How To Talk To Your Child About The Plot Of “You’ve Got Mail”

Molly Kessler
Slackjaw
Published in
4 min readMar 12, 2022

--

Image Copyright: Warner Bros. Pictures (Fair Use.)

For new parents, talking to your child about the outdated plot of “You’ve Got Mail” can feel overwhelming. You’ve never had to explain dial-up internet before; what if they have follow-up questions? Will you have to explain landlines with cords? Physical newspapers? Where does it end? While 90’s technology is an important conversation for every family, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Below are a few helpful tips for anyone wanting to talk about “You’ve Got Mail” with their technologically literate child.

Start early

It’s best not to wait until your child is in middle school to create an open dialogue around the third and arguably most iconic Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks movie. By then, they’re already onto their fourth iPhone with no concept of life before 5G LTE. Having clear and open communication now will pave the way for future conversations about boxy stationary computers, America Online, and how chat rooms used to be a lot less obviously dangerous.

Listen

Pay attention to the questions your child is asking. Do they know what a bookstore is? If so, do they know the difference between an independently-owned children’s bookstore and a corporate chain of mega-bookstores? Knowing these details will help you more clearly explain to them that neither exists…

--

--

Molly Kessler
Slackjaw

Molly is a writer/comedian based in Los Angeles, and she is here to make friends. twitter: @molly_kessler