[leadpencil1]

Its here to stay so if your kids are using it, get online and chat with them.

[SamAdams76]

Not only is it here to stay but it is about to make distance virtually meaningless. Through wireless PDAs (though they will be called something else by then), you will be able to communicate with anybody in the world in real time - not just with text but through video and audio as well. That is, you could have a son living 3,000 miles away but you could still talk to him and his family on a daily basis - as if they lived right down the street.

[ThinkingMan]

I am not a "phone-talker" most of the time, but IM lets me communicate with my brothers and parents who are clear across the country, and my wife and kids while I am at work or on a business trip. The use of technology can help increase communication between family members very easily. Email is another great tool for doing the same.