Way back in the mid-1990s, e-mail was welcomed as a fresh, new means of communications. It was seen as an antidote to "snail mail."

Not any more. Now its the new snail mail.

A new study commissioned by Skype and conducted by Harris Interactive of 3,091 U.S. online adults confirms that many of us, especially younger people, are opting for other means of communications, including instant messaging, social networks and of course audio and video calling, such as from Skype.

The survey was of users of e-mail, instant messaging, online text messaging, social-network sites and Web-based voice and video calling.

The majority (59 percent) say the immediacy of these newer communication options makes them preferable to e-mail. The survey revealed that 35 percent of those using newer forms of online communications have replaced all or some of their personal e-mail communication with other online communication methods.

Lisa Gerould, director of market research for Skype North America, said she began to notice the move away from e-mail about three years ago. Now she has studied the phenomenon to quantify and analyze it.

She said, "People have a growing portfolio of communications choices They aren't giving up e-mail or landlines or mobile phones for that matter. But they are cherry picking the communications that work the best for them."

She said e-mail has become a problem for people. In part, it's all the spam.

But many people are turned off by "asynchronous communications" inherent in e-mail. That means e-mail is unstuck in time: I send out my e-mail at 10 AM, but maybe I don't hear back from you for hours or days--or at all.

IM and voice and video communications appeal because they offer more intimate, real-time communications.

Gerould said the survey highlighted four I's:

--59 percent of respondents say there is more immediacy, making other forms of online communication more preferable than e-mail.

--52 percent say there is more interchange: It is more like having a live conversation because they can communicate spontaneously.

--48 percent say there is more impact, meaning their message "isn't buried in a pile of e-mail."

--46 percent say there is more intimacy: It feels more casual or intimate than e-mail.

This is affecting voice and video calling. Voice and video. Seventy-seven percent of respondents cited the immediacy of voice and video calling as a reason they have replaced at least some email activity.

Gerould said users also enjoy being able to maintain communications with multiple people simultaneously, an advantage cited by 43 percent of e-mail replacers. In addition, 42 percent say they find alternative methods more convenient because it's easy to see if their party is available first, before they send a message or make a call.

The survey found e-mail is being used less for personal purposes, such as making weekend plans, but also also less in business. The survey found e-mail is being used less for personal purposes, such as making weekend plans, but also less in business. Thirteen percent of online adults said they had replaced all or some of their business email communications since they started using IM, text messaging, social networking sites and internet calling.

It's this reporter's opinion that the burden of e-mail is prompting people to reach out and call someone to hear the sound of their voice and see their face and expressions. With e-mail, you just don't get that intimacy.