CNN.com recently posted an article that commented on an AP-AOL survey and the discovery that there is, brace yourself, yet another generation gap between teens and adults and the way these demographics use technology. Specifically, the AP-AOL poll took a closer look at the outrageous amount of instant messages (IM) that are traded back and forth on a daily basis by a younger American audience.

Although instant messaging has been available for almost 10 years, there are some, mainly adults, that either find this electric form of real-time communication unacceptable, or more commonly, incomprehensible.

The AP-AOL poll revealed a number of statistics that once again compliments the idea that America’s youth are more likely to comprehend and utilize the ever growing technological tools that are available in today’s marketplace.

According to the poll that surveyed 1,013 adults and 500 teens:

- Almost three-fourths of adults who do use instant messages still communicate with e-mail more often. Almost three-fourths of teens send instant messages more than e-mail.

- More than half of the teens who use instant messages send more than 25 a day, and one in five send more than 100. Three-fourths of adult users send fewer than 25 instant messages a day.

- Teen users (30 percent) are almost twice as likely as adults (17 percent) to say they can’t imagine life without instant messaging.

- When keeping up with a friend who is far away, teens are most likely to use instant messaging, while adults turn first to e-mail.

- About a fifth of teen IM users have used IM to ask for or accept a date. Almost that many, 16 percent, have used it to break up with someone.

Though the AP-AOL poll uncovers some interesting statistics, let’s discuss these results juxtaposed to another form of a new age communication channel: e-mail. Should companies scrap their e-mail campaigns for something new and shiny? Before we write off this technology, let’s think about what happened when e-mail was introduced. Did everyone stop sending memos and correspondence via snail mail? No.

The adoption of IM in the younger generation doesn’t mean that marketers have lost the tool of e-mail. Conversely, it means that we’ve gained yet another medium to reach a different audience. There is only one thing a marketer can do in this fast-paced environment if they want to survive – keep up.

We live in a society that relies heavily on the progress and evolution of technology. Teenagers are not only immersed in these technological advancements on a daily basis, but are, more importantly, interested in learning and utilizing these new tools that streamline the lengthy and obsolete customs of a distant past.

There are some demographics that will continue to rely heavily on traditional offline marketing campaigns as their major source for consumer research. The older generations of America’s population have not all purchased a ticket on the trendy technology train. Rather, they still rely on advertisements that they have grown accustomed to, trust, and, more importantly, comprehend. Much like Gen X, the e-mail generation will continue to see e-mail as a useful tool to receive targeted information.

That is why it is important not to jump ship when something ‘new’ or ‘better’ comes along. E-mail isn’t Betamax. E-mail isn’t IM. But e-mail is here to stay.

The AP-AOL poll should be a wake-up call for the marketing community. Reminding us that there is still time for traditional and interactive marketing to co-exist and serve as a poster child for corporate America’s beloved ‘synergy.’