Pen Pals
When I think about the first way I communicated with people, it was definitely through writing letters. From chocolate chainmail to postcards from the beach, we didn’t bat an eyelid at popping a stamp on a letter as a way of talking to those we hadn’t seen at school that day. I can’t remember the last time I received a hand-written letter – I think it’s about time they made a comeback!Long talks on the phone
I remember the days before mobile phones where we had to memorise all of our friends’ landline numbers, and their parents acted as our very own call answering service. It’s hard to believe that the same generation of people who generally prefer to fire off a quick email than to get into a long-winded phonecall, where the ones who would sit on the stairs for hours twiddling the phone cord while giggling with their crush. In a way I kind of miss the intentional way we used to make time to the people we cared about.Social media and text communication
While social media is at the top of most peoples’ lists when it comes to a quick and easy way to communicate these days, many of us are used to typing out something that takes a little bit more time to get right. SMS communication started with us sending instant messages that didn’t involve a full keyboard like we have now, but by hitting the numbers on our phones repeatedly to create letters – 5554445533 8444447777! As we got used to this way to instantaneously share a message with our intended recipient, social networking moved from our PC screens to our mobiles too, and paved the way for what we now recognise as social media.Video calls
Although video calls have been around for a long time, they had an explosion from 2020 onwards, and I genuinely believe the ability to video call was a vital lifeline in getting everybody through the pandemic. Video calls not only brought families together at a time where they felt alone, but they made life more accessible by proving that you don’t have to be in the same room to get the same outcome, such as by having therapy sessions remotely over a video chat. Our mobile phones are always in our hands these days, but the most common way to use this phone isn’t to hold it up to your ear, but to set it down in front of you so that you can be seen on screen. What is your favourite way to communicate with your family and friends? Are you a fan of a weekly phonecall, or does a quick text do it for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This is The Chequers Bath blog, a lifestyle blog mostly focussing on food, travel and general lifestyle posts.
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