Moving away to college presents a great challenge for students who have never been away from their family or friends. Choosing a method for staying in touch isn't always easy.
College students often use instant messaging instead of paying for long distance or phone cards. Programs like AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and MSN Messenger make it possible to talk to loved ones every day. Stephanie Hemker, a student from Michigan, said she talks to friends and family from home using the Internet.
"I've been through different messaging systems, and MSN is my favorite," she said. "I even set my mom up with an account so that I don't have to pay for long distance."
Emily Avery, another out of state student, uses AIM. She said that instant messaging makes it easy to contact more than one person at a time.
"I like talking online because it's free, and it's so much easier to talk with several people at the same time," she said. "So in a way, it's more efficient than using the phone."
Ball State's residence halls and campus apartments are equipped with Ethernet access, and students who live off campus can also use high-speed cable Internet services to stay connected 24/7. Since Internet messaging has become more popular, students commonly stay signed on to AIM for hours or even days at a time.
Created in 1996 by Israeli company Mirabilis, the first instant messaging program had 850,000 registered users within six months of its birth. The technology , called ICQ ("I Seek You"), made it possible for users to locate each other online and to send messages.
According to a report by the University of Texas at Austin Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Mirabilis became the largest Internet communications network by 1997. In addition to buying out Mirabilis in 1998, America Online had also created its own messaging system.
Although it may be more efficient, chatting online doesn't always compare to hearing the sound of someone's voice. Nick Bustos, manager at Discount Den, said that several students come to the store to purchase phone cards.
"Phone calls are more personal," he said. "It's easier to communicate when you can hear the person's voice."
Discount Den sells Alternate Communication phone cards for different amounts with no initial connection fees. While these cards may benefit students who don't use them very often, those who frequently use long distance can find cheaper ways to communicate.
"If it's someone who's going to buy one every week, it would be cheaper just to have a cell phone," Bustos said.
Students who do choose AIM or other messaging services have even more options than sitting at a computer to communicate. AIM and MSN messenger both provide wireless options for sending and receiving messages on mobile devices.
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