Emails

Speaker: Finn

Do you send emails often?

Not really. I probably only send a few emails a month, mainly for university-related matters or occasionally when I need to deal with something official. I use messaging apps for pretty much everything else.

Are emails widely used in your country?

Yeah, definitely. Most people use emails for work, and they’re also pretty common in universities and other educational institutions. I think they’re still an important way of communicating, even though people generally prefer messaging apps in their personal lives.

Do you think emails will be more or less prevalent in the future?

I think they’ll probably become less common, especially for everyday communication. People are increasingly turning to messaging apps, which are much quicker and more convenient. But I don’t think emails will disappear because they’re still widely used in workplaces and for official matters.

How often do you write emails or cards?

I write emails every now and then, probably a few times a month. As for cards, I hardly ever write them nowadays. I usually just send someone a birthday message on social media or through a messaging app. It’s quicker, and that’s what most people around me tend to do.

Do you like texting or emails?

I’d definitely choose texting. It’s much more convenient, and I can have a casual conversation without worrying about things like greetings or how to phrase everything. I only use emails when I need to communicate something more formally.

Would you prefer an email or a card for your birthday? Why?

I’d much prefer a card, actually. I think it feels more personal when someone takes the time to write you a handwritten message rather than just sending a quick email. Plus, it’s something you can keep, which makes it a little more special.

Do you think email will replace letters in the future?

I think it already has, at least to a large extent. These days, people rarely write traditional letters because emails are so much quicker and easier to send. That said, I think handwritten letters will still have their place, particularly for special occasions or when people want to express their feelings in a more personal way.

How often do you check your email inbox?

Probably once or twice a day. I usually check it in the morning or sometime in the afternoon, just to see if there’s anything important. I don’t really feel the need to check it constantly because most emails I receive aren’t particularly urgent.

What kinds of emails do you usually receive?

Mostly promotional emails, shopping receipts and notifications from websites I’ve signed up for. I also get the occasional email from my university about important announcements or administrative matters. To be honest, I tend to ignore or delete most promotional emails without even reading them.

Do you find it difficult to write formal emails?

Not really, because I can always turn to ChatGPT for help. I usually just tell it what I want to say, and it helps me put everything together in a more professional way. It’s pretty convenient, especially when I’m not sure how to phrase something.

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Speaker: Blondie

Do you send emails often?

Oh, constantly—it’s practically the backbone of my workday. Since I work in a corporate setting, I send dozens of emails every single day, whether it’s coordinating with clients, following up on projects, or just keeping my team in the loop. Outside of work, though, I barely send any; my personal inbox is mostly just for receipts and flight confirmations.

Are emails widely used in your country?

Definitely, especially in professional and academic settings. If you’re applying for a job, dealing with customer service, or communicating with colleagues, email is still the standard. That said, in day-to-day social life, people overwhelmingly prefer instant messaging apps—nobody really emails a friend just to catch up anymore.

Do you think emails will be more or less prevalent in the future?

I think they’ll actually become slightly less prevalent, at least for internal communication. Even at my own company, a lot of the quick back-and-forth that used to clog up our inboxes has already moved over to platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams. Email probably won’t disappear completely because you still need a formal paper trail for external clients and official records, so I see it becoming more of a formal communication tool rather than something people use for quick conversations.

How often do you write emails or cards?

Well, writing emails is part of my daily routine, as I mentioned, so I send them pretty much non-stop from Monday to Friday. Cards, on the other hand, are much rarer—maybe five or six times a year for milestone birthdays, weddings, or the holidays. Because I spend all day typing on a keyboard, sitting down to actually handwrite a card feels like a nice change of pace.

Do you like texting or emails?

In my personal life, texting wins hands down—it’s faster, more relaxed, and feels like an actual conversation. At work, though, I actually appreciate emails because they give me a bit of breathing room. With a text or a Slack message, there’s this unspoken pressure to reply immediately, whereas an email lets me gather my thoughts and respond properly without dropping everything I’m doing.

Would you prefer an email or a card for your birthday? Why?

Oh, a physical card, no question about it. An email—even a really thoughtful one—still feels a bit like something I’d read at my desk between meetings. Knowing someone has actually taken the time to pick out a card and write a personal message by hand just makes it feel so much warmer. Plus, I love keeping them on my bookshelf, whereas an email just gets buried in my inbox.

Do you think email will replace letters in the future?

To be honest, I feel like that ship has already sailed for the most part. For everyday communication, including things like bank statements and utility bills, email and other digital services have pretty much taken over because they’re faster and more convenient. I don’t think physical letters will ever go completely extinct, though—handwritten notes have become a bit of a luxury, so people still send them when they want to make a gesture feel truly special.

How often do you check your email inbox?

During the workweek, I check it constantly—probably every ten or fifteen minutes, since I keep the tab pinned on my browser all day. On the weekends, I try to set a strict boundary and turn off my work notifications, though I’ll still glance at my personal email once or twice a day just to make sure I haven’t missed anything urgent, like a delivery update.

What kinds of emails do you usually receive?

My work inbox is a steady stream of meeting invites, project updates, client enquiries, and the occasional company-wide newsletter. My personal account is a completely different story—it’s mostly order confirmations, promotional emails from loyalty programmes I signed up for ages ago, and e-statements from my bank.

Do you find it difficult to write formal emails?

Not anymore, though it definitely used to intimidate me when I first started my career. I used to overthink every single word, agonising over whether “Best regards” sounded too cold or whether I was using too many exclamation marks. Now that I’ve written thousands of them, I have a mental template for almost every situation, so I can usually put together a polite, professional email in a couple of minutes without second-guessing myself.