Study: Teens Moving from E-Mail to IM

Nearly nine out of every ten children ages 12 to 17 are now online, a study has found, and teens are becoming more avid users of the Internet as well as using the Internet for a broader range of tasks.

The study by Pew Internet and American Life Project shows that significantly more teens use the Internet to play games, get news, shop online, and get health information.

Half of the 21 million teens now online log on once a day, and over half (51 percent) now live in homes with a broadband connection. 81 percent of teens now log on to play games, which is up from 66 percent in 2000.

76 percent check news regularly, up from 68 percent. Shopping online has also increased, now at 43 percent versus 31 percent in 2000.

"Increasing numbers of teenagers live in a world of nearly ubiquitous computing and communication technologies that they can access at will," Amanda Lenhart, Pew Senior Research Specialist said.

The study also showed that e-mail is becoming less frequently used as teens opt for more instant communication such as IM and mobile text messaging. Practically non-existent four years ago, one-third of teens now send text messages.

The study surveyed 1,100 youths aged 12 to 17 and their parents in November 2004, and has a margin of error of 3.3 percent.