Remember how it felt to receive a care package or a handwritten letter on double-sided looseleaf paper? My mom used to send me a single stick of chewing gum in her letters, and even today the scent of peppermint reminds me of her cards and letters. Recently my parents sold their home and sent me a storage bin filled with letters, yearbooks, photos and mixed tapes (yes, mixed tapes). I spent the holidays revisiting the contents of the box, and it changed a lonely holiday away from home into an evening of vivid memories and smiles.
What will the next generation have in their box of keepsakes? I hope something more than their Facebook Timeline or photo albums on Flickr. There will be no lack of status updates or data points, but what about those items that you cannot hold in the palm of your hand without remembering a moment? Will we lose the ability to appreciate the real, tangible items and even real moments in place of curating memories from loads of data? Will those memories have the same feeling or meaning? Will they feel "real"?
I don't think you can replace "real" with digital content or experiences - accordingly, my theme word for 2012 is "real" - real things and real experiences. I spend most of my professional and personal life online. I probably have more friends I have never met in real life ("IRL") than those I have met IRL. I cannot imagine life without online communication, but it is a mistake to think it replaces the real thing, like sharing a meal or taking a lazy walk on a Sunday. As millions of people dive online to connect in new and amazing ways, I hope we won't not sacrifice nurturing real moments and tangible means of communication. Life is empty without real things and real people even for digital natives.
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| Doodle sent to Joe Bolin |
Sure, we cannot possibly spend IRL time with everyone, but we can make an effort to do so more frequently and in more creative ways. The cost of sending a letter, photo or doodle to a friend on the other side of the globe is less than two bucks. I have sent my doodles to France, the UK, Australia and Japan, and seeing a photo of a friend holding the doodle I tucked into an envelope days before creates a sense of "real" connectivity. I included this photo of one of many doodles I have sent to friends around the world.
P.S. This post is inspired by Josh Armour, who recently sent me a real package with a squishy Android toy "just because". He even included a hand-written note. Bonus points, Josh.
