The email simply stands for Electronic mail, which is another version of physical mail, but in digital form. Did you know that the first ever email was sent out back in 1971, yes, that was a long time ago. But the surprising part is that email as a way of communication is still pretty relevant, and the popularity of email doesn’t seem to slow down anytime soon. Here are some pros and cons of using an email.
Advantages of using an Email
1. Lightning-Fast and Super Efficient
Have you ever noticed how fast emails are? Whereas snail mail aka the actual physical mail takes ages to get anywhere, it only takes a split second for an email to travel around the world. Just two clicks and your message is already cooling in someone else’s inbox, on the other side of the planet. This is great for business when every second counts and decisions must be made in real time. Compared with an office worker’s sluggish pace, a decision can be made in the blink of an eye. And emails don’t mind time zones either, they’re fully operational across time zones, day and night.
2. Won’t Break the Bank
Let’s talk cost, or the no-cost that is involved in emails. If you’re online, you’re all set, and you can send emails to all who have access to the internet, literally, without spending a penny. No papers, envelopes, or costly postage stamps to worry about. For businesses, especially, the savings are nothing short of amazing, particularly with bulk communications. Then there is the joy of sending the same communication to thousands at once, free of charge!
3. Easy-Peasy
Another great thing is that emails are super easy. You can teach someone who has never used a computer in their life to use it in minutes, with no tech skills required. They’re the default, no-brainer, one-stop shop for pretty much anyone at any age, on practically anything like a laptop, phone, or tablet. Never miss a beat, whether you’re at the cafe or catching some rays at the beach.
4. Keeps a Record
Have you ever felt the need to track down an old conversation or a decision that was made months ago over emails? Well, we don’t even need to say it out loud but still, emails are perfect for that. Especially in professional settings, this is pure gold. How? Well, since everything is recorded in an email, the information or chats can be looked back to whenever you want. This is particularly helpful in format and professional settings, as we already mentioned.
5. Versatile Communication Medium
What can’t emails do? You can send simple text, attach images, videos, or proper documents with emails, right? So whatever it is that you want to send to the other party, emails can handle it very well. This is the very reason why emails are still very relevant, otherwise they would have become a thing of the past.
6. Kind to Mother Earth
See, there are a lot of businesses, organizations, and even individuals that prefer email documentation over actual physical mail, right? And as you can really tell, how much that saves on paper usage, which is ultimately good for Mother Nature or Earth. Emails are literally the best way to stay connected, without wasting a single piece of paper, so yes, you are doing your part in being kind to Mother Earth by using email over the actual physical mail.
7. Mass Communication
Heard of the CC and BCC in the email? Yes, those are some really good features that you can literally use to send out one single message to hundreds of people in one single click. All you need is their email address, and that’s pretty much it. Again, this is particularly helpful in professional or business settings where you need to send emails to many people, all at the same time.
Disadvantages of Email
1. Information Overload
A big disadvantage of using emails is that we simply have the possibility of being bombarded with information, all the time. Since it is so easy to send an email, it is the natural consequence that our inbox in most cases gets flooded with more messages than we can deal with. It becomes a huge effort in itself to manage and sort your emails, and it’s annoying to find that important mail has been lost in a heap of rubbish, and you then have to sort out the mess.
2. Security Risks
It’s hard not to feel like a little squirrel stepping into a minefield every time you open your inbox. After all, there’s no doubt that email is one of the most dangerous digital media at your disposal. Contaminated mail threats such as viruses, malware, or phishing attacks are lurking behind almost every link you click on or attachment you download. And it is just the harsh reality of the digital world that we are currently part of and taking precautions against such things can be super helpful.
3. Lack of Personal Touch
Have you ever noticed how cold emails can or actually seem? When you’re chatting face-to-face or even on the phone, you can detect subtle cues from another person’s body language and tone of voice. An email lacks all those factors, which is why it’s so easy to miss someone’s meaning. And if you’re concerned about something delicate, or this person may one day be a close collaborator, an email just won’t do.
4. Dependence on Internet Access
No internet, no email, it’s as simple as that! And this is a big hassle especially where the internet isn’t usually available on demand or even reliable. Besides, technical hiccups such as server errors or connectivity glitches will keep you offline when halfway through a message and disrupt the transmission flow at the worst possible moment. You wouldn’t like that, or would you?
5. Spam and Unwanted Emails
Is there anything more frustrating than spam? There seems to be a near-endless supply of emails that you don’t want to see, they eat up your time. And this is literally a thing that nobody likes, for example, you wouldn’t find a single person who says they like their email inbox full of spam emails. It just doesn’t happen.
Quick Comparison Between Advantages and Disadvantages of Email
|
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Fast and Efficient Communication | Information Overload |
| Cost-Effective | Security Risks |
| User-Friendly | Lack of Personal Touch |
| Keeps a Record | Dependence on Internet Access |
| Versatile (Supports Various Media Formats) | Spam and Unwanted Emails |
| Eco-Friendly | |
| Enables Mass Communication |
