bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Nowadays, electronic mail is essential. In my view, e-mail is one of the most  important inventions in human history. You can't live or work without e-mail. E-mail has a wide variety of functions. For example, I used e-mail to send this letter to the Young Post.  
E-mail can also replace different kinds of greeting cards. It helps to protect the environment as it cuts down on the amount of paper used. You can send a Christmas card to your friend by e-mail instead of using traditional paper greetings. 
E-mail is great progress in human culture. We should treasure the invention of e-mail.
Tsang Hing-lun
From the Editor
Thank you for your letter, Hing-lun. It's amazing to think that as little as 15 years ago - when many Young Post readers were toddlers, or not even born - e-mail was still a very new means of communication. Technologically advanced Hongkongers were using it a lot more than many people in Western countries, where people faxed when they needed to contact people overseas, or made phone calls.
E-mail is a time-saver, and also saves a lot of paper, something we should all be working hard to do to protect the earth.
Having said that, though, there is something very exciting about getting a 'real' letter, especially from overseas. And when someone sends you a real birthday card, it shows they put in the time and effort to remember your special day.
While e-mail is undoubtedly an efficient way to get in touch with people, don't forget that snail mail still exists. Writing a letter and putting it in the postbox lets your friends know you care.
Karly, Deputy Editor



E-mail an essential invention