This year a significant proportion of the greeting cards we’ve received have been assembled from digital content created by our family members and friends. Most of these cards feature family photos and/or snapshots of peak moments throughout the year; a few are totally handmade, artsy, often collages with no digital elements.
What strikes me is the way the popularity of user-created content in online and social networking arenas may be subtly influencing how people prefer to communicate these days via holiday greeting cards.
Clearly, it takes more effort to produce personalized cards than simply buying and signing mass-market cards from Hallmark. Given how busy most people are during the holiday season, you have to assume the trend toward self-made cards and letters reflects fundamental human needs to connect on a deeper level, to find outlets for creative expression, share funny moments, and so on.
We’ve really enjoyed this outpouring of personalized greeting cards this year. And wish we had reciprocated in a similar fashion…