Add another Millennial murder to the list. This time, doorbells. According to this Mashable article from last week, we’re out here making doorbells. As ridiculous as it might sound, this one actually makes a lot of sense. Technology has made communication so fluid that both the *ding* and *dong* have been rendered obsolete. There’s absolutely no need for surprises on your arrival when you can deliver real-time status updates quietly from your phone:
Jumping in a quick shower.
Heading over.
Sorry, had to eat something. On my way now.
Traffic. Be there soon.
I’m outside.
Rest in peace, doorbell. You will be missed. However, doorbells won’t be the only thing murdered by our generation’s ability to communicate more effectively using modern technology. Thank you cards are another example. You know those things your mom made your write as a kid to all your friends after your birthday party? I suspect they too will be picked off in a similar fashion as the doorbell.
Three months ago, my wife and I welcomed our second daughter into the world, and for three months, we’ve struggled to get thank you cards out to our friends and family to thank them for the very thoughtful gifts they’ve sent our way. Truth be told, I’ve fallen a bit into gender stereotypes and placed most of this responsibility on my amazing wife who, by the way, has been recovering from having a baby, dealing with a toddler, keeping the house in meticulous order, cooking us dinner all while dealing with the anxiety of going back to work as a mother of two.
But before going any further into the world of Millennial homicide, let’s take a brief moment to see what actually goes into sending someone a proper thank you.
- Order personalized cards
- Obtain everyone’s address
- Buy postage
- Write the thank yous
- Address envelopes
- Bring them to the post office or mailbox
Well, I’m excused. We have to go through all these steps for what? A few generic sentences that express our appreciation? As grateful as I am, I’m not trying to be the John Keats of thank yous right now. Our sleep deprivation has only intensified since Ruby joined our crew, so a well-thought-out prose of gratitude is off the table at the moment. You’re getting, at tops, three generic sentences because we got a ton of shit to do.
Lick. Stamp. Off you go!
While complaining about thank yous on Twitter, a few people shared with me the genius idea of — instead of sending thank you cards — sending thank you texts with a picture attached of the gift being enjoyed. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so what better way to express my thanks than by actually showing the gift giver just how much they are appreciated. How amazingly inclusionary to let someone into your life in such a detailed way.
However, if a text message seems too impersonal and a sending a physical card is still your thing, there are now web sites that can do all the *heavy lifting* for you. Postable, for example, offers a massive selection of stylish cards and fronts that make hand writing thank yous a distant memory. Simply upload your mailing list, customize your card and click send. It’s digital gratification.
As with the doorbell, technology has managed to disrupt another traditional form of communication. However, driving these changes is more than just amazing technology, but rather the differences in generational norms and practices. Millennials value their time because they have less of it. We face our own unique set of challenges, so a *life hack* like texting a thank you with a picture is nothing short of a home run. Now tell that to our parents’ friends asking whether or not we received their gift two weeks from having sent it.
Before Millennials totally eradicate the thank you card and draw the ire of traditionalists everywhere, it’s worth pointing out that there are many instances where a handwritten note of gratitude is a wonderful gesture, especially when it’s an unexpected one. But spending hours of our precious time (and it is precious) to mass produce manufactured appreciation seems to be totally misaligned with both the tools at our disposal today and the ways in which we now communicate with one another.
So, to my friends and family reading this week’s blog, please know we’re working on getting these thank yous out to you. But, since I have you here, let me say thank you so much for thinking of us and for your generosity. It’s much appreciated.
Well, what do you think? Come weigh in over on the Twitter.
How many days do you have to send out thank you cards before it’s rude?
— Douglas A. Boneparth (@dougboneparth) June 9, 2019