I think this survey is ignoring the obvious - all kids this young prefer direct communications; I used to spend hours on the phone, I would not write one letter. As you grow older (e.g. 20's, 30's) and more mature, sending letters suddenly appeals to you (for example, as a way to avoid direct confrentations).

IM will not replace email, period. Both serve different purposes and needs. And it will not lose it's dominance, similar to how magazines are still delivered in paper form (and don't get me started on it; newspapers are dinosaurs).
Joseph | Homepage | 08.01.05 - 11:39 am | #

I think email will dominate for quite some time, due to it's better support for multi-tasking and workflow. It's diffcult to carry on multiple conversations simultaneously, but not so with email, where response is not expected immediately.
Steve Wilkinson | 08.01.05 - 11:49 am | #

One advantage that IM has over e-mail -- and one that young people in particular value -- is that it can be done easily on small, mobile devices. Of course, Blackberries and Treos do e-mail, but young people use their phones for text messaging. This is also true in developing countries, where people of all ages are more likely to have text-capable cell phones than PCs.
Brian | Homepage | 08.01.05 - 12:54 pm | #