The Impact of Social Media on Postal Services

The mainstream use of social media for communications has had a big impact on postal services and mailing system and on the employment of the people who work there.

http://superiorprintingcentre.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/BlogPostMar05-13.jpg  (superiorprintingcentre.com)

In past mailing was the only way through which people sent each other messages.  People also used mailing services to send their payments and to receive their monthly statements and their bills. Even though It was time consuming and had some cost involved in it, it was still used very widely. There weren’t any of the social media outlets that we have now for communications . Therefore, postal services were in demand and were in good economic conditions.

One of the first mediums of social media that came to use and had a big negative impact on posting system was email. People started using email for work and for personal communications. In past most of the communications at workplace between different offices and organizations took place via mail. The number of mails sent out on daily basis was much bigger compared to the ones sent out now. Here is the link to a site showing the progress of email. (Josh Wolford, 2011)

  It is true that mail and courier services still have some use at workplace and still are considered good ways of sending documents. However, for the purpose of fast decision making and quick communications, email is used more than mail now.

http://www.marketingtango.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/directmail-or-email-both.jpg (Email vs Mail)

Email is no longer the only type of social medium that affected posting system. There are so many other social media outlets such as instant messaging, blogs, Face book, twitter and many others that are used at different work places today and are replacing mail.

Sending a message in real world is so much different from sending a message to someone in virtual world. We use mailing system to send a letter to people whom we know or to people we do business with. If we ever receive a letter from someone whom we do not know and the letter updated us on the status of a total stranger sender, we would definitely find that very odd and irrelevant. While now if we see a post on a social networking site about someone whom we do not even know, we still take interest and read it and most of the time we even comment on their post and write them back.

Posting system has experienced some changes due to the evolution of social media and its use. Some of the changes are change of 7 day service to 5 day service, Canada post ending door to door delivery in urban areas and some other cut backs.

http://www.nzpost.co.nz/sites/default/files/uploads/shared/images/mail-volumes.jpg (NZ posts)

National post published an article on Canada post and its cut services on December 11, 2013 where we can see some data about changes Canada post brought in the last few years. Here are a few facts from that publication copied here. (Hill, Lee Berthiaume and Andrea, 2013).

·         2000: Post Office launches ePost, a digital mailbox for bills.
·         2007: First decline in domestic lettermail delivered in Canada
·         2012: Canada Post notes decrease of one billion pieces of lettermail compared to 2006.
·         2013: Canada Post begins charging developers $200 per address for the set up of community mail boxes in new neighbourhoods

Well, looking at these  cut backs and changes,  we can imagine how they must have affected the workers who work for postal services. A lot of layoffs and cut backs, salary issues and  other financial issues  for workers at postal services. The post office services and their economic issues are seen in most of the countries around the world.  Here is a youtube video on “Social media reacts to Post Office Announcement in the States” 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mi2Wuimva4 (WP TV News Channel 5)

However, social media has brought some good changes to postal services as well. Postal services use more social media to better communicate with customers, other businesses as well as with stake holders.

In summary, social media has had big impact on different types of work places. The impact has mostly been positive. However, postal system is one of the work places that has experienced the negative impact of social media more than its positive impact.

Bibliography

 (Email vs Mail) Retrieved from http://www.marketingtango.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/directmail-or-email-both.jpg

Hill, Lee Berthiaume and Andrea. (2013, December 11). Canadian Politics. Retrieved from National post: http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/12/11/lisa-raitt-defends-canada-post-cuts-as-modernizing-while-olivia-chow-decries-government-destroying-mail-services/

 (superiorprintingcentre.com). Retrieved from https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTTeOP4e8LjIyLcaCTIjWWyN9gyFCK9rjVFTrvtM6dAXs1Z8XU1tQ

Josh Wolford. (2011, May 5). Web Pro News. Retrieved from Social: http://www.webpronews.com/email-social-media-communication-increases-im-use-decreases-2011-05

mail Vs email image. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.marketingtango.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/directmail-or-email-both.jpg

NZ posts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nzpost.co.nz/sites/default/files/uploads/shared/images/mail-volumes.jpg

WP TV News Channel 5. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mi2Wuimva4