Pen Pals vs. Video Pals

Pen pals have become a thing of the past as technology has finally caught up to futuristic expectations.

Video chatting through online venues have enabled my son to stay instantly connected with his friends he left behind when we moved recently.

As I write this post, he is chatting with a friend back in South Dakota. They are using funny filters on Facebook messenger while they video chat. I would never have imagined such a way of connecting with friends when I was a kid.

Jacob video chats with his friend.

All I had was a pen, stamps and – if I was lucky – a pretty set of stationery on which to write my letters. While my kiddo gets instant communication, he will likely never know the excitement of waiting days, if not weeks, for a letter from a friend. As a child, I corresponded regularly with a friend or two from Bible camp, and even overseas with a cousin in Sweden. It was an exciting day when I would find a letter addressed to me in the mail box!

As much as I enjoyed writing letters, I remember marveling at the technology used on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Much of the technology envisioned on that show is currently in use, such as handheld touchscreen computers (aka tablets and cell phones) and laptop computers able to connect with other computers. I also remember thinking, “We’ll never see that in our lifetime.” It seemed so amazing!

And now, my son is sitting on the couch, using my phone to video chat with a friend while I type on a computer capable of connecting wirelessly to another computer across the world. I don’t think we’re to the point of connecting on an interstellar level yet. 😉

While none of this is new information, nor is it particularly exciting to most people, it is a fun way to reminisce about the differences between my childhood communications and my son’s.