THE PERVASIVE addiction to AOL's Instant Messenger is no longer considered an unhealthy obsession with chat culture; it is a way of life. AIM, as it is commonly called, has become one of the more ingrained features of our new cyber world as it is no longer considered just another form of cyber chat, but has become another means of communication.
It's more efficient and convenient than a telephone, and has the potential to filter out the awkwardness of personal conversations. In doing so, it represents a different culture of communication altogether, one basked in the mechanics of technology and cyber space, devoid of the human aspect of interaction.
AIM, along with its other cyber chatting equals, is a new way to communicate rather than just a form of recreation, but we must be careful not to let it fracture the very essence of what makes our society: one on one personal interaction.
Especially among high school and college students, AIM has become very popular. A "buddy list" provides the opportunity to remain in constant touch if your friends are around and the pervasive use of "away messages" lets you know where they are. Depending who is on your buddy list, AIM has the potential of being a 24-7 forum for communication with however many people you want. Unlike a telephone, it can allow for several people to communicate at the same time.
AIM doesn't just make talking easier or faster, it makes it unnecessary. Two people can hold an entire conversation, without actually saying a word. This is where AIM has its drawbacks: facial expressions are replaced with little yellow faces trying to imitate the anger and joy we experience in everyday conversations and the satisfaction of hearing laughter is replaced with the expression "lol" - IM lingo for "laughing out loud."
E-mail was the first signal of this new wave of cyber culture. It made hand written letters, now considered a long lost art, seem as inconvenient as driving half way across the world instead of flying.
AIM emulates a direct conversation while giving people a computer screen behind which to hide. For example, many high school students often see it as a way eliminate the awkwardness of talking to someone for the first time and making the interaction "safe."
In other words, it takes away all those embarrassing glitches that make communication so hard sometimes. The "umm ... err" of an awkward conversation is no longer something to contend with, and can easily be replaced by a grammatically perfect sentence. But is this really to our advantage?
I remember the first time I asked a girl out on a date. I spent hours preparing for what I was going to say, and then it all fell apart when I couldn't enunciate the first word. We all have been in similar situations, but we also all learn from them. The point is that these lessons in personal communication help us develop the skills we need in numerous facets of our lives.
Simply as a means of communication, AIM is a phenomenal invention. But when we start using the safety of cyber space to limit personal interactions, it only hurts ourselves.
Despite its drawbacks, AIM has common habits and rituals which bring all users into a common fraternity of chatters. They define the common etiquette of AIM culture and shape the world of cyber chat, while others lead to absurdly comical incidents that bring the true AIM addict out from behind his computer. You may not admit to being addicted to this new wave of cyber culture, but everyone knows its presence.
These are some of the habits most popularly, and embarrassingly, expressed by users. Reading other people's "away messages" as a bi-hourly ritual. Imagining the words "lol" when actually laughing as fingers involuntarily typing in mid air. Leaving the volume on high as you sleep so you can jump out of the bed the second someone IMs you. Saying "brb" - IM lingo for "be right back" when leaving a lecture hall. When hitting on a guy/girl, asking for their AIM screen name instead of their telephone number.
If more than a few of these apply to you, then join the club. You are officially an AIM addict.
(Faraz Rana's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily.)
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