I've thought for some time that social network messaging was replacing personal emails, now there is some data to back that assumption up:
For the first time last month, traffic to social networks overtook traffic to web-based email services in the UK. Top networks Facebook, Bebo and MySpace took 5.17% of all UK Internet visits, with only 4.98% going to email services including Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and Gmail.
So what does this mean? It emphasizes the shift in online behavior as it moves from email clients to social networks. Ten years ago, your online activity revolved around your email. It still does now, to a certain extent, but the manner in which go access your email and receive messages from others is evolving.
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So does this mean that social networks are replacing web-based email clients? Hardly. Email is still an important part of our online activity, no matter which way you get to it. Hitwise is also good to point out the age difference between those using social networks more than email, and it looks to be that the young ones have taken over on this front.
