[lit-ideas] Re: Pew Internet Report on Instant Messaging (IM)

  • From: "Erin Holder" <erin.holder@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2004 16:28:35 -0400

I mean, hell, you don't think friends actually pick up a phone and CALL each
other any more, do you?


Erin
Toronto

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Erin Holder" <erin.holder@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 4:23 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Pew Internet Report on Instant Messaging (IM)


> Is IM an instant messaging program?  Or are you just asking if anyone uses
> instant messaging programs in general?  I do.  I use ICQ, MSN, and AIM.
>
> Erin
> Toronto
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Andreas Ramos" <andreas@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "Lit-Ideas" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 4:15 PM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Pew Internet Report on Instant Messaging (IM)
>
>
> > here's a study on use of Instant Messaging (IM).
> >
> > they claim that 42% of American internet users are using IM.
> >
> > I seriously doubt this. Asides from myself, I don't know anyone over the
> age of 32 who uses
> > IM (and nearly all over the age of 32 don't even know what IM is).
> >
> > does anyone here use IM?
> >
> > i use IM fairly often, but it's not even 5% of my online communication.
> that's mostly email.
> > IM works, but it's distracting. with email, one can do many things
between
> the exchanges.
> >
> > IM is not really for business use: that's obvious because of the games
and
> other features.
> > i've turned all of that off.
> >
> > my YIM is argentina.
> >
> > yrs,
> > andreas
> > www.andreas.com
> >
> >
> >
> > > - ----------  Forwarded Message:  ----------
> > > Subject: Pew Internet Report on Instant Messaging
> > > Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2004 9:38 am
> > >
> > > 53 Million American Adult Internet Users use Instant Messaging
> > > 24% of Them Use IM more Frequently Than Email,
> > > IM Also Gains a Following in U.S. Workplaces
> > >
> > > For the full report, please visit:
> > > http://www.pewinternet.org/report_display.asp?r=133
> > >
> > > Some 42% of online Americans use instant messaging, and 24% of instant
> > > messagers say they use IM more frequently than email. This translates
> to 53
> > > million American adults who instant message and over 12 million who IM
> more
> > > than emailing. On a typical day, 29% of instant messengers-or roughly
15
> > > million American adults-use IM.
> > >
> > > The new survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project also finds
> that
> > > instant messaging is especially popular among younger adults and
> technology
> > > enthusiasts. 62% of Gen Y Americans (those ages 18-27) report using
IM.
> > > Within the instant messaging Gen Y age group, 46% report using IM more
> > > frequently than email.
> > >
> > > "It comes as no surprise that instant messaging is especially popular
> among
> > > younger Americans because many more of their peers subscribe to IM
> > >  programs," said Eulynn Shiu, a research associate at the Pew Internet
> > > Project who co-authored a report on the new findings. "Once one friend
> > > becomes available via instant messenger, usage among peers grows
> > > dramatically."
> > >
> > > IM is more than a tool for chatting. It is also a popular tool for
> > > self-expression. Instant messengers take advantage of customizable
> features
> > > such as profiles and icons to enhance their online presence. A third
of
> IM
> > > users (34%) have posted a profile for their IM screen name that others
> can
> > > see, and nearly half (45%) post away messages when they are not
> available to
> > > chat.
> > >
> > > Twenty-one percent of IM-ing Americans instant message at the office;
> they
> > > find it encourages interoffice cooperation and increases work
> productivity.
> > > When asked who they contact most often during IM sessions at work, 40%
> of
> > > at-work IM users reported instant messaging coworkers, 33% reported
> friends
> > > and family, and 21% interact with both groups equally.
> > >
> > > "There is no doubt that IM use will intensify," said Amanda Lenhart,
> > > research specialist at the Pew Internet Project and co-author of the
> report.
> > > "Younger Americans, in particular, have incorporated IM into their
> lives in
> > > multiple ways, using it to keep track of their friends, coordinate
work
> > > meetings, and share files. IM use at home and in the workplace will
> grow as
> > > these creative and time-saving uses of the technology percolate
through
> the
> > > generations."
> > >
> > > July figures on Americans Internet use by the tracking firm comScore
> Media
> > > Metrix show that:
> > >
> > > # AOL Instant Message (the proprietary service to AOL subscribers) was
> used
> > > by 37% of those who traded IMs during the month. On a typical day
> during the
> > > month more than 5.7 million IM-ers were using this application.
> > >
> > > # Yahoo! Messenger was used by 33% of those who traded IMs during the
> month.
> > > This was the single most popular service used at work and the average
> user
> > > of the application spent 423 minutes using the application during the
> > > month - the highest total among the applications.
> > >
> > > # AOL Instant Messenger (AIM Service) was used by 31% of those who
> traded
> > > IMs during the month. This application had the greatest reach among
> college
> > > students and on any given day there were nearly 6 million people using
> the
> > > application, making it the most popular application on a typical day.
> > >
> > > # MSN Messenger Applications were used by 25% of those who traded IMs
> during
> > > the month.
> > >
> > > Some other data highlights from the report:
> > >
> > > # IM users often send instant messages to people in the same location
as
> > > they are: 24% of IM users say they have IM-ed a person who was in the
> same
> > > location as they were - such as their home, an office, or a classroom.
> > >
> > > # IM users are multi-taskers: 32% of IM users say they do something
> else on
> > > their computer such as browsing the web or playing games virtually
every
> > > time they are instant messaging and another 29% are doing something
else
> > > some of the time they are IM-ing. In addition, 20% of IM users say
they
> do
> > > something else off their computer such as talk on the phone or watch
> > > television virtually every time they are instant messaging and another
> 30%
> > > say they do other things offline at least some of the time they are
> IM-ing.
> > >
> > > # The IM universe of most users is very modest: 66% of IM users say
they
> > > regularly IM between one and five people. Only 9% of IM users say they
> > > regularly IM more than 10 people.
> > >
> > > # 15% of IM users say they use a wireless device such as a phone or
> wireless
> > > laptop to send and receive IM messages.
> > >
> > > # 17% of IM users use different screen names to contact different
> groups of
> > > friends or colleagues.
> > >
> > > # 51% of IM users say they have received an unsolicited IM from
someone
> they
> > > didn't know.
> > >
> > > The Pew Internet & American Life Project is a non-profit initiative,
> > > fully-funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts to explore the impact of the
> > > Internet on children, families, communities, health care, schools, the
> work
> > > place, and civic/political life. The Project is non-partisan and does
> not
> > > advocate for any policy outcomes. For more information, please visit:
> > > http://www.pewinternet.org.
> > >
> > > Please feel free to forward this email alert to colleagues, friends,
or
> > > family members who might be interested in it. If you have received
this
> > > message from a subscriber, you can sign up to receive your own alerts
> at:
> > > http://www.pewinternet.org/signup.asp
> > >
> >
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