Social network users spend more time reading emails

Social networking has become so popular that we could assume it reduces time spent on more old fashioned communications, such as email.

But a Nielsen survey released on Monday shows social networkers actually spend more time on their email accounts.

The survey, undertaken with Facebook, found that “high” level social media users spent an average of 185 minutes reading emails in April this year, up from an average of around 85 minutes in April 2009.

In contrast, “medium” level social media consumers spent an average of around 95 minutes reading emails last April, with “low” level social media users spending less than one hour perusing their inbox in the same time period.

Nielsen researchers say the connections people make through social networks cause them to “extend those connections to email, a phone conversation or even in-person meetings”.