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Benefits of Handwriting Letters

Mahalia Fobbs

Sport and Medical Sciences Academy

Senior Seminar

Mrs. Boutilier

March 17, 2023

Hand writing personal letters is a practice, skill, and art that was once a popular way of

communication. Not many people use it or are used to it anymore. People often turn to texting,

Direct messaging (DM’s), or snapping someone that they have not seen in a while as a way of

long distance communication. Oftentimes, invitations or thank you cards after a party or get

together are online. It is more common than not that people will look to having a template

already made instead of writing out how much someone means to them. This kind of habit is

more frequent than not in teenagers, young adults, and children. Though writing things out

online is easier and less time consuming, handwritten words have so much more personal

benefits. Handwritten letters are much more powerful.

Texting should be used to send someone quick information but instead it is used to have

an interaction/conversation with someone who isn’t truly present while responding. When

writing a letter you get to slow down and think about what you want to say. Your heart and mind

become written thoughts and the paper easily becomes personal. Notice how most people write

letters in private or don’t thoughtlessly show others what they have written. That is because

letters have an emotional impact. On top of the fact that people hide their messages, it's typically

more often than not for people of a younger age to keep their interactions more private. “54% of

respondents found that communication via snail mail fostered a “more meaningful connection to

those they sent mail to.”’ (Field, 2022). Young adults/teenagers tend to look for deep connections

with people but they do this through texts because it is the easiest and more convenient way to

reach out to someone, though it has been proved that handwritten mail can make someone's day

so much more. On average, adults between the ages of 18-29 send or receive about 87.7 text

messages daily (Smith, 2011). If someone were to send 87 text messages daily then there is no

way that they put a significant amount of time or effort into those messages. This is also a main
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reason why people prefer a call instead. It shows the connection that they are seeking for that

simple quick text can't give them. In a study to test if rearranging apps on a phone will affect

your ability to open apps they found that it was slightly more difficult to find and open the app

than it was when they didn’t have to think about it. He claimed that when he switched apple

music with spotify, when looking to open spotify he would open apple music (Adler, 2018). This

shows that not much thought goes into the process of using your phone. Why would it be any

different when sending a quick text message on your phone? The brain is processing information

that is moving so fast, sometimes you don’t remember what you are doing.

Again, when it comes to online messaging, not as much time, effort, or thought can be

contributed. In addition to the typos, auto correct and misinterpretations happen more often than

not. It typically does not come out of heartfelt thoughts which is why so many screenshot and

show others what they said to someone; it's not private. It is a quick way of letting someone

know your opinion on where you stand for a matter. “Letter writing may have gained more

interest because it’s a reflective, slowed-down activity, rather than another quick chore. You can

dash off a text in seconds, without paying much attention. But it takes time and purposefulness to

send letters.” (Field, 2022). While texting is very convenient and fast, it is usually just to pass on

quick information to someone else.

“We think, process, remember, and enjoy things better when they can be done slowly, and

one thing at a time. Reading is not scrolling. It is not only a tangible experience, it is a

slower one. This is why a letter is not covered with blinking lights and attention-grabbing

images. You don’t need them. You’re prepared to slow down, focus, and receive a

message.”(Pieper).
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The physical act of writing and sending a letter means that your mind is into it, you are taking

time out of your day to sit down and write what you want to say to this person. In 2010 a study

was done at an elementary school. The goal of this study was to give this school a mailing

program and hopefully they would be able to use that as a tool to get more kids enthused to write

letters. After a multitude of tests, the results were evident that writing helped strengthen the kids

ability to tell others how they feel (Chohan, 2010). “Generally, it’ll leave you with a greater

sense of accomplishment that is more powerful than the act of sending a 1 minute text message”

(Martin, 2022). For many people checking emails, direct messages and texts are part of a daily

routine and not thought about. Writing letters is interactive, rich conversation occurs with this

type of communication (Chohan, 2010). When someone has something meaningful or personal

to say, it is known that calling is the respectful and polite thing to do, due to the fact that

misinterpretation is such a common occurrence. Writing a letter is similar to a phone call in the

way that it is personal, but instead of talking, you get to reflect, think, and pay attention to what

you want to say and how you want to say it, then take the time to send it. By taking the time and

putting in the effort to handwrite a letter, this form of communication becomes very potent.

According to The Media Textback Team, culture is defined as a set of learning behaviors

or values that a group of people share through interaction (Ch. 2). In this case, our values and

behaviors are being shared through the form of hand written interactions. Sending letters is great

to boost your cultural awareness. When writing a letter you want to try to keep the conversation

going. To do this you talk about yourself as well as things that might be going on around you.

You get a different perspective on culture or lifestyle from people in a different stage of life or

different geographical location when you receive the letter. “Friendships expose us to the

fascinating differences and surprising likenesses of the global human race.” (DC Team, 2015).
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When getting to know someone from a different culture than you, it is easy to discover

differences that might award you with a new glimpse on how life can be lived as well as giving

you the chance to become more connected to the world. According to Steinstudy, by associating

yourself with someone from another background you have a chance to learn about their food

taste, clothing choices, and being young, getting to learn about these types of things can be

fascinating. You will also be given the chance to be open to all the things that you are able to

visit and explore around the world; an adventurous mind (Stein, 2019).

“Staying in touch with your international friends will be challenging at times, but it will

certainly make you value the time you have together more.” (Finola, ). These connections will

end up building friendships, sometimes ones that last especially since you are using a form of

communication that automatically implements companionship. Though getting a text from

someone can be exciting or encouraging to some, when someone receives a letter their reaction is

genuine awe. It’s more common for a reactor to feel loved because recovering letters is not

something that is common in this generation anymore. The receiver feels valued (Pieper).

Overall, handwriting letters to another is beneficial in a multitude of ways. Not only can

you get to learn and have a deeper understanding of the other person due to the personal depth

compared to texts, you also gain a sense of accomplishment. As humans we turn to instant

messaging such as texts and dm’s too often, but when we decide to take the time to write out our

thoughts, questions and feelings we benefit personally. Handwritten letters are a practice and art

form that is not used commonly anymore. Although this is the reality we live in, I believe that it

should be changed for the better. Schools, households or any other type of learning environment

should introduce writing as a form of communication more often than it already is. Pen pals are a

great way to achieve this due to the limitless distance you can communicate with someone
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through pen in paper. Writing letters should be something that everyone can say that they have

done for more than an assignment from a teacher because they are extremely powerful for child,

teen, and adult development and connection.

References

Adler, J. (2018). Muscle Memory in App Usage. Medium.

https://medium.com/re-write/muscle-memory-in-app-usage-145d723586e7

Chohan, S, K. (2010). Relationship Between Letter Writing and Student Attitudes. DOI

10.1007/s10643-010-0438-5.

http://jgarich.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/55143265/Relationship%20Between%20Letter%

20Writing%20and%20Student%20Attitudes.pdf

Clayton, E. (2019). The evolution of writing – 5000 BC to today. British Library.

https://www.bl.uk/history-of-writing/articles/the-evolution-of-writing

DC team. (2015). 4 Reasons International Friendships Make A Better Place. .

https://discovercorps.com/blog/international-friendships/

Field, B. (2022). The Benefits of Writing Letters. Sending Snail Mail Provides a Meaningful

Way to Connect. Verywellmind.

https://www.verywellmind.com/sending-and-receiving-letters-have-powerful-benefits-50

95709

Martin, J. (2022). 5 Life-Affirming Benefits of Writing Letters By Hand, According to Research.

RealSimple.

https://www.realsimple.com/health/mind-mood/benefits-of-hand-writing-letters

Media Texthack Team. (2014). Media Studies 101. BCcampus.

https://opentextbc.ca/mediastudies101/chapter/communication-culture/

Pieper, K. Emotional Impact of the Analog Letter. Letter Jacket.

https://letterjacketenvelopes.com/emotional-impact-of-letters/
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Smith, A. (2011). How Americans Use Text Messaging. Pew Research Center.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2011/09/19/how-americans-use-text-messaging/

Stein, M. (2019). Why you will benefit from making international friends. SteinStudy.

https://steinstudy.com/2019/08/22/why-you-will-benefit-from-making-international-frien

ds/