It's 2019 And Email Isn't Dead Yet, And Not Responding On Time Just Reflects Badly On You

When the Internet first kicked it into high gear in the 90s, email was the way most people kept in touch online.

Eventually though, thanks to social media, instant messengers, and collaboration apps, its use has waned somewhat. That being said, email is far from dead.

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Over the past 10 years, you can see how email has changed. Where there used to be multiple like Rediffmail, Yahoo, and others, there are now largely two providers; Gmail and Outlook. One serves professional needs, while the other does both, depending on preferences. Instead, we currently have multiple social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger), and work project apps (Asana, Slack etc).

And to suit the times, email has changed. Instead of one way to send an email to everyone, you now have multiple ways to respond to specific circumstances. Automated responses when on vacation, customised lists to send out alerts, password-protected emails, and so much more. Despite past predictions, email is still essential in the office, both for collaboration and documentation. You can probably augment your toolset with something like Slack, but it's likely an add-on and not your core communication medium.

Personally, I'm fine with the fact email hasn't died yet. With modern day search and store capabilities added, it makes for a good archive you can peruse through for something you need. Additionally though, it's still a valuable personal tool.

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For one thing, I don't just blindly delete even ad emails from my inbox. I always take a second to scan through the header of each mail, looking for something that might catch my attention. If I were seeing an ad banner on a website, I probably won't click no matter how interesting it seems to be. With my email however, I can save the link talking about a discount on that game I've been looking to buy, for when I can get to it later.

Which is great, because I love deals like that, but I don't have the time to go hunting for them. It's one of the few cases where I've willingly subscribed to receive mails from a service. In fact, as long as an advertiser is sending me something I might actually like, I don't mind those kinds of emails.

Also Read: Here Are The Nine Most Annoying Phrases You Should Never Use In Your Emails

Clearly, I'm not the only person that feels this way, or even part of the minority. In 2018, data from the Radicati Group indicated there were more than 6.69 billion email accounts in the world. That's predicted to hit 7.91 billion by 2022. It also said there are about 3.832 billion email users worldwide who send and receive about 281 billion emails per day.

Other studies have shown that, people actually most prefer to see ads via email, as opposed to being spam called or on social media, or in texts. And when that happens, around 81 percent of people end up acting on those emails and going on to buy more stuff.

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And since email moved to smartphones, it's super convenient too. In fact, more people email from the phones now than they do computers. There's just one problem. We're generally more invested in social media these days, because of how fast it is, and how you know when someone has read your message to them or not. So as much as we've started minding our etiquette on that side, we've been neglecting our good email habits.

Organisational psychologist Dr Adam Grant recently penned an opinion piece for the New York Times. In it, he mentions something a lot of us do, which is just ignore emails that don't matter to us, or because we're too busy at the moment.

For instance, assume a co-worker in a different branch of your company emails you with a question. Giving an answer would take some digging through old data or emails, but you're super busy with a different task at the moment. So instead maybe you shelve the mail for later in the day. You're totally going to give them that answer, just not right now.

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Now imagine that co-worker didn't email you from a different city. He's instead in your office, walked up to your desk, and asked you something face to face. Now, imagine you doing the same thing, just ignoring him because you don't have the time right now. You're totally going to get back to him later after all.

That's exactly what Grant calls "digital snubbery", and it's a sign that you may not be very good at your job.

Back in 2016, researchers at Microsoft compiled data on digital habits of teams at Microsoft. By cross-referencing with other job performance factors they found one common thread. Those that were slow at responding to emails were not great at management positions.

To be clear though, there are some occasions when ignoring an email isn't only justified, it's also encouraged. If you're being spammed obviously, but also if someone you barely know is asking for a favour, or to be featured online, or advise them on some course of action.

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Additionally, many companies have rules in place forbidding managers from responding to emails after work hours, or on weekends. Boundaries are important, and in this case probably a good idea. If it's not an emergency, it's perfectly all right to defer the response until a more appropriate time, Grant points out.

But whatever you do, don't abandon your inbox completely. Having 110+ unread emails isn't a bragging point, it's a sign of disrespect and disorganization. And that's a bad message to send.