“Slowly” is bringing the Power of Words in the era of Judgemental Swipes.
The Pen-Pal app with a limited set of avatars, no ads or complicated small talk question-answer forms is encouraging users to interact with people in a meaningful way.
We are living in a digital age, surrounded by emails, social media and a ton of different instant messaging apps. We are being judged by preconceived notions that our profile presents to the world and the judgement starts at our face.
Slowly is breaking all the barriers of judgement with the idea of being an old fashioned pen pal with anyone around the world and for free. The app has no ads and no in-app purchases. The idea is to find someone you like and send a letter and the letter takes time to reach depending on how far your new pen pal is living.
I have been using the app for almost three months now and I have connected with over 50 people and have written over 500 letters. The process of writing a letter is more interesting than instant messaging. You need to take your time, think of things to talk about and structure your replies, that I feel is not only challenging but makes me introspect on things I think and say. I get to cut the small talk part too that I never liked but was unavoidable in dating and instant messaging apps.
One of my very first friends on the app was Sarah from St. Louis, Missouri, the United States at the very cusp of Black Lives Matters movement. Our letters which took two days to send and receive had ideas and takes on various social issues and our cultural differences and similarities. It was very amazing to find, as humans how much we have in common despite being from two different countries and cultures.
Truly the best part about Slowly is that its pleasure isn’t immediate, and doesn’t require sudden attention. Instead, it’s a slow, delightful surprise when you have those few extra minutes at home, curled up in your bed. It’s easy.
There is also a thing called “stamps” which you unlock as you write and receive more letters. In the meantime, you can read a book, Netflix and Chill, workout and wait for a letter in the mail to arrive (through a digital inbox, of course).
The lyrics of a classic song by the boy band Boyzone said “it’s only words, words are all I have to take your heart away”. So in the era of the pandemic when your social superpowers are taken away, why not explore the power of the words.
