In an age where productivity means optimizing every second and screens blur the lines between work and home, some people are slowing down and disconnecting by looking to the communication devices of the past.
tactile activities from writing to Typewriter Club Showcasing calligraphy skills and wax seals to the TikTok community is reviving vintage writing instruments. These pursuits are more than just quaint retro; Reduce opportunities for technology useBe more intentional with your time and build meaningful connections with others.
“I feel like my pen pals are my friends,” said Melissa Bobbitt, 42, who thinks of them not too differently than I would talk to a friend on the phone or in a coffee shop or at someone’s home. An avid letter writer, she corresponds with about a dozen people at her home in Claremont, Calif., and has had as many as 40 pen pals at one time. “It’s almost like a therapy session to focus on a person and really read what they have to say and share your innermost thoughts.”
Ink, paper and other tools, once the only way to convey information across great distances, continue to bring people together around the world. Below, some of them explain the appeal of snail mail and give tips for getting started.
Writing can be an escape
In a society characterized by ready availability, practical hobbies like letter writing and scrapbooking require focus and patience. The act of picking up a pen, sealing an envelope with wax, and laying out a page may have an aesthetic effect, but it also creates a space for reflection.
Stephania Kontopanos, a 21-year-old student in Chicago, said it’s hard to put away her phone and computer, especially when all of her friends and peers are on social media and her classes and personal life revolve around being online.
“Sometimes when I’m having dinner with my friends, I realize we’re all on our phones,” Contopanos said, adding that in those moments she tries to put her phone down.
Contopanos also consciously unplugs by sending postcards to family and friends, scrapbooks, and junk journals, which include repurposing everyday materials like tickets and receipts to record memories or thoughts. She said going to the post office became an activity she did with her mother back home in Kansas, which included sharing stories with postal workers, people she wouldn’t normally meet.
Nostalgia can boost community
For KiKi Klassen, who lives in Ontario, Canada, writing and sending letters is a form of nostalgia. The 28-year-old said it makes her feel more connected to her late mother, who was a member of the Canadian Postal Workers Union, which represents mail carriers and other postal workers.
In October 2024, Klassen launched Lucky Duck Mail Club, a monthly subscription-based email service that sends participants a piece of her art, inspirational quotes and messages. She said she has more than 1,000 members from up to 36 countries.
“When I sat down, I was forced to think carefully and choose my words,” Klassen said. “It also creates vulnerability because it’s easier to write down what you’re feeling. I’ve had people write back to me and hear so many touching stories that I’ve cried. I think, for a lot of people, paper creates a safe space. You write it down, send it, and then you don’t have to think about it again.”
For Bobbitt, who has corresponded by mail for years, she gets “very excited” when she opens her mailbox and finds something that isn’t a bill or an ad. “If we all filled each other’s mailboxes with letters, we would all be kinder and at least not afraid to check our mailboxes,” she said.
Bobbitt said she first joined a pen pal club when she was in second or third grade and later met more writers through Postcrossing, an online project that works with people around the world to send and receive postcards. As friendships grew between her and other regular writers, some of the postcards turned into letters, she said.
It was this similar sense of connection that inspired 34-year-old DJ Robert Owoyele to create CAYA, a monthly “mock party” in Dallas. Owoyele launched the event less than a year ago and has since organized evenings that included letter writing, coloring, vinyl record listening sessions and other activities.
“We live in a digital age and it breeds a false sense of connection, but I think real connection happens with people,” he said. “When we can touch or see something, we naturally develop a closer connection with it. These simulation activities are a reflection of that.”
How to get started
While it may seem easy to write letters and engage in other retro activities, it’s not always easy to get involved. For many people, taking time to slow down may feel like just another obligation in a schedule filled with to-dos.
Contopanos said she thinks it’s important for her to reprioritize her time. “The older I get, the more I realize how much time I waste on my phone,” she said. She said creating space to explore allowed her to discover hobbies she enjoyed and make them a priority.
There are many hobbies to considersome of which don’t require expensive tools or hours of free time. Frequenting community gathering spaces centered around these hobbies can be a way to learn about different activities. For example, join a typewriter club like Type Pals, attend events like the Los Angeles Printer Expo hosted by the International Printing Museum in California, and interact with social media communities like Wax Seal guild exist Instagram and Calligraphy Center on Facebook.
Klassen said reviving old-school writing instruments and small tactile pleasures may be about to become fashionable, based on posts she’s seen on social media.
“By 2026, girls will be moving to simulation,” she said.