Love Letters: A Lost Art

There was a time when love arrived not with a notification, but with the scent of paper and a handwritten name. We all grew up watching movies where the princess would receive heartfelt letters from her prince across distant lands. Even in literature, Gatsby’s green light that once represented unreachable love was now replaced by the green ring of a “Close Friends” Instagram story. With the introduction to technology, we've all become used to the instant gratification of receiving a message in a second. Technology has made us so immune to vulnerability that we’ve traded intimacy for an instant response. Has technology erased the romance of love letters, or merely transformed it?

During the Golden Age of Love Letters, connection was an action that had to be brought upon oneself. We had soldiers fighting on foreign soil but still managed to write letters to their sweethearts in the middle of battle. The effort of bringing out a piece of paper, forming the exact words to say, and mailing it across the seas can never be compared to a heavily abbreviated text message. The time it takes for one letter to get from point a to point b makes these letters far more valuable. These letters were more than just words on paper, they were cherished like treasures, folded into drawers and kept as timeless keepsakes for years to come. These letters were tangible proof that someone out there is thinking about you. Unlike digital messages that vanish in memory, these letters lived on and told a story. Writing letters means laying out your heart on paper and being patient for love. Every smudge of ink, every slanted sentence was a sign of love. 

With the rise of technology comes the rise of digital romance. We are all too familiar with the use of DMs, Snap Streaks, and iMessages to send short bursts of love with emojis and memes. These tools have made love far more accessible, but not necessarily more meaningful. Think about the last text message you have received? The University of Michigan performed a study that showed teens get up to 200 notifications a day. With some being text messages, DMs, or Snaps. The pure volume of communication proved by a phone proves that digital communication holds little emotional and intellectual value. It is physically impossible to savor and appreciate every text message being sent when it has become a second nature to hear that notification ring. That's what makes handwritten letters and texts different: a letter is a piece of love that can be held and no other instagram reel or meme can ever equate to the presence a letter can give you.

Of course, digital communication has its place. Love has become more accessible, and even more expressive. It allows people to stay connected across vast distances, maintain long distance relationships and communicate in real time. Now more than ever, people are sparking relationships with people from opposite sides of the country with the help of social media and dating apps. But without physicality, digital love lacks depth that can never be replicated. When in a case where two people are far from each other, letters can be the closest thing to having a piece of someone. Even if text messages help us keep in touch, they don't have the same emotional affect as a letter. A heartfelt message sent over a screen can be sweet in the moment but it doesn't share the same feeling as holding a letter you know took hours to create. Real and vulnerable love deserves to be shown in a way that matters, far more than a bundle of pixels. It deserves to be held and cherished rather than delivered and forgotten. 

In the end, technology has reshaped the way we express love and appreciation to those close to us, but it can never truly replace the romance, effort, and intimacy of a love letter. Digital messages may have its place for speed and convenience, but they lack the ability to carry the same amount of emotional value then something crafted by hand. Love letters are far more than words on a page, they are a symbol of intangible love, presence, and vulnerability that can only be shown through effort and thoughtfulness. So next time you want to show your appreciation to a loved one, don't hesitate to pour your heart out on some paper and write something that's made to last a lifetime. 

Signing Off,

Sophie B