chris pirillo

I was well before my time when I began using AIM (according to Gaim, I’ve been a member since June 25, 1997). It eventually caught on as more and more people realized the value of “instant” communications online, but there’s a line that was drawn and not many people above a certain age group were really into it as much as I was.

I happen to find myself frequently surrounded by a select few individuals who consider IM a distraction. For me, while not as much a high priority as it was previously, IM is not a distraction — it is a necessity for communication. Similarly, I find that determining one’s status (whether they’re available or away) is also pretty important, and I put emphasis on reading “away messages” if the situation warrants it.

Interestingly, as I look at the 66 people who are online right now on my buddy list, the average age of these users (and I’m shocked that I know this) is 24.64. Of those, 23 have away messages, and the average age of these 23 individuals is 22.618.