Why I love email

In today’s world of quick messages and social media, emails often get overlooked and might seem old-fashioned. But for me, email is special.

Email is not just another app or specific platform. It’s a universal method of communication across the Internet and it can work in any mailing app, like RSS works in any reader app or like websites work in any browser. For that reason alone, email is still around several decades later since its invention, and likely will be around for as long as the Internet exists.

What sets emails apart is the sanctuary they provide – no ‘seen’ status looming over your shoulder, no pressure to reply immediately. Instead, you have the power to read and respond thoughtfully, at your own pace. The ability to flag, mark, and categorise emails grants extra control and organisation, which I appreciate too. And you can revisit email threads even years later, something that is barely possible with group chat conversations.

Sure, sometimes it’s handier to chat via a messenger app or share voice memos, a practice I do a lot with my family and close friends. The only messenger app I quite like is Telegram. It has no intrusive ads, it doesn’t sell user data, and it’s all-around convenient, making WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and even iCloud Messages look pretty shoddy in comparison. Yet, even with its perks, Telegram locks users within its own system, unlike email, which is a universal protocol compatible with Gmail, Yahoo, Hey, Superhuman, or any other email services and platforms.

I’ve noticed that when I write an email, I strive for clear, structured writing. Such asynchronous communication naturally helps me to convey my thoughts while paying attention to formatting, grammar, and other details, it’s as if the ‘send’ button almost creates friction, prompting a second thought before clicking it. And clear, structured writing leads to clear, structured thinking – a valuable skill worth developing.