Study: Gen Y can't live without email, texting

Madison Avenue may be raving about the potential of social networks but don't tell Gen Yers. They don't care. According to a new report from The Participatory Marketing Network, Gen Y consumers would abandon social networks in favor of texting and email.

by Kristina Knight

The study finds that, although Gen Yers are using social networks often, social sites aren't seen as necessary just yet. In fact only 9% said they couldn't get along without social networks for a week. Conversely, 26% replied that they couldn't get along without email or texting for the same amount of time.

"These results may be surprising to some, but not if you consider the role email continues to play in the day-to-day lives of Gen Y," said Michael Della Penna, PMN co-founder and Executive Chairman. "As long as email remains the collection point for social networking updates, including alerts around new followers, discussion updates and friend requests, it will remain a powerful force in marketing and our lives."

Other interesting findings include:

• Gen Y consumers spend about 33 hours per month with social networks
• Gen Yers spend 31 hours with email
• Gen Yers send more than 740 text messages
• Talking on the phone, watching television and reading magazines all take a backseat to texting, emailing or social networking
• Mobile marketing efforts are also low on Gen Y preference lists

The study was conducted by PMN and research partner Pace University - Lubin School of Business - IDM Lab in October. Researchers polled 203 panel members between ages 18 and 24 to reach the findings.

Tags: email marketing, Pace University, Participatory Marketing Network, social marketing, social networks, texting