Philately has done pretty well maintaining its appeal and relevance even as the technology of how mail has been carried changed significantly over the last 150 years. When stamps were first invented, all mail was carried by foot or by horse. This method of transportation was unchanged since the dawn of civilization (the domestication of horses predates the history of civilization and is thought to have occurred about 5,500 years ago). By 1860, most intercity mail was being carried by trains. Mail that took days to deliver between close cities now took hours, and between further cities and countries mail that took weeks now took days. By 1920, the next great transportation leap was airplanes, and mail was carried by plane in the earliest period at a surcharge because of the added expense (an interesting point is that trains must not only have been faster but cheaper to use for mail delivery. This is evidenced by the fact that there never was a train surcharge on postage in the earliest period as there was on airmail when it first developed). Airmail was a boon for postal patrons and for philatelists both as airmail stamps are a popular and interesting part of our hobby.
Philately has had trouble integrating the latest development in communications