In age of social networks, can AIM keep up? - 0 views
www.statesman.com/...0818plugged.html
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Then, social networking started taking off. First came Friendster, then MySpace and Facebook, and now Twitter. The popularity of texting began soaring, too. All of this makes me wonder: What is Time Warner-owned AOL Instant Messenger doing to ensure that aging Millennials like me keep instant messaging a part of their daily routine?
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AOL spokeswoman Erin Gifford said she wasn't sure what efforts the company was deploying to keep 20-somethings interested in messaging. That's not to say AOL Instant Messenger, which debuted in 1997, hasn't remained popular. It currently has about 30.4 million active users in the United States, making it the most popular instant messenger service in the country.
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AIM's sweet spot is people between the ages of 13 and 24. They make up about 49 percent of all AOL instant messenger users. That leaves 51 percent of us who are 25 and older.
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What is AOL Instant Messenger doing to ensure that aging Millennials keep instant messaging? Data from the Pew Center Internet & American Life Project shows that instant messaging habits are staying steady with about 75 percent of teens ages 12 to 17 using instant messenger services. That number has stayed the same since 2000.