Is Email Outdated? - Page 3

geezerette · ‎03-16-2010

@Mominohio wrote:
@Sooner wrote:
They are kids.

And yes, to them e-mail is outdated. Kids get busy, are starting their lives and I can understand how they feel.

Send them a card once in awhile.

Sorry, but I won't give them a pass on this one. It is easier today than ever before to stay in touch with people all over the world.

People raved about the various ways to now contact people without having to actually connect on the phone ( with the advent of email, facebook, texting) because you aren't bothering people when they are busy, but communicating when you can, and they respond when they are free to do so.

But many of the young people I know are just simply not responding at all. I have seen this with my niece and nephew. No matter how contacted, they very rarely respond. I think they have grown up with this technology and it's inherent disconnect to personal contact, so they simply don't use or don't have the social skills and manners that many of us were taught before this technology took over as a major method of communication.

This seems 'normal' or acceptable to them, when in fact, it isn't. In the old days, returning a phone call to granny or aunty was expensive and you were stuck hearing about their ailments, the cat, etc. and being tied up in a long conversation. Not so today. Quick answers and being polite is so easy with modern communication.

I get tired of the 'We're so busy' mantra. Fix it.

I would also add that we, at least I, were made to send thank you notes by our parents (usually mothers). I know for a fact, and can see it in the kids that do respond to me in whatever fashion, that those parents that didn't insist their children get in the habit of thanking people for gifts have children, and now grandchildren, that do not respond to their elder relatives.

Winkk · ‎03-15-2010

@rolen wrote:
I hear from my teenage family members that email is indeed a very 'old fashioned' way to communicate. Email does not seem old style to me, but since I am 'old' my opinion doesn't carry much weight! If I have something important to tell them, I don't like using a text which is limited in the amount of words that can be used.

If it is really iimportant, I have to text them to tell them to go and check their email. They say they check their email very infrequently as nobody uses it much these days. Someone mentioned sending them a card instead of email. I still send out birthday cards via the post office. They think that is the quaintest thing ever - as (according to them) no one still sends out cards.

I heard a discussion on the radio about the US Post Office. The opinion of the guests was that these days it serves mass market mailers, package delivery and those citizens so old they don't know that they can use the internet to pay bills. They predicted that as we old foggies die off, the post office will go that way also.

@rolen - I certainly hope not. And, I still send BD and Christmas cards. I like sending and receiving them.

CouponQueen · ‎10-21-2010

With the advancement of technology...I think many move along with it. Some not so much.

We all text and the few that don't - my husband's sister, he Facebook messages her and vice versa. Her phone is a - pay as you go..so her capabilities are limited dur to her age and resources...although she adored her laptop and now has moved onto a tablet.

I don't know if it is just people being stubborn that they "refuse" to be one of them stuck to their phone, they don't like change or what..but sometimes you need to pick your battles..and if having contact with your family is important you may need to text. You do not need an expensive phone ...many if not most -pay as you go phones have smart phone capabilities..if you don't want to access data/internet tht is great but usually texting is included with the minutes.

While in the grand scheme it would be nice if they responded to emails and saught them out but like many they just don't. We need to pick our battles and decide what is important. Do we want to spend our last years not speaking to our beloved family over the fact that they text and you don't?

walker · ‎03-26-2010

winkk, I understand your frustration with this situation. I have had the same thing happen. If I take the time to think of someone and send message, why can't he/she take 3 seconds to hit reply and say thanks or something! An acknowledgement would be nice. But, we live in a different age.....we are losing social skills. I find I am left out because of Facebook......"everyone" chats there.....well, not "everyone" is on Facebook......Twitter, Tweet, etc. Oh well, guess it comes down to....communicate as you would but you may have to specifically add "would love to hear back from you when you have time".

MalteseMomma · ‎03-09-2010

@Winkk wrote:
I'm rather annoyed with some two of my nieces and one nephew. I don't see them very often but I do try to stay in touch. Earlier this year I emailed one niece who lives in CA just to see how she was doing - no response.

A few months later I email my nephew to give him some information about a childhood friend who passed away - no response.

Yesterday I email another niece to check the status of her sister who is moving home and is driving across country - no response.

Am I getting no response because people don't read emails anymore? Is everything text now? If that is the case I guess I'll never hear from them because I still have a flip phone (which is really hard to text on) and I'm not upgrading because I like my flip phone. It's just frustrating.

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@Winkk

This is exactly why I Love FaceBook ! I get to keep in touch and see everything that is going on in my extended family all the time,even the ones that live across the country or even out of the country. I am in the NE and I just went on a lovely retirement trip of a lifetime, all throughout the south west with my lovely niece and her hubby.They were in their RV and I was at home on FB I loved the whole trip

I was one happy FB camper <3

Keep in touch on FB btw I am 79

Buck-i-Nana · ‎09-28-2010

@MalteseMomma wrote:
@Winkk wrote:
I'm rather annoyed with some two of my nieces and one nephew. I don't see them very often but I do try to stay in touch. Earlier this year I emailed one niece who lives in CA just to see how she was doing - no response.

A few months later I email my nephew to give him some information about a childhood friend who passed away - no response.

Yesterday I email another niece to check the status of her sister who is moving home and is driving across country - no response.

Am I getting no response because people don't read emails anymore? Is everything text now? If that is the case I guess I'll never hear from them because I still have a flip phone (which is really hard to text on) and I'm not upgrading because I like my flip phone. It's just frustrating.

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@Winkk

This is exactly why I Love FaceBook ! I get to keep in touch and see everything that is going on in my extended family all the time,even the ones that live across the country or even out of the country. I am in the NE and I just went on a lovely retirement trip of a lifetime, all throughout the south west with my lovely niece and her hubby.They were in their RV and I was at home on FB I loved the whole trip

I was one happy FB camper <3

Keep in touch on FB

Exactly. FB is what you make it be. You can limit your friends list to just family and set your privacy settings to as tight as they offer even to the point of making your profile unsearchable!

FB also has the private message capability so you can send messages that aren't shared on anyone's page.

The thing with e-mail is that people may or may not have them set to come in to their cellphones and prompt them that they have new mail. If they don't check it regularly and don't get prompted, well, they don't know they have anything.

Krimpette · ‎03-09-2010

I have pretty much the same problem. And all my adult nieces and nephews NEVER initiate contact with me. I never married and have never had children, so I like to keep in touch with them and their families.

I do have one niece who will answer occasionally, but the interesting thing is she never responds to any of the questions I asked in my e-mail to her! She just typically says that they're all fine and asks how I'm doing.

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

@Sooner wrote:
Well, I'd guess that in today's fast paced world young people don't have time to respond to the old folks. They are young, busy and involved. I can't put too much blame on them. . . it is a different world they live in.

If you want to stay in touch with them, use the methods they use to communicate, and don't get huffy if you don't hear from them. The alternative is to write it off and quit trying to stay in touch. You can't make them respond.

I don't know about the OP, but I don't have a smart phone and don't do snapchat, twitter or instagram.

It wouldn't kill them to shoot a quick text to their aunt or put something on facebook for her to see in response to her emails.

My nieces know I only text and do facebook and it still annoys me that I have to hunt them down to see if they received birthday cards, gifts, etc. I shouldn't have to ask.

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

I use email for my small business every day!

I have a cell phone for personal use but rarely use it and I do not pay for texting....I am able to text via my MacBook Air with my girl friends, but if I am traveling I only have cell service on my phone or once to my location I have my MacBook.

I am well aware that texting is what a lot of people prefer, but what about what I prefer? I do miss talking on the phone and actually hearing my friends voices.

StraytoStay · ‎07-18-2016

Facebook is the best way, often texts don't get responded to, but they can do that (not answering) in FB. This generation wasn't taught to respond to correspondence unfortunately.