LAST Christmas, I sent a loving, warm-the-cockles-of-your-heart WhatsApp message to my niece in Germany on the birth of her first baby; another equally schmaltzy note over Facebook to a cousin in Toronto whom I had just re-connected with; and an effusive email missive to my Hatha Yoga guru in Thirukkadaiyur (in South India) to thank him for his guidance on meditation throughout 2018.

The replies - from my closest relatives, mind you - were minimalist to say the least - virtual stickers, augmented reality objects and the staple thumbs-up (in colour-appropriate mode, of course) over Twitter, WhatsApp and Snapchat. Save for the venerable guru who actually penned a physical letter and took the time to send it via Indian snail mail - sans emojis, thank heavens.

Increasingly, I've noticed over the last decade or so, that letters from my family abroad have dwindled to only the odd wedding invite or the mandatory festive card. Even social media messages have become truncated, pared-down perfunctory little jots - kwim for "Know what I mean?" or tl:dr for "Too long; didn't read" - the digital equivalent of grunts and burps.