Instant Messaging Coming My Way

I've been in the technology field for some time now and I love the Internet, email, the Web, eBay, blogs, and on and on.

But one thing I've managed to avoid to this point was Instant Messaging. I have people telling me all of the time that I should install it so that they can IM me. I usually respond with some variation of "Like I don't already have enough distractions in my day, I need to give you a way to pop up messages on my screen at will?"

I endearingly call it "Instant Interruption" and say, "No Thanks. If it's not critical, just email me and I'll get around to it at my convenience. If it's critical, call me. I can talk faster than I can type." So it's not on my work PC and it's not on my home PCs either. But apparently it's going to be pushing its way into my life in the near future -- via my kids.

The lure of instant messaging seems to kick in about sixth grade, a pivotal time when family relationships begin to take a back seat to friendships.

That's when Joshua, 11, started begging his father, Greg Coffey, 45, to get instant messaging. A month and a half later, Joshua's buddy list had grown to 23 friends who attend different schools.

"It's like candy, an addiction. It's hard to get them off," says Coffey.

In my parents day, I guess the hang out was the drive-in theater or burger stand. My generation, it was the video arcade. My kids generation, it's apparently the Internet.

Instant messaging plays an important part in helping youths form identities, says Susannah Stern, a University of San Diego assistant professor specializing in youth media studies.

"Kids are using it to enhance their reputations by appearing to be affiliated with a lot of people," Stern says.

So I can resist using it, but for my kids, it's apparently going to be an important part of their culture growing up, regardless of what we think about it and despite it's downsides.

But the allure can be like a siren's call. Teens readily admit that instant messaging is a distraction they welcome, especially during tedious history readings or math projects.

Parents who want to read more about the mix of Instant Messaging with the teens and tweens should read the whole article: Teens use IMs to widen their social circles.