GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
In the era of instant messages, postcards get second wind
In decades past, before the age of text messages and Instagram stories, people would pen a message on a postcard, place a stamp on it, and mail it in the post office.
The process may seem a struggle now that we can send messages — and photos and videos to boot! — in a drop of a hat. But snail mail is not as dead as you think.
Diane Ang, a 27-year-old postcard enthusiast and acting Product Manager at the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPOST), consistently receives postcards from strangers in different parts of the world. She also sends out a bunch of her own too.
"I started when I tried looking for something to do aside from my daily job. It's a hobby that I really, really like and I don't know why it's not as popular anymore," she told GMA News Online.
A post shared by D I A N E ? (@poppypaper) on
Despite — or because of — its declining popularity, postcard exchange has evolved. It's no longer a necessity, but rather a hobby — a form of art, even.
Senders make an effort to design and personalize each card. Stamps, while necessary then and now, are used more liberally to decorate the cards.
A post shared by D I A N E ? (@poppypaper) on
"It's a dying but recently revived art," Diane said.
Diane, who is @poppypaper in Instagram, has countless of pen pals from around the world.
One way to be able to send and receive postcards is through a platform called Postcrossing, which has more than 2,000 Filipino users participating in postcard exchange.
"If you join that website, you'll be able to send and receive postcards from its members around the world. The website gives out random addresses," Diane said.
But there are other ways to connect to a pen pal.
Diane said you can find pen pals online, specifically in Instagram by checking the tag #penpalswanted, among others.
"I feel like I'm traveling while doing this, because I get postcards from as far as Poland, somewhere that I haven't been to, and it's from a person that I don't know," she said.
A post shared by D I A N E ? (@poppypaper) on
PHLPOST had a booth in the recently concluded History Con 2018.
Diane said that kids would approach the booth in curiosity but when asked if they knew what postage stamps were, they would answer no.
Moms told her that it is not something that schools teach their kids any longer.
But looking at the age range of those looking for pen pals online and actually follow through with sending post cards, Diane has hope that this dying form of communication can be revived.
"The age group is very young, it's from 13-years-olds to around... actually meron pang 50 years old looking for pen pals. Pero pinakamaraming age bracket siguro is from 13 to around late 20s," she said.
"Nakakagaan ng puso that they still want to do these things. With technology and emails, it's so easy to send a message, you just have to text them. Here kasi it's...it's tangible, it's a tangible form of communication and I think that's what I appreciate most about it," she added.
They may no longer be necessary but there is still a place for postcards, stamps, and pen pals in the world.
"In the modern era, I think it's still an art that can be appreciated by all ages," Diane said.
A post shared by D I A N E ? (@poppypaper) on
— LA, GMA News
