Do You Know Who Your Child is Talking To?

Instant Messaging (IM) is a popular way for young people to communicate both on the computer and on the cell phone. IM combines the instant gratification of the telephone with the anonymity of the Internet. A mixture of e-mail and pager, telephone and real-time chat, Instant Messaging has become the preferred form of communication for teens and tweens. If you're unfamiliar with Instant Messaging, click here for a visual guide. Young people often find IM easier than talking face to face. A girl who normally gets tongue-tied around boys can easily carry on a conversation using typed words and "emoticons" or "smileys" to convey messages. This eliminates awkward conversational pauses, embarrassing fumbles for the right words, and the more intimidating aspects of face-to-face encounters. IM code language allows for quick, precise communication. For example, rather than typing out the words, Just Kidding!, "IMers" use the shorthand J/K. This clipped chat code has facilitated the spread of IM messages from the computer to the cell phone and pager. Check out our IM Guide for a look at some of these abbreviations.

Typical Instant Message screens look like this: