Text Generation Gap: U R 2 Old (JK) - New York Times

As Tess was getting ready to leave the hospital yesterday, she was able to spend time online, using one of the computers in a lounge area. She and I chatted via instant messenger for a few minutes, both of us excited that she was coming home.

And, so, there it is: with IM, SMS, and cell phones, there's a whole new way to keep in touch with kids. Of course, if they don't want to communicate, they won't. With caller-id on all cell phones, they can see if one of the 'rents is calling and decide if they're gonna take the call.

Fortunately, the MSM (mainstream media) comes to rescue of the old and clueless. This past Sunday, the New York Times ran a helpful article, Text Generation Gap: U R 2 Old (JK), that provides some helpful insights into the world that the rest of us barely know. According to the article, by 2010, more than 80% of people between 5 and 24 will have cellphones, up from about half now.

And, when the kids are away from the computer, they can leave messages that can let you know where they are what they're doing: school, work, bbl.

BBL, indeed.