Email is "old fashioned"?

Korea, which is possibly the most technologically advanced society in the world, is seeing a significant drop in email usage among the younger generation.

It seems that SMS, instant messenger (IM), and blogs (called "one man media" in the linked article) are the favored forms of communication.

The synchronous nature of SMS and IM are preferred because, according to the article:

"The new generation hate agonizing and waiting and tend to express their feelings immediately," said Professor Lee. "The decline of email is a natural outcome reflecting such characteristics of the new generation."

This is not particular to Korea.  I see it in my own kids.  They prefer IM and SMS over email by a long shot. 

It’s an interesting trend and one to keep a watch on.