Marketplace All-in-One Email my heart: USPS falls behind digital communication
Aug 6, 2025
The podcast dives into the decline of love letters as digital communication takes over. A heartfelt story of a delayed love letter highlights the emotional weight of traditional mail. Statistics reveal how USPS struggles with this shift, especially during financial and political challenges. The discussion contrasts the sentimental value of handwritten notes with the convenience of emails, while privacy concerns and the recent pandemic further influence our communication methods.
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USPS Mail Volume Plummets
- USPS first-class mail volume dropped 52% from 2008 to 2023 due to digital communications.
- Financial and political challenges have worsened delivery delays for those still using letters.
Delayed Love Letters Anecdote
- Alice Wilder shares how love letters from her boyfriend started arriving months late this spring.
- A letter mailed in March still hadn't arrived by the time of the interview in June.
Handwritten Letters' Unique Intimacy
- Handwritten letters retain a unique intimacy despite the rise of digital communication.
- The pandemic accelerated people's shift to video calls and messaging apps, deepening email's impact on USPS.