It does seem to be a lifetime ago since I last hand wrote a letter. Being brought up in a tiny town in Bangladesh, I did not experience the use of mobiles, PCs and the Internet during my childhood, so yes I am kinda of old to admit that I did write letters in the earlier years of my life. Ali and I often discuss how we may be the last generation who got by the entire childhood without any digital devices. Then again, this may not be true for everyone in our generation either. As fast as we are embracing technology, it is even more fascinating to see how our previous generation is adapting to the latest social networking and technology.
My mom had been aspiring to own an iPad, so last Eid we got her one. It seems like she never leaves home without it any more. She took it to our annual family vacation last year and we wondered why since her son, daughter and their families were with her already! Granted she is not very old but it’s amazing to see how she banks, shops, connects with friends on Facebook, listens to music online, looks up YouTube videos to learn new crochet patterns. If this wasn’t enough, she surprised me by updating her status on Facebook from Dubai airport en-route her recent trip to Bangladesh. I am sure she’ll do the same on her way back.
Ali is stunned every time he gets an email from his dad and every time his dad tags himself to any Facebook photos we upload of his granddaughter, all from the tiny town in Bangladesh we grew up in. It’s a precious time for Ali’s parents to get a glimpse of my daughter every weekend through skype – possible only through the adaptation of technology.
I can still remember the first time I touched a PC. Having heard of all the amazing things computers can do, I clicked on the Microsoft Excel icon(that was the only icon on the desktop), typed up few numbers as fast as I could to see how the PC can add those numbers. Not knowing about the excel functions, imagine my disappointment when the “computer” could not add the numbers. I remember owning my first laptop. I remember the excitement when I heard I was going to get a cell phone from the company at my first job out of college (yup, I was one of those poor college student who couldn’t afford a mobile phone and got by without one). I remember my first email account (on yahoo which I still use as my personal account!). I am sure our previous generation also clearly remembers their technology firsts.
My daughter is never going to remember any of these firsts as she has been growing up surrounded by them from day 1. I wonder what the firsts of her generation would look like and can’t really imagine how those firsts will be.
Can you remember a time when you were not surrounded by digital devices and technology – laptops, PCs, the Internet, mobile phone, gaming console? Do you remember sending hand written letters to friends and families? Does it seem to be a lifetime ago? Imagine what it will be like in ten more years. Can you imagine the next generation ever sending a moderate size email, let alone handwritten letter? Receiving an email will probably be a delight, and too much to ask for, in the era of next generation tweeting, Facebooking, instant messaging and texting.
I can totally relate – I don’t even know what my husband’s handwriting looks like, my kids can use an iPhone better than I can at the tender ages of 2 and 4, and my mom is currently using her iPad to send us pictures of her trip around New Zealand! As sad as it is to loose that ability to disconnect, I love the technology that enables me to connect with my friends and family on the other side of the world!
Luckily, I know how my husband’s hand writing is since we exchanged notes and letters during high school 🙂
Totally agree that technology has made it much easier to keep a tab on family.
Hi there.. I like your blog too.. thanks for the comment. Glad I could make you laugh.. haha! Oh my, I’m always surrounded by technology and I work in the IT field so there you have it. The last time I wrote out a letter for ages ago, but I do remember doing that in high school. Now I write when I want to give someone a card. 🙂
I am also in the IT field so totally understand.
I write so seldom that my handwriting has deteriorated and I can barely hold a pen. It is funny how I was just telling my husband this very thing last week. We are so used to typing that we don’t know how to write. All this social networking etc, has made my children totally unsociable…if you can understand what I mean. They text, email and compute all day long but ask them to have a conversation and you get blank stares.
I love technology but I also love the time and effort a hand written note takes. When I came after my trip to Texas in January, I sent a thank you card to all my friends and family. They were all so thrilled to receive something in the mail that wasn’t a bill!
Nazneen
I love getting hand written notes too and try to send out thank you notes as much as I can instead of sending a thank you email 🙂
I love this post, so nostalgic Lail. I can totally relate to you, and u know what, even till date I still prefer to use my old fountain pen and scribble away in a notebook! I love technology that now we are able to get to know each other, share recipes, exchange stories, connect with families but i still prefer taking my daughter to swim or playground and let her muck around then glued on laptop!
Spot on, Jehanne. Without technology, we would have never met and be able to share and exchange our ideas. We have a strict no TV policy for our toddler, so with you on taking her out to a park or library instead of glued on screen.
A very good post Lail! Very topical and spot on! I can totally appreciate where you’re coming from as that’s how I stay in touch with my family. It’s the sign of the times, isn’t it, no letter writing, these days, I hardly send a card out, preferring emails. I’m not altogether certain that it is necessarily a bad thing as we are the product of our time.
I don’t think it’s a bad thing either. It’s different and being able to embrace the new that is good is a must in life.
I can relate to many points here in regards to how technology has change our daily lives. I can no longer write as clear as how I used to. Its more of a scratchy writing that’s so difficult to read.
And I miss the “pen-pal” generation. Life is so mundane these days. But change is inevitable. Some are good too.