Forget the phone--more teens choose instant messaging to reach friends

For decades, teenagers have relied on the telephone as their main source of communication. It wasn't uncommon to spend hours chatting and gossiping - or fighting with siblings over who got to use the phone.

These days, it is the computer they're fighting over.

Teenagers have abandoned the telephone as their primary means of communication, and now many rely solely on instant messaging - a way to chat online, with an unlimited number of conversations.

COMMONLY USED IM ABBREVIATIONS AFK away from keyboard BBL be back later BBS be back soon BRB be right back BTW by the way FYI for your information GG gotta go HW homework JK just kidding LOL laugh out loud NM/NVM nevermind NM nothing much NP no problem OMG oh my gosh POS parents over shoulder ROFLOL rolling on the floor laughing out loud SN screen name TTYL talk to you later WTH what the heck Source: http://www.aimlingo.com/

"Just like the technologies that preceded it - the telephone, voice mail, e-mail, cell phones and pagers - instant messaging has gone from a novelty to mainstream use, fundamentally changing the way many people communicate," said Sheila Tran, spokeswoman for America Online, provider of AOL Instant Messenger, the most widely used form of instant messaging. "And it's a way of life for teens today."

According to AOL's research, 93 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds use the Internet instant messaging system, and 73 percent of them say they use instant messaging more than e-mail.

And when given a choice among television, telephone, instant messaging and radio, and told they could only have access to one form of communication for a month, 41 percent of teens chose television, 33 percent chose instant messaging and just 17 percent chose the phone.

"Teens love IM because it allows them to talk to all of their friends at once," Tran said. "We even hear now that they call their friends to say, 'Go online.' "

Young people today say there are many advantages to chatting online. Anonymity gives them confidence they wouldn't otherwise have, some said. Even very shy teens who would usually keep quiet can express themselves through typing.

Anneke Sterling, a 16-year-old senior at Cupertino High School, said teens can "hide behind the screen and think about what to say before typing it."

This can offer some comfort. Contrary to the phone, when communicating online there's no awkward silence. Even if someone takes a few minutes to answer an instant message, the conversation can continue smoothly.

But there are also disadvantages. Instant messaging leaves room for people to say whatever they want - which may result in confrontations and pointless, elaborate fights online. Many teens say they feel free to say things online that they would avoid saying in person or even on the phone.

With instant messaging, teens are able to keep their conversations. Whether it's a chat with a friend or a significant other, saving their words is a way for people to look back and reflect. On the other hand, some people save their online conversations and use them later to provoke an argument, which is a "really immature way of communicating," Anneke said.

For others, communicating online constantly is just convenient.

Junaid Khatib, a 17-year-old senior at San Jose High Academy, goes online so people can contact him more easily.
"I don't have a cell phone, so I'm always online," he said. If Junaid is not at his computer, he will post an "away" message so people can leave messages and, when he gets back, he can check them.

Unlike traditional e-mail, in which people write each other notes and letters that tend to be longer and more involved, instant messaging is really an instantaneous conversation, happening in real-time, over the Web. These chats are usually not deep philosophical discussions, but rather a way for people to quickly check in with friends.


Here's an example of typical conversations.

Mosaic2003: hey
Friend: hi
Mosaic2003: what's up?
Friend: nm... just chillin
Mosaic2003: cool, same here
Friend: wanna go hang out?
Mosaic2003: yea sure
Friend: i'll ask mike too

Friend: hey mike
Mike: hey friend
Friend: wanna hang out with me and mosaic?
Mike: yea sure

Friend: k he's coming too
Mosaic2003: alright do you wanna go eat?
Friend: ok i'll pick you up in 10 min
Mosaic2003: ok bye

Some experts say this may not be the healthiest way for teens to communicate, and that abandoning more personal forms of interaction can be harmful later in life. But others say it's a healthy way for young people to improve their interpersonal skills.

Regardless, students are unlikely to give up instant messaging, because of its convenience.

Fifteen-year-old Sergey Goder, for one, describes himself as an online addict. He loves the fact that he can "talk to as many people as I want at the same time," said the Leigh High School junior.

Anneke said the idea that instant messaging is positive or negative depends entirely on how people use it.

"It makes a really big difference when people become aware of how they're using instant messenger," she said. It can be beneficial, "as long as they're not hiding behind the computer screen, which is really unhealthy."