Thought experiment: in 2017, do you ever open your email—work or personal—or see a notification that you have email, and think anything except UGH??!
This isn’t the fun early days of aol “You’ve Got Mail” email anymore, when email was an exciting novelty. I realize I’m giving away my age here (hint: it’s 40) by admitting that the first time I sent an email it was to my friend Amie who was a year ahead of me in school, in her freshman year of college in DC, and I was like wait whaaaaat? You can send a NOTE from New York to DC? Through the COMPUTER?!
Fast forward 22 years and my reaction to email varies only slightly from snail mail now. With snail mail, at least I know for a fact that I’m opening a box of garbage and putting it right into another garbage/recycling receptacle. It’s a daily ritual. Checking the mail is literally taking recycling from one box and putting it immediately into another.
But when you check email there MIGHT be something you need and so you can’t just ignore it. Especially with work, and especially with kids.
Didn’t you see the email saying you have to update all your passwords in 2 days or the server will destroy all your hard work?
Didn’t you see the latest string of emails delivering an escalating spool of neutral to terrible professional news coupled with demands you are unwilling or unable to meet?
Didn’t you see the email saying you have to sign your kid up for soccer today or they will miss the chance to have a wholesome childhood experience just because you were too annoyed and exasperated to read your email carefully and accidentally archived the soccer deadline while trying to delete the solicitation for donations from the dog rescue you gave $50 to ten years ago?
Again I return to the thought experiment.
Be honest: in the last year have you ever opened your email and thought YAY? Or even, MEH? Anyone you really give a shit about is texting you or hitting you up on FB messenger.
I defy you to give me an example of even ONE time in the last year that you opened your email and thought anything but UGH.
