Dallas, TX, November 2, 2006: According to a recent study by market research firm Parks Associates, e-mail is sooo out of style for U.S. teens, while instant messaging has taken over as the preferred method of communication.

The Digital Media Habits study discovered that less than one-fifth of teens aged 13-17 use e-mail as their primary means of communication with friends, compared to nearly 40 per cent of adults aged 25-54. But more than one-third of the youth market rely primarily on instant messaging, while only 11 per cent of adults from 25-34 are frequent IM’ers.

Parks says the shift has occurred because of other changes on the Internet as a whole, like the growing popularity of social networking Websites like MySpace: about a third of respondents said they use sites like this on a daily basis.

"We are seeing a generational shift in communication patterns, and e-mail is now old-fashioned," said John Barrett, Director of Research at Parks Associates. "Teens and young adults are increasingly accustomed to an always-on world where friends and family are instantly accessible."

However, e-mail doesn’t have to throw in the generation-Y towel just yet. "Once these individuals graduate and join the workforce,” Barrett explains, “they may not have as much time to instant message."

From the article, "E-Mail is Out; Instant Messaging is In"

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