Study reveals how we use different communication technologies.
New research from Switzerland has unravelled how we use various methods of communication to interact with one another.
So how do we use this plethora of new devices and methods: email, mobile phones, instant messaging, text messaging, VoIP, and blogs?
The research suggests that the fixed phone, which is more public, is used as a ‘shared organisational tool’, as is email. Mobile phones are used for last-minute plan changes, or for telling people you’re running late.
Texts are used for more intimate messages like ‘I miss you’ (ahh) and
only close friends and family are connected by it, whereas IM and VoIP
are ‘continuous channels’ which users keep open in the background all
day.
Blogging is a bigger networking channel, where personal pages are a centre of communication for friends and people in general.
The study suggests that 80% of mobile users only talk to 4 people, because of all the other methods of communication available.
It also shows that cost is not always the defining factor in people
choosing how to contact others – for example people may use their
mobile phone at home even though it’s often more expensive to do so,
because it’s more convenient.
How has the changing face of communications altered how you interact
with people? And how many people do you actually call from your mobile?
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