Email is old school

87% of American teens are online, according to a new PEW/Internet study. As more teens adapt the newer technologies such as instant messaging, text messaging and peer to peer file sharing (P2P) to their everyday life, Pew also found that teens view email more as a business tool to relate to adult authority, such as teachers and schools, than as a means of communication with friends or of personal expression. Not only has use of the internet grown 24% among teens in the past four years, but their going online to play games, to shop, to read news, and for entertainment has significantly grown. PEW concludes the internet and the new communication technologies are "a central force that fuels the rhythm of daily life" of American teens, defining their community, making them the leaders to a wholly networked society.

Teens and Technology: Youth are Leading the Transition to a Fully Wired and Mobile Nation
(available in PDF, 456K, from Pew Internet and American Life Project)