Marketplace Tech Email my heart: USPS falls behind digital communication
Aug 6, 2025
The podcast dives into the struggle of love letters in a digital world, highlighting the emotional weight of handwritten notes amidst declining mail delivery. Personal anecdotes reveal the frustrations of waiting for letters in a fast-paced digital age. It discusses how email has drastically reduced USPS traffic since 2008 and questions whether digital messages can ever replicate the warmth of a handwritten letter. The conversation also touches on the pandemic's role in accelerating this shift away from traditional correspondence.
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USPS Mail Decline Insight
- USPS first-class mail volume dropped 52% from 2008 to 2023 mainly due to smartphones and digital communication.
- Physical letters face tough competition from digital alternatives like email and texts.
Love Letter Delivery Delay
- Alice Wilder's boyfriend sent a love letter in March that still hadn't arrived months later.
- Delays led her to experience frustration with the USPS physical mail service.
Handwritten Letters Versus Digital
- Handwritten letters hold greater personal and emotional value despite digital convenience.
- The pandemic accelerated people's reliance on digital communication tools like FaceTime, impacting mail volume.