Just as how the song says, "Video killed the radio star...," it may be that in the not-so-distant future we'll be singing how Facebook killed e-mail. On the other hand, for many of us who get upwards of 100 e-mails a day, it might actually be a welcomed change.
The findings of a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project on Teens and Social Media are worth a read. The proverbial 8-year old I used to bribe to reprogram my VCR has moved on to be a social networking powerhouse. I expected as much from little Jimmy next door. But, there were also some twists in the findings that held some added interest.
I suspected e-mail was on the decline among American teens, but it was interesting to see that not only is that true, but it's also the least favored form of communication among teens. Only 14% of all teens report using e-mail to communicate with friends as compared to other forms of online communications.
As for bloggers? Girls beat the boys hands down. Thirty-five percent of teen girls compared with 20% of teen boys.
Then, adding household income to the mix: teens from lower-income and single-parent households are more likely to blog. Thirty-five percent of those from lower-income groups compared to 24% of those from higher-income households. Also interesting, 42% of teens from from single-parent households were likely to blog compared to 25% of teens with married parents.
Social networks: 55% of teens have created a social networking profile. And of those using social networks, 91% say they use such networks to stay in touch with friends, with 72% using the sites not just for staying in touch, but to make plans, as well.
So, is e-mail dead? I'd say not, given the taskers I get regularly via e-mail from business colleagues, the questions I received this morning about a project I'm currently coordinating with an offshore company, the lengthy clarification I sent back via e-mail, and the honey-do list my wife gave me yesterday. :-( But, if the study referenced in this post is to be heeded, then I think one message that comes across to me is not whether to use something else in place of e-mail, but rather how we best optimize communication activities in a "multi-channel" (not-too-distant) future.
