Yes, if you’re a teen. At least that’s what my informal survey of our in-house teen trend researchers say.
A direct quote:
“Why are you still emailing?” my techno-enraptured high school senior asked me as she glanced over at my Outlook screen beaming brightly on my laptop. “That’s soooooooo early 2000s. Everybody’s texting or blogging or feeding. NOBODY’s emailing anymore.”
Really? Nobody? Then why is my inbox so crammed?
Probably because the people I communicate with like email. But that’s because we’re familiar with the way email works.
You may read blogs and have feeds set up, but have you ever sent a text message?
My first lesson in text-messaging took place in line waiting to get into see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
With an hour to go before the movie started and three restless kids to entertain, I wanted to capture their attention. What do kids do in these situations? Start texting, of course. By the time the doors to the theater opened, everyone in our family with a cell phone knew we were waiting in line – and many of them had never opened or received a text message before getting ours.
Here’s why I like text-messaging:
* Short messages save composition and reading time
* Delivery is immediate
* Audible tone sounds to announce delivery
* Creates a sense of intimacy
* Allows for easy response and reading even when the phone is silenced
* Conserves cell phone minutes
* Gets you noticed – by your clients (and your kids!)
Okay, so maybe Phoebe and her friends aren’t logging in and checking email the way we adults do. And, by the way, they’re not calling each other much either. Who needs to talk when there’s a fresh Facebook feed waiting for you when you get home? That’s how Phoebe –and dozens of other kids – find out the latest on relationships.
Come to think of it, Cnet reported Britney sent K-fed a text message telling him she wanted a divorce, not too personal – but isn’t that the point?
Share your thoughts on email as a communication medium in our comment section or send me a text message: 630.207.7530
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