Why is everyone asking if email is dead?

"reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated" - Mark Twain

A quick google search reveals over 400 articles written on the topic of "Is email dead?" in just the last few months.  Reading the top search results listed below reveals some common themes.  What is your opinion on the death of email?

Is Email Dead? James Joyner ·
But email, which remains a comparatively private means of communication, is much more useful overall.

Is Email Dead? | Tech Savvy Agent
Even so, the question “Is email dead?” is rather simplistic. Of course it’s not dead. People still use email and they still sign up for e-newsletters and promotional emails. ...  What’s the right question?

Is email dead? - British Airways Business Life. Business advice ...
Only 11 per cent of American teenagers, ... now use email.  Of course that's the case. They're kids. Wait until they have jobs and companies to run, or simply need to say something that's important and private.

Marketing: Is Email Dead? Nick Crocker, Small Business Mentor
The statement "email is dead as a marketing tool" is too broad to really take seriously, so let's instead break it down into its components.  Email is dead for:...Email is alive for:....

Is email dead
Email is so 20th century: Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan got together via email in the 1998 film 'You've Got Mail.' Now they would likely use Twitter ...

Email is dead. Long live……email? | InfoStreet's Small Business Blog
Email is still a marketing powerhouse, with 87 percent of Internet users checking their email daily in 2010.

Is Email Dead? : Retail Online Integration
Email is absolutely not dead! However, commoditized messaging is out. Consumers value and want to be communicated via relevant, intelligent and innovative emails.

Is Email Really in Danger Because of Social Media? | WebProNews
People might turn more and more to social networks for casual conversations, link sharing, and things like that, but call me when your banking and all your professional communicating are done through Facebook."

Twitter / Chris Smith: Is Email Dead? 
Social media use makes people consume email more, not less, as we had originally assumed – particularly for the highest social media users