10. They are all about efficiency and could care less about tradition
Millennials get a bad rap in the media and they can be our greatest generation. Sure they text a lot and instant message a lot but who doesn’t. That being said they have an absolute disdain for repetitive tasks and mundane and unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape. They are all about efficiency. Now what is one of the biggest time wasting tasks ever? Do you have any guesses? Well we all need a physical mailbox for taxes, business purposes, registering a suite of services, and interacting in certain situations that email still does not handle. So we inevitably have to drive to the post office, the ups store, local mail center or even our home. But the extra traffic, gas and time is a total waste which is why millennials are all about the virtual mailbox. The efficiency of being able to check your mail anywhere, anytime, from any device is too much for them to pass up. That is why the sheer efficiency of it makes the #10 reason on the list.
9. It’s easier to make funny memes about silly mail offers to screenshot and send
Okay we have all seen crazy infomercials from the set it and forget it guy, to ShamWow, OrangeGlo and other zany products. And none other than in your own personal or business mailbox do we see more of these zany offers. From hilarious pizza coupons to carpet cleaning, vacation giveaways and other types of offers, the humble postal mailbox sees the most action. And since millennials are all about humor and funny memes, it is easier for them to take a screenshot of their mobile mailbox offers that are conveniently scanned. They likely won’t pull out their iphone or android to take a picture of a silly newsprint offer that made it into their physical spam box.
8. They don’t like waiting in line
Have you ever gone to the post office at lunch? Enough said. Everyone hates waiting in line. In fact I never met a person that was like, “Yeah, I really enjoy it. It takes time, there is usually a pleasant scent in the room, everyone is polite, and I just get stuff done during the wait.” Now if you think you don’t like lines, millennials will search every app high and low to bypass a line wait. I can seriously respect that and that is why this makes it as the #8 reason they use digital mailboxes instead of snail mail.
7. They won’t spill coffee on it
Every generation loves coffee but think about how many families and working parents have spilled hot coffee on the postal mail or an important check or document. Do you really think a millennial would let that happen? No way. They’d be more likely to be seen on snapchat holding a sign saying “Doing it for the Gram” than that. Plus many millennials are coffee snobs (which I can dig).
6. They change addresses a lot
They really do. With the trend towards big city life and the shift in the modern workplace, many millennials are digital nomads. Such a life comes with a lot of address changes. From crashing on a couch in your friend’s apartment, to shacking up with a crew of people for a multiple month gig, to moving in with parents to save some cash, having a physical address can be an enormous hassle. A virtual mailbox really does solve that problem and it doesn’t matter where they reside.
5. They like to travel
With the advent of the internet it is easier to find a travel deal and make arrangements. With sites such as craigslist, airbnb, couchsurfing and others, this adds to the ease of booking an awesome travel experience. And nowadays they call it the experience economy as millennials are spearheading a shift in spending from material items to experiences. What better way to free yourself from the burden of snail mail than a digital mailbox.
4. They don’t like paper unless folding it for origami or really cool scroll/artistic paper
Ok this is just kinda silly but it’s true.
3. They don’t want their roommates opening up their mail and using it for a millennial prank
Ok they are definitely a pranking bunch. Have you heard about the growth hacker who stalked his roommate with hyper-targeted Facebook ads that seemed to follow him online and say things that no one else could know? It really freaked him out and then his friend came clean. The same thing could happen with snail mail so best to avoid and pranksters or other unsightly characters opening your stuff for jest.
2. It’s cheaper than getting mail service at most co-working facilities
In all honesty, a lot or all of the items on this list apply to almost every generation, they are just more pronounced with the 18 – 30s range. More and more businesses and entrepreneurs are moving out of the corporate grind and out of the big office buildings. Many of them choose a co-working space just for the mailbox service. However, many of them charge hundreds of dollars a month or more for the combined service. Getting a digital mailbox for just $6.99 on Anytime Mailbox’s 300+ locations is a no brainer money saver from many co-working facilities.
1. It’s environmentally friendly
This transcends millennials and is important to just about everyone. Why waste the extra gas driving once a week or once a month for years to your local snail mail facility when the information can travel right to your smartphone? Think of one trip to the snail mail facility and back 5 miles each way on average = 10 miles a week x 52 weeks x 5 years = over 2,500 wasted gas miles in just 5 years. Think about a lifetime and think about that multiplied by millions of mailbox renters across the world. Just switching to a virtual solution is a real no brainer.
