The IM Divide: Similar to the "Work" Divide

There was a poll comparing teens and adults on IM practices and views. I'll start by saying I do IM, though not much. Now, let's look at some of the patently idiotic things reported as news:

-"Almost three-fourths of adults who do use instant messages still communicate with e-mail more often. Almost three-fourths of teens send instant messages more than e-mail."

Adults have jobs, and freedom, and money. IMing requires both parties be at their (connected) computers (this is not talking about texting)...this is way more likely to happen if you are a kid and can't just head out at 9:00 if you want to. Dumb-ass, non-point.

-"More than half of the teens who use instant messages send more than 25 a day, and one in five send more than 100. Three-fourths of adult users send fewer than 25 instant messages a day."

See above: adults have more control over their lives and IMs are more impersonal and less fun than irl meeting or even phone calls.

-"Teen users (30 percent) are almost twice as likely as adults (17 percent) to say they can't imagine life without instant messaging."

My favorite idiot point. First off, who the hell are those adults?!? Think for a second: "can't imagine life?" Okay, teens likely have no point of memory where IMing did not exist, so that makes sense. Adults, on the other hand, likely lived through the internet transition (though that becomes less likely below ~25) at an age where they have distinct before and after memories. Hell most adults remember when using a cell phone made you look like a jackass (mostly because you were holding a brick to your ear and nuking your brain).

-"When keeping up with a friend who is far away, teens are most likely to use instant messaging, while adults turn first to e-mail."

Back to point one. Adults are less likely to have success w/friends through IM...unless they set it up in advance with, say, an e-mail.

-"About a fifth of teen IM users have used IM to ask for or accept a date. Almost that many, 16 percent, have used it to break up with someone."

They also have their friend ask her friend if she maybe likes him. Yes, teen dating is obviously something to compare with adults.

Idiots. Complete and total idiots.