Why teens text: Because PCs don't fit in their pockets

Brandflakes gives us a great post that teens are using instant messaging more than email. Follows Slate's analysis of why. We think there's one missing conclusion: Teens use instant messaging more than adults simply because cell phones make it possible.

In other words, don't big-brain the nuances of email communication vs. texting to death. It's not about the channel preference; it's about the user environment. Email requires access to a keyboard and computer, and those are usually found in home offices or work places that teens don't frequent. Texting requires a cell phone, which most teens have. If you didn't have a job with an office and spent most of your day in classrooms, soccer stadiums and malls, you'd be texting more than emailing, too.

We bet email will come back as teens age, and as input devices like the iPhone make emailing from mobile phones easier. This trend of teens using instant messaging is sort of like the trend of teens drinking beer by railroad tracks. It's not the railroad they like; it's just a really convenient way of doing something interactive without getting permission from mom and dad.