Let me take you back a few years ago, way before the iPhone, before Twitter, and before Susan Boyle. Back to a day when email was the king. Everyone anxiously waited to hear the three famous words “You’ve Got Mail”. Which was of course right after the hoard noise made by dialing in to your internet connection. Back in those days you logged in to check your mail, forward chain-mail, and logged out again. And that worked for everyone, for a while.
But what if you weren’t at your computer; vacations, school, or jury duty. Then you couldn’t check in.
That’s when cell phones burst on the scene, everyone was always available (you just had to lean toward a window and hold your phone up higher to get a good signal). Email still held strong for a little longer. Everyone over the age of 14 had a cell phone that was always on, always logged in and instantly connected to everyone they know. Email took a hit. Yes broadband and WiFi came along and Blackberries, but phone calls and texts definitely took over. Why go to a computer to type if you can do it right on your phone?
And now look at HS and college students, they dont email. They text, Facebook, and Twitter. Even phone calls are going out of style. Email takes another crushing blow with Facebook. Facebook gives you the opportunity to share images, music, pokes, and bumper stickers instantly to all of your 336 closest friends. People you may not have their email address or phone number or have ever met. You dont need all their information to Face-stalk someone, just their name. And Twitter may be the final blow for email. People are able to follow celebrities finally, like Oprah, Demi Moore and Shaquille ONeal. Once again sharing pictures, music, links to YouTube videos, what you are having for breakfast, and major events (the first reports and pictures of the Hudson River landing came from Twitter) to your network of friends and followers.
Email, it was a good run. And yes people still use you, but people still use VCRs too.
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