Public Argument: English 100-Honors

Public Argument
10 November 2010

Snail-Mail vs. Email

Handwritten letters and postal service mail were replaced by email in the early to mid 1990’s. As a result, many people today believe handwritten letters are a ‘thing of the past.’ This assumption is becoming reality due to the overwhelming reliance on email, text-messaging, and the use of instant-messaging devices. Besides computers, many phones and portable devices are capable of sending and receiving text messages and emails, thus, for many, eliminating the need for handwritten or typed mail. Email is a fast and convenient way for people to communicate and is becoming widely accessible to people around the world. Another appealing characteristic of email is that it is free whereas a stamped letter today costs 44 cents and involves traveling to the local post office or mail collector. Emails can also include an almost unlimited amount of information and ‘attachments.’ If a 44 page document was printed out and mailed it would cost several dollars. An email account is almost always free.

Some people are beginning to call the postal service “snail-mail” because it often takes several days to receive something that is sent to you. I had never heard mail called this until my freshman year of college when I received a letter from my dad that read, “Here’s your first piece of snail mail.” I immediately knew what he meant and it was almost saddening to realize that the postal service has a new informal name. Compared to the almost immediate sending of an email, a two day letter from Bowling Green to Covington just doesn’t seem as appealing. On the other hand, there are still young adults who are keeping the tradition of handwritten letters alive. Many students from my graduating class mail one another since we are spread out all across the state. It’s almost as if everyone came to a consensus that Facebook just doesn’t cut it. As I’ve discussed with several of my friends and family, handwritten letters are much more personal because they require time to write and think.

Handwritten letters have many benefits over typed letters or emails in respect to knowledge and practice attained. Taking the time to physically write a letter involves quite a bit of thought and planning. Unlike an email or word document, you can’t as easily erase or start over a handwritten letter, especially if it is written in ink. Spelling and grammar are also enhanced when writing letters. There’s no spell check or auto format with pen and paper, thus making the writer learn correct spelling and format.

Emails and instant messaging communication also have many advantages over handwritten letters. Many emails contain editing and proofreading tools to ‘perfect’ the writing and correct any mistakes it may contain. Instant messaging is also very convenient for people in the 21st century. Email messages can be easily accessed from cell phones and portable computers making it practical to communicate via email instead of ‘snail mail’ in many cases. In today’s society where people demand a fast paced lifestyle, the postal service just doesn’t cut it. In addition to the preference of electronic messaging, many institutions are ‘going green’ and eliminating paper mail altogether. A clear example of this is Western Kentucky University’s online-only application. E-applications are much more convenient and eliminate the usage of paper and time.

My argument isn’t to convince you that handwritten letters are better than emails, or vice versa, but to demonstrate how society is changing from a once postal service based form of written communication to a now online communication medium. Each form of communication has its benefits but it is important to realize the positive effects handwritten letters have over emails in respect to skills gained and improved upon. A problem facing many youths today is the absence of writing skills due to an overreliance on email and spell-check devices which is resulting in poor spelling and grammar. Although email and instant message communication are widely used, it is important for today’s youth to know and learn how to write a letter.

Rhetorical Commentary

This essay is directed toward a younger audience in late teenage years and early adulthood. It is written for youthful academic audience at a university or school setting. My audience, in my opinion, is very rooted in email and instant messaging communication and is therefore very reliant on these types of communication. I believe many people in this audience don’t understand the importance of handwritten letters and in many cases blow the idea off of even thinking of writing a letter. For many, handwriting a letter is too much work compared to quickly typing up an email and pressing ‘send.’ My audience knows the practicality of email and instant messaging but they don’t understand the effects it is having on personal linguistic skills. The purpose of my argument is to present a balanced view handwritten letters versus emails.

I want this argument to at least present the positives about handwritten letters for those who have a differing opinion on this topic. Many young adults and teenagers are very pro email and often don’t realize it. For many, postal mail and written letters have become irrelevant in their lives and they solely rely on email for communication. I want this argument to present to them the positives of handwritten letters.

Strategies I employed in my essay to achieve this effect was to include personal examples and in a sense, my own personal feelings. For example, my example of receiving a letter from my dad where he mentioned “snail-mail” really had an impact on me. I believe it was my ‘ah ha!’ moment where I really realized the importance of handwritten letters. I use email and electronic communication very often but it wasn’t until then that it really hit home that handwritten letters are import (to me at least). I believe I am contributing to the overall discussion of this topic because it isn’t a topic that I see written on or discussed among my peers. In fact, I don’t believe I have read an article on this topic written in a school newspaper or even as an essay for a class.

This isn’t a popular or controversial topic so it will therefore not grab the attention of very many readers. My attempts to grab reader’s attention include using personal examples, having a ‘catchy’ title, and presenting an equal view on both sides of the topic. I try not to demonstrate my preference for handwritten letters but instead I try and explore the benefits to both sides. I would publish this in a university newspaper or publication that has an academic audience.