What a great graphic to ponder from the New York Times' blog "Bits." Apparently, email is not instantaneous enough for generations who have grown up with technology. Michael Wesch often quotes Marshall McLuahn who said, "We look at the present through a rear-view mirror. We march backward into the future." This is a perfect example of how older age groups adapt to new technologies, which is through their understanding of the past. Older generations feel more comfortable with email because it is more akin to snail mail (e.g., the mail comes, waits for you to access it, and has a process to reply). Whereas, generations who have grown up with technology and its ease of instantaneous and omnipresent communication and collaboration use instant messaging, texting, etc.
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