Writing- More Important Than Ever to Review Your Message

I've had people ask me why I'm so interested in the written word. They say no one writes much any more. My answer is quite simple- we write differently and we write more than ever before! Prior to the age of computers, writing was strictly an asynchronous activity. You wrote something and sometime later others read it. Computers and mobile devices have changed that. Now, what we write can be as synchronous as speaking face to face. Think about it... you text a friend that you will see him shortly. If he's looking at his device when the text is received, it is as if he heard you speak the words.
If you sit down and write or type someone a letter, you have plenty of time to review the message while you print the letter, look for and address an envelope, find a stamp and finally put the finished product in the mailbox. But when you type an email and click "Send", the words you wrote cannot be revised. They are gone and the person(s) receiving them can read them immediately.
Because of these modern differences, it is critical that we review our writing before clicking "Send". Read the words you wrote as if someone had sent them to you. Do the words clearly convey your intended message? Can they be easily misinterpreted? More than ever before, it is important to review and revise as necessary. I tell my students, "Remember to amend before you click "Send".