Why Social Media Is Not the New E-Mail [Infographic]

Video may have killed the radio star, but social media has yet to kill e-mail. Despite the amount of time we spend checking and sending tweets, direct messages and wall posts, e-mail still reigns supreme as the primary way people communicate on the Internet.

If you’re skeptical, check out this infographic from Wrike, an online project management hub, which highlights five facts about e-mail that will leave you inspired to share some knowledge with your contacts — via e-mail, of course.

The truth is, 58 percent of people in the United States start their online day by checking their e-mail inbox, compared with only 11 percent who start their day on Facebook. Believe it or not, there are nearly three times as many e-mail accounts as there are Facebook and Twitter accounts combined — which shouldn’t be surprising, since an e-mail account is needed to join these social networking sites.

Among e-mail providers, Microsoft’s Outlook is the top client for almost one-third of all users. And while people value the human interaction that comes with face-to-face meetings and the brevity that instant messages provide, 53 percent of professionals prefer to use e-mail when communicating with colleagues.

Sure, trying to get to Inbox Zero can be frustrating — delete one message, and five more take its place — but, at the end of the day, e-mail is an integral communication tool in our professional and personal lives.

Now, take a break from trying to clear that inbox and read the rest of the infographic below.