A chance to AIM high

For the first time in my life, I know something my parents do not.

It is great to feel the superiority I hold over them while they

constantly bug me to tell them everything new that is going on.

Every night, my parents come into my room to find me franticly

typing away at my computer. Normally, they would have thought that I

had a good story on my mind and was writing it out as fast as I

could, but when they hear the “ding” noise of instant messages being

sent and received, they know I am not doing work.

For a long time, they did not understand what it was I did on the

computer every night. They had not experienced the glories of AOL

Instant Messenger, an Internet program that has changed my life. Some

people compare it to e-mails, but it is a completely different way to

communicate. With e-mails, you send your message and it just sits in

the recipient’s mailbox until they get around to checking their mail.

Sure, this is fine, but there is no sense of a real conversation

going on.

With instant messaging programs, like AIM, you have a personal

screen name and a personalized buddy list that pops up on the

computer screen when you sign on. On this buddy list are the screen

names of all the people you keep in touch with, along with an

indicator of whether or not they are online. If they are online, you

can click on their screen name and an instant message window will pop

up on the screen. All you have to do is begin typing your message; a

good place to start is with “hello.” Now, this is where AIM is

different from e-mail. Instantly, your message is sent to the other

person (hence, the name instant messenger), and it pops up on their

computer screen. They can then respond to your message, and a

conversation is started.

AIM is like talking on the phone, but it requires more time,

because every comment is typed out. I wonder if the AIM experience is

like going back to what communication was like before there were

telephones. By having to write out your thoughts, you slow down and

choose your words more carefully. You also have a chance to read and

think about what the other person is telling you before you respond.

The other obvious difference is that, unlike talking on the phone,

you can have multiple instant message windows open simultaneously and

talk to many people at once. This is a great for developing

multi-tasking skills, though sometimes I get carried away and figure

this must be what it is like to be an air-traffic controller.

Instant messaging is also a great trainer for typing, and we are

probably the best generation of typists yet. The constant typing of

conversations and anxiety to keep them flowing, has taught us to

type, and type fast! As a result, a new kind of “internet language”

is evolving, with phrases like “be right back” and “laugh out loud”

simply expressed as “brb” and “lol.”

We have all heard someone express dismay that computers make kids

more distant because all they do is sit in front of their computer

and have little or no interaction with other people. AIM has changed

that by creating the opportunity to be connected with people at any

time and in any place. AIM provides a freedom of communication that

is good for everyday talking just to catch up with friends. When I am

talking to someone, I can come and go as I please, so when my mom

yells at me to clean up the dishes, I can just say ‘’brb’’ and my

friends will continue other conversations until I return.

It is also safe to talk on AIM because you have total control over

whom you talk to. If you do not want to talk to someone anymore, you

can politely say goodbye, but if you need to, you can block them from

knowing you are online and keep you from knowing they are online.

That way, you choose if and when to interact with them.

AIM is a new thing for many people not in my generation. My

24-year-old brother did not know what it was until I introduced it to

him. Now I see his screen name on my buddy list almost every time I

log on. I even got my parents to use it. They think it is great

because they can talk to both of my brothers, one living in Los

Angeles and the other in Virginia. It is an easy way to have a brief

conversation with them and check up on how they are doing.

AIM may be new with our generation, but it is not going away.

Every day more and more people are discovering its potential

usefulness, and are becoming almost as addicted as I already am.

Anyone with Internet access can use AIM or other similar programs,

and they are free. All you need to do is download them.

This program has changed lives. It brings people together as if

they were right in the room with you. It strengthens communication

between people, and is an easy way to talk to people if you are too

scared to confront them in person. It is great, and everyone should

try it out. As my mother likes to write at the end of her messages,

‘ttfn’ (‘Ta-Ta For Now’).

* SARA BRYANT is a Costa Mesa High School student whose columns

will appear occasionally in the Forum section.