Essay - Social Networking Vs Email

Social Networking Vs. Email

Email is often seen is a dying fad, whilst social networking sites are on the rise, with Facebook signing up its 30 millionth user in July 2007 (Joinson, 2008). So to what extent has email evolved and if so diminished in the last century, especially with the introduction of new communication methods such as instant messaging or social networking sites. Perhaps it is the issue of generation, that has effected the use of email, and if so, could generation Z perhaps revive the fascination and extent of use that email once had? Issues of Spam have also affected email that could be contributing to the increasing unpopularity of email. Whereas social networking sites have continued to expand and gain popularity as new sites such as Facebook appeal to more people and offer new exciting aspects in their sites. But perhaps email itself has expanded past its original aspects of Outlook Express or webmail etc, perhaps in the future email and social networking sites will evolve into one application or network.

Email, or electronic email, “is a virtual mail system which sends documents from one sender to either one or multiple receivers” (Stockwell, 2008) In email’s early days, it was revoluntionary and cool, allowing for people who were once not contactable to become instantly available. (Stebbins, 2007). However over time, email has faced a lot of ridicule and many people have lost trust with email due to the infamous spam viruses. More and more users “are falling victim to phishing, a growing form of online identity theft”. (Garreston, 2004, Pg 1). Although people are trying to cure these many viruses and put a stop to them, new forms of spam are constantly being discovered, that means there is no “practical cure” (Garreston, 2004). Spam has done well to prove itself a persistent and permanent problem, with it taking up approximately 80% of email across the world (Garreston, 2004)

Social networking sites allow a user to edit profiles and status, post bulletins, blogs, comments and photos, join groups, events, and networks, and of course send mail. Whereas all email can really do is the latter. The main function for social networking sites is that you have the ability to connect with other people or ‘friends’. This is also one of the main reasons that these sites are so popular, as people can keep in contact with old friends from all over the world and also have the opportunity to meet new people online. (Joinson, 2008). The April introduction of Facebook chat that incorporates instant messanger on a social networking site has been received well, despite a few teething problems. (Smith, 2008). This is just one example of how new communication technologies are becoming more popular and more advanced, leaving behind the ‘old media’ like email, that don’t provide the same dynamic communication and interaction. (Joinson, 2008)

Social networking sites are considered more appealing than email, due to their ever-changing attractions, “A social network profile is more engaging if it changes frequently”. (Lenhart & Madden, 2007, Pg 4). Social networking sites are constantly creating new things to do on their sites, and have come along way from the basic models of Friendster or Myspace. On Facebook, you can play games from poker to sodoku to beer pong, however games applications are only one of the many applications available on Facebook. You can add your favourite TV program, and take trivia tests or get funny quotes from any series. You can rate your friends on their personality and looks, and compare them with other friends for titles such as “most likely to make me laugh”. On Bebo you can create polls or quizzes for your friends to participate in. The list goes on for the endless amount of possibilities that are available on these sites, which is one of the reasons that they have attracted such popularity. “The rapid increase in participation in very recent years has been accompanied by a progressive diversification and sophistication of purposes and usage patterns across a multitude of different sites.” (Gross & Acquisti, 2006, Pg 71).

Unlike social networking sites, email has the ability to attach files, documents and photos from your computer. However, there is no need to attach photos to the email, when the photos are already in an album in on your profile. And there is not need to create mailing lists when you have the ability to send messages to all of your ‘friends’. And of the people using social networking sites, 82% of them use it to send private messages to other friends within the networking site. These private messages can be considered a sort of internal email. (Lenhart & Madden, 2007)

However for many people the simplicity of email is more appealing than the chaos of social networking sites, they are able to use email as a sort of task manager or to do list. (Stebbins, 2007). Also email allows for contact when the sender wants to contact the recipient, and the recipient can contact back on there own terms, when they want. This efficiency and simplicity can be debated as factors that make email an appealing program that has just started to evolve and develop. By regularly monitoring the flow of your inbox, email can help to gain control and help people to “stay in touch in our increasingly fragmented world” (Smith, 2007).

Even though generation X are normally associated with being techno phobic, they use email more than generation Y. Described as the ‘social networking teens’, generation Y prefer to use instant messenger and networking sites to communicate with friends rather than email. (Marriot, 2007). For teenagers, email is often only used to communicate with teachers, bosses and parents, those of generation X. (Stebbins, 2007). 55% of teenagers or generation Y who use the internet have profiles on social networking sites such as Facebook or Myspace, whereas the 75% of adults that are using the internet, only 16% use the same networking sites, however 92% are using email. (Internet Activities, 2000 – 2007). It can be argued that as generation Y continue into the workforce, they will be forced to use email to communicate with colleagues. Also as networking sites, especially Myspace is blocked at many workplaces and schools, they will only be able to go onto social networking sites in their own personal time.

The debate over whether email is dying out, has been disputed and supported over the years, especially as new technologies are coming into creation. Perhaps only time will tell as to emails place in the future. It could remain in the workforce or be reinvented. As social networking sites continue to change and increase in popularity, not just for college students and teenagers, they continue to endanger the future of email. Social networking sites have come along way since one of the firsts, sixdegrees.com, which failed to find a purpose to its concept. (Gross & Acquisti, 2006). Integration of both social networking sites and email, in some ways already exists and will perhaps develop further.

References

Journal Articles

Joinson, A.N (2008). ‘Looking at’, ‘Looking up’ or ‘Keeping up with’ People? Motives and Uses of Facebook. CHI 2008 Proceedings. 1027 - 1035.

Stebbins, L (2007). Email is Evolving – Are You? Searcher Vol 15. 2 - 6

Lenhart, A, and Madden, M (2007). Social Networking Websites and Teens: An Overview. Pew Internet & American Life Project. 1 – 7.

Gross, R and Acquisti, A (2006). Information Revelation and Privacy in Online Social Networks. Carnegie Mellon University. 71 - 75.

Garretson, C (2004). E-mail At a Crossroad. Network World Vol 21. 1 - 3


Lectures

Stockwell, S. Lecture 6 – The History of Computer and Internet. New Communication Technologies. 16th April 2008.

Websites

Marriot,, C (2007). Is Email Facing Extinction? Retrieved from http://www.imdeiaconnection.com/content/15637.asp

Internet Activities. Pew Internet & American Life Project Tracking Surveys (March 2000 – December 2007). Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/trends/Internet_Activities_2.15.08.htm

Smith, M.A (2007). Is Email Dead? Retrieved from http://advice.cio.com/miles_a_smith/is_email_dead

Smith, J (2008). Facebook Chat Launches- Tour & First Impressions. Retrieved from http://www.insidefacebook.com/2008/04/06/facebook- chat-launches-tour- first-impressions/

Lee, T (2008). Social Networking Sites Turn Outward. Retrieved from http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080511/11461 51076.shtml