Instant Messaging
Instant Messaging- (IM) is a form of real-time communication between two or more people based on typed text. The text is conveyed via computers connected over a network such as the Internet.
Examples: ICQ, AIM, Yahoo Messenger!
Instant messaging allows private conversations, one-on-one in real-time, but would require someone trained on bereavement to be available at all times to talk to teens.
Benefits for using: Allow teens to feel someone will always be available to talk to, communication is in real-time so problems can be addresses immediately and communication is one-on-one so privacy has a greater chance of being insured. The anonymousness of the screen name helps keep teens even safer because screen names will likely not reveal their identity.
Concerns for using: Staffing someone to be available 24 hours a day can be expensive. An idea is to use volunteers to do something like this, but training all the volunteers can also be just as expensive. Limiting hours of service available is a possibility, but remember teens are usually on the Internet after school and in the evenings during the school year. Also, the anonymousness of using a screen name can be a problem if you need to know the identity of the person you are talking to and you only have their screen name (ex. Iheartbuckeyes) and they’ve threatened suicide—how can you reach that family to assist them after the conversation ends? You may need to have your clients names and screen names prior to conversational messaging begins. Instant messaging one-on-one with a professional also does not instantly incorporate the peer support element of an online community, and letting teens instant message with monitoring lose all control of the moderator.
How much control does one have: In this communication method, you can control the conversation because it is in real-time and you and clarify any miscommunications that are made over the web. When peer discussions begin in instant messaging, that is when the moderator has no control or insight into the discussions.
What are security and privacy concerns: Privacy can be a risk factor if someone logs in who shouldn’t be or if you are away from the computer and another person gets on to your messaging account, but even if someone does log in impersonating the moderator there is still the anonymousness of the screen name that will hopefully keep the identity private.
What are legality concerns: Check with your agency what their policy is about communicating with adolescents over the Internet. Most agencies do not allow online contact so for you to be able to have instant messaging services, policies may need to be updated with a protocol for what topics will be discussed in these messages and how to provide the availability of someone 24/7 can be maintained. Always keep records of the conversations with clients either by saving emails or printing and saving them in a locked file at the office for documentation purposes.
Time management: Instant messaging is presumably the best options for teens because it would allow them to access support services at any time if there was a 24/7 instant messaging service available for them, but would be very strenous and expensive for an agency to staff that service for that amount of time.
Additional Info: “In a recent study conducted by The Ohio State University and The University of California, research showed that instant messaging was often used as a substitute for other, more disruptive forms of communication such as the telephone, e-mail, and face-to-face conversations.Using instant messaging led to more conversations on the computer, but the conversations were briefer (McGuire, 2008).
Slang is used a lot in this method of communication, so make sure you clarify what they are saying to you or are familiar with some of the terms.
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