Can Technology Bring Back The 'Thank You' Note?

BOSTON (CBS) - Has it been a long time since you received a thank you note from a child for a gift you gave?

While many people believe technology is to blame for the decline in this simple show of gratitude, others are now using tech to help them say thanks.

"Thank you notes are just as important today as they were many, many years ago," said Constance Hoffman, who teaches social skills to professional adults. "People still like to receive acknowledgement for the items that they've sent."

Those handwritten notes don't have to be painful. Hoffman says it's okay if they're short. "Just remember to keep it personal."

WBZ-TV's Paula Ebben reports.

A survey by the Emily Post Institute found 70 percent of people think e-mailing thank you notes is appropriate.

Other options include a phone call, or sending a photo.

Related Story from CBS News: Thank You Notes Not Just For Holidays

A new cell phone application, called iGift Thanks, lets you send a thank you note and photo on the spot. Mother of four Ciaran Blumenfeld, created the app to fill her own needs.

"I would always be scrambling for a piece of wrapping paper and a crayon to somehow note who gave what before my kids tore into the next package," Blumenfeld said. "That little scrap of paper would end up on the bulletin board where I'd nag my kids for the next two weeks to finally get their thank you notes done."

She assumed there would be an app to help. When she found it didn't exist, she decided to make one herself.

"iGift Thanks allows you to use your own photos to create instant thank you notes that you can send out via Facebook, Twitter or via email," Blumenfeld said.

While you lose the personal touch of a handwritten note, Blumenfeld said it's replaced with something else personal - photo of you with your gift. "A photograph is really worth a thousand words in that instance," she said.

Etiquette expert Constance Hoffman said she approves, though she believes an electronic thank you will go over better with some generations than others.

"What's most important to remember is that you do take the time, whether written or verbal, to give the thanks," Hoffman said.

The iGift Thanks app is currently only available through the Apple iTunes store and it costs $1.99. They are working on adapting it for other phones now.