and I find that my daughter (mid-20's) is every bit as letter-literate as we were when I was writing home to the family. She sends me emails often, and they are a true view into her life and feelings. We write back and forth often, either exploring feelings or solving problems. This even though we have a cell phone package that allows free communication from one cell phone to another, and also in spite of the fact that she lives only about 30 minutes from mom and dad. I don't think letter writing will cease to exist, but I do think it will migrate almost entirely to electronic delivery. Traditional hand-written letters may become the work of hobbyists, rather than being part of everyday life.

 

I agree with the other poster (sorry - forgot who made the point) that unless people print their emails, which most do not, then future generations may lose the ability to see life as we write about it.

 

I'm formulating the idea of scanning my handwritten letters into my computer and sending them to my co-respondents via email. After all quite a number of reviews on fountain pens and inks are done this way.

 

During World War two I have learned that the U.S. Military Post Office microfilmed personal letters in order to get these delivered very fast. The Microfilm was photographed back on to paper and delivered on to the recipient. Correspondence in times of war is very important for morale.

 

My co-respondent would be able to print them if they so desired. I'll start with my Sister to see what reaction I get.

 

Hey the scanning idea is great! I think i'm gonna start doing that. Still for myself at 23 years young I think that the pace of life we now lead is just too fast. My generation is all about "THE NOW" and not later. Perhaps we can learn to take a step back and buy out the time to smell the roses and write a letter that conveys, not only words, but emotion.

 

Your thoughts reminded me of a poem I learned at school written by William Henry Davies

 

What is this life if full of care,

 

We have no time to stand and stare.

 

No time to stand beneath the boughs

 

And stare as long as Sheep and Cows.

 

No time to see, when woods we pass

 

Where Squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

 

No time to see, in broad daylight

 

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

 

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

 

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

 

No time to wait till her mouth can

 

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

 

A poor life this if, full of care,

 

We have no time to stand and stare.

[Movis]

I think that email is largely replacing written letters, and in many ways that's a good thing. Personally I hardly send letters at all anymore, and I would really only do it for more casual conversations, that are not time sensitive.

 

I love writing by hand, and journaling by hand, I just got out any letter writing habit I had a long time ago. I would do it more maybe if I knew more people who would respond, or wouldn't look at it like it was crazy. I think that's one of the bigger issues amongst younger people. They wouldn't know what to do with a letter if they got one, and wouldn't respond either way. I wouldn't be surprised if they even had no envelopes or stamps.

[mmahany]

Let me play the devil's advocate to some of you old farts I will add that I'm 24 years old and I realize that I’m young enough to be a grandson to some of you.

 

It sounds like many of you have an issue with HOW the newer generation communicates rather than the tools they use. Let's not forget that at one point in time, there was a grumpy old caveman who thought his grandchildren were lazy because they painted on animal skin rather than chiseling on the side of the cave wall (that is far from historically accurate but I hope you see my point).

 

Tools for communication have evolved rapidly over the past century compared to the last 1000 years. We've seen ballpoints, typewriters, computers, fax machines, cordless phones, cell phones, the internet, and so many other tools. You may or may not like it, but these tools represent an evolution of communication. They allow us to communicate with people instantly who live thousands of miles away. They also save time and money.

 

Again, I think many of your gripes are about the quality of what the modern generation communicates, but in my opinion the problem occurs with people of all ages. One of the more obvious issues is the incorrect use of heterographs. While it’s more prominent in young people, I’ve gotten emails from 60 year old men who make well over $1million a year (and are very educated) that say something like “I am going to visit THERE office today.” Or “Your doing a great job.”

 

My parents are middle aged and a few years ago, they thought text messaging was ridiculous. They laughed that I had a Facebook, and couldn’t understand why I used the internet on my phone. Fast forward to 2012, they both have Facebooks, I get text messages from them all the time, and both of them have an iphone. They eventually realized that they have specific advantages and there is a reason each form of communication is valuable. I applaud my dad for telling me one day "I realized I was acting like an ignorant old man and Facebook actually is pretty neat." He was able to get in touch with an old high school friend who now lives in Europe.

 

When it comes down to it, handwriting letters is time consuming, messy, more expensive, and takes more time to deliver. However, in the 21st century, hand writing a letter is considered a sign of eloquence. It also offers a more personal feel.

 

I’m very used to dealing with people in retirement in my profession. I always handwrite my notes during appointments, hand write birthday cards to clients, and everything is handwritten. I do so because it shows that I took the time to care about the person I'm communicating with. However, I still get probably 200 emails a day, 30+ phone calls, and even occasional text messages from clients.

 

Different people prefer different forms of communication. The more we progress, the less people find the need to hand write a letter.

[PAKMAN]

Sadly I'm an instant gratification kind of guy. I rarely write letters and have never been much of a letter writer. I've started quite a few letters to communicate some information and ended up scrapping the letter and giving the person a call or dropping them an email. Between calls, email, texts and facebook there is very little information left to send in a letter to the people I want to keep in touch with.

[Tiffanyhenschel]

I think that this is a topic that we cannot generalize based on age. My dad (mid 60s) has tried to be on the cutting edge of technology his whole life. We had a personal computer at home in the early 80s; he had a Facebook before I did; he is the most paperless person I know. He thinks I am a little crazy to write to people by hand.

 

 

My 20 year old daughter, on the other hand, has Facebook but rarely uses it, and as she has seen me correspond with pen pals has started writing letters herself. She goes as far as sending an extra stamped, pre-addressed envelope when she writes a letter to her cousin. Recently she was offended because she wrote a letter to her grandmother, and her grandmother wrote back with a typed response.

 

 

There are people who will never enjoy writing letters by hand; these are the same people who abandoned letter writing in the first place when something easier came along There are others, though, who just need to be shown the pleasures they are missing, and they will take letter writing into the future.

[fiberdrunk]

A friend of mine and I got back into letter writing about 2 years ago and haven't looked back since. We often write 2-3 times a week. There's something very relaxing about putting thoughts on paper, feeling the pen glide on the paper. It's a form of stress-relief for two tired moms! Yes, it's slower, but we both get so much more out of it than via emailing or texting. Besides, how else am I supposed to use up all this ink I've got?!

Edited October 16, 2012 by fiberdrunk

[Pickwick]

  On 10/16/2012 at 4:25 PM, pakmanpony said:

Sadly I'm an instant gratification kind of guy. I rarely write letters and have never been much of a letter writer. I've started quite a few letters to communicate some information and ended up scrapping the letter and giving the person a call or dropping them an email. Between calls, email, texts and facebook there is very little information left to send in a letter to the people I want to keep in touch with.

With every respect what do you use the elegant pen you display for?

[wastelanded]

If I received 200 emails a day, I'd throw my computer out the window. When someone in an office two doors down emails me instead of picking up the phone (or getting off their arse and walking 20 feet), I shake my head. Email is a wonderful thing, but jeez.

 

I love writing letters, even postcards, and better yet receiving them.

 

Does anyone know whether they still produce aerogrammes?

[fuchsiaprincess]

  On 10/16/2012 at 11:45 PM, Pickwick said:

  On 10/16/2012 at 4:25 PM, pakmanpony said:

Sadly I'm an instant gratification kind of guy. I rarely write letters and have never been much of a letter writer. I've started quite a few letters to communicate some information and ended up scrapping the letter and giving the person a call or dropping them an email. Between calls, email, texts and facebook there is very little information left to send in a letter to the people I want to keep in touch with.

With every respect what do you use the elegant pen you display for?

 

I was about to ask the same question! Looks like you beat me to me :roflmho:

[penlightening]

Not to supplant any of the above opinions and thoughts regarding the downfall of the handwritten letter but rather to add, quite frankly, the mental aspects of hand writing a letter are significantly more difficult than typing out an email. For one, in order for a handwritten letter to look nice, one has to put advance thought into grammar and content before penning. If we were to "splurt out" words as we often do when using electronic media, we can't just hit the delete button and tidy it up. The ink stains the paper. Obviously there is no spell check, so we may have to use an actual dictionary (though many "electronic writers" are still to lazy to proofread their work), and the quality of our penmanship is brutally obvious, all leaving us more vulnerable in a way.

I for one still enjoy buying stamps. I love to peruse the choices when I advance to the counter at the post office, much to the chagrin of those behind me, and I still save the cancelled stamps from mail that I receive. This is an anomaly these days. I just wonder when someone will start to charge a postage fee, of sorts, when sending electronic mail. Probably when the post office goes kaput, though I hope this doesn't happen within my lifetime--though the privatization of it just might in the foreseeable future.