• by September 3, 2004

It's no secret that instant messaging via PCs, mobile phones, and wireless devices like the BlackBerry, is wildly popular and extremely helpful in expediting both work and play.

But this week, the results of a study conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project actually quantified these observations, further underscoring the growing role of instant messaging in our lives. (That sentence sounded like the commercial for "Cotton, the fabric of our lives," didn't it? Oh boy.)

At any rate, conducted earlier this year, the study of more than 2,200 U.S. adults found that 21 percent, or 11 million people, use IM at work. In a recent column, I mentioned that IM is helpful to us here at MediaPost for quick exchanges while we're on deadline and to clarify specific points. IM can also be quite distracting, causing even the most seasoned multi-tasker to go bonkers.

But let's face it: A lot of IM at work is not about work at all. It's personal. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. Now whether that affects productivity is anyone's guess. Of course one can say the same thing about conducting personal e-mail at work.

The Pew study reports that 40 percent of respondents said that most instant messages were sent to co-workers, while 33 percent said they sent messages to friends and family. Only 21 percent of workers who use instant messaging said they sent both professional and personal messages.

Last week, America Online released the results of its own rather extensive IM survey and found that 62 percent of at-work IM users reported sending sporadic messages to friends and family during the workday. The use of IM is becoming habitual.

The Pew study found that 40 percent of at-work IM users believed IM improved their professional collaborations, though 41 percent said it hasn't had much effect. The Pew study also found that 32 percent of at-work IM users think the application spurs gossip. Even so, 47 percent of those surveyed said they've had positive communications via IM. The AOL survey found that 71 percent of the people polled said IM had a positive effect on their professional lives.

In the end, I think the important thing is to just get the work done as effectively and thoroughly as possible. In our world of 24/7 news, business, and commerce cycles IM can really help.