Your Parents Probably Didn't Get "Tele-Vision" Either

A new survey finds that middle aged Americans haven't figured out text messaging or the computer equivalent, instant messaging.

The Pew Research Center focused on "Gen Next," their phrase for young adults age 18-25, in their "Portrait of Generation Next." But because they compared that age group to groups aged 26-40 (roughly Gen X) and 41-60 (roughly the Boomers), there are interesting tidbits about differences between the generations.

For instance, more than half of Gen Next, aka Gen Y, reported that they'd sent or received a cell phone text message in the last 24 hours. Only 10% of people aged 41-60 had txtd.

Instant messaging was a little more popular among Boomers, with 12% using it in the past day. But that's a fraction of the 29% of 18-25 year olds who'd IM'd.

And in an indication that email use may one day peg what generation you belong to, young adults seemed to use it less than both Gen X and the Boomers. Although more than half of all groups under age 60 reported using email in the last 24 hours, the lowest use was among 18-25 year olds. 70% of Boomers on the internet used email in the last day, a figure higher than either Gen X (67%) or Gen Next (57%).

Expect email to become one of those quaint things old people do, like write letters and send them in the mail.

Some Boomers have yet to figure out what all the fuss is about. 26% said they were "not an internet user."

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The entire report is available as a pdf from Pew here.