25 August 2005

Email gets old-fashioned

The Pew Internet & American Life Project recently reported that email is becoming old fashioned. Apparently 75% of online teenagers report a preference for instant messaging when communicating with friends. They tend to use e-mail to talk to institutions and "old people."

yikes.

implications... are profound... particularly given that IM is "instant" and only works if both people are logged in. We think cellphones and email are intrusive and demanding... but the IM star is just beginning to rise... and just wait 'till someone develops the next-gen VIM (video instant message)... or whatever... 'cause the kids using IM today are going to become "old people" someday too, and they'll marvel at the new breed of youngsters and wonder how they manage to use those new-fangled communication methods...

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