topic Re: Is Email Outdated? in Community Chat

Is Email Outdated?

Winkk — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 17:43:41 GMT

I'm rather annoyed with 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.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

bri20 — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:22:26 GMT

I don't think emailing is outdated.

Do you have their current email address?

If I didn't get a reponse, I probably would have called.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

Kitlynn — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:25:31 GMT

Texting is what the most popular thing is to keep in touch these days and a lot of people only check emails every so often unless it is work related. I say what is wrong with old fashion pick up the phone and give someone a call. I think we have gotten away from the personl contact when staying in touch with family and friends. I would call them and see if you get an answer that way. Maybe the shock of the sound of a phone ringing will get you a response! LOL

Re: Is Email Outdated?

Winkk — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:27:03 GMT

@bri20 wrote:
I don't think emailing is outdated.

Do you have their current email address?

If I didn't get a reponse, I probably would have called.

@bri20 I do have their current email addresses. The reason I don't call is because they just use cell phones and they work different schedules. I hate calling a cell phone if people are at work. The topics weren't that big of a deal, it just annoyed me that no one responded. They post on their FB page how much they love their family yada, yada..but when their aunt emails them they ignore it.

I'm just venting. Thanks.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

Sooner — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:28:55 GMT

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And yes, to them e-mail is outdated.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.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

bri20 — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:30:12 GMT

@Winkk wrote:
@bri20 wrote:
I don't think emailing is outdated.

Do you have their current email address?

If I didn't get a reponse, I probably would have called.
@bri20 I do have their current email addresses. The reason I don't call is because they just use cell phones and they work different schedules. I hate calling a cell phone if people are at work. The topics weren't that big of a deal, it just annoyed me that no one responded. They post on their FB page how much they love their family yada, yada..but when their aunt emails them they ignore it.

I'm just venting. Thanks.

They probably won't answer their cell phone. I'm sure you can just leave a message.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

Mominohio — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:32:54 GMT

Most young people have abandoned email as a way of regular communication.

They are using various forms of social media and texting to keep in touch, and their personal email (as opposed to that they use on the job) is often not checked for long periods of time.

I refuse to keep up with it all. I still call certain people only (mostly older) and send some emails to people my age and if they respond ok, if not, I get it.

I don't even try to stay connected to my 20 something niece and nephew, as they don't respond to any form of communication. I call my kid or see him when he gets home each day.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

qvcfreak — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:33:24 GMT

I'm guessing they have a new email address as most kids have the latest phones and email is received by such phones. When I send my son an email I always text, sent you email, he replies K. Good luck

Re: Is Email Outdated?

AngusandBuddhasMom — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:34:40 GMT

I use email everyday for work as well as personal.My company also has skype,instant message since we have clients and offices all over the world. I also pick up the phone and use that as well.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

Winkk — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:38:50 GMT

@bri20 wrote:
@Winkk wrote:
@bri20 wrote:
I don't think emailing is outdated.

Do you have their current email address?

If I didn't get a reponse, I probably would have called.
@bri20 I do have their current email addresses. The reason I don't call is because they just use cell phones and they work different schedules. I hate calling a cell phone if people are at work. The topics weren't that big of a deal, it just annoyed me that no one responded. They post on their FB page how much they love their family yada, yada..but when their aunt emails them they ignore it.

I'm just venting. Thanks.
They probably won't answer their cell phone. I'm sure you can just leave a message.

I did leave a message for my nephew. For the girls my call was more just checking to see how they were doing and I did not leave a message. Maybe I'm expecting too much.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

geezerette — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:41:16 GMT

Yes, I find in my family email is now apparently outdated with the younger folks. I have nieces and nephew that are in their forties and fifties and even they rarely use email with me. They will reply, eventually, if I write to them, but they never will initiate an email. We communicate mostly on Facebook now.

As for the great-nieces and nephews (in their teens and early twenties), they not only don't use email, they rarely respond even on Facebook. Apparently that's outdated now too for the young ones. Either that, or they just don't want to let any of their friends see them talking to their silly old aunt. (They don't mind cashing those Christmas and birthday checks, though!)

Re: Is Email Outdated?

millieshops — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:42:06 GMT

I have one of those busy youngsters in my family.

When I want to talk to him, I text him - "call me" which we've agreed to mean call me when you have 5 minutes or more to talk. I'd add "urgent" if it were that. Even my old phone and fingers manage that much.

He doesn't do email - his secretary and his wife do.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

Mominohio — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:44:09 GMT

@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.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

VaBelle35 — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:49:52 GMT

I have 5 nieces and nephews. They do not do email. They text.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

Sooner — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:50:29 GMT

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.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

rolen — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:50:46 GMT

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.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

Winkk — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:50:59 GMT

@geezerette wrote:
Yes, I find in my family email is now apparently outdated with the younger folks. I have nieces and nephew that are in their forties and fifties and even they rarely use email with me. They will reply, eventually, if I write to them, but they never will initiate an email. We communicate mostly on Facebook now.

As for the great-nieces and nephews (in their teens and early twenties), they not only don't use email, they rarely respond even on Facebook. Apparently that's outdated now too for the young ones. Either that, or they just don't want to let any of their friends see them talking to their silly old aunt. (They don't mind cashing those Christmas and birthday checks, though!)

@geezerette - Isn't that the truth?

Re: Is Email Outdated?

Winkk — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:53:43 GMT

@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.

@Mominohio - I totally agree.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

Buck-i-Nana — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:57:11 GMT

Something else to check on. Are all your family members using the same e-mail provider (like hotmail, gmail, yahoo)? Are you on the same provider? If not, try e-mailing someone else you know who does use their same service that you have quick easy non-email access to. See if your e-mail gets through.

I had a situation a while back where for whatever reason, the e-mail server IP address my friend used was blacklisted by mail ISP because someone on that server was spamming so they blacklisted the whole address! I didn't get e-mails from my friend.

Re: Is Email Outdated?

Winkk — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:58:20 GMT

@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.

Well, I am old, busy and involved and I'm living in the same world they are. Is being annoyed the same as being huffy??