Increasingly, IM-speak is finding its way into the writing of teens at school according to a CNN article yesterday.

Apparently, the 4 - 5 hours of technology and media usage by teens outside school is impacting the way that teachers see language arts being taught in the classroom. Some disagree, believing that first drafts contain the shorthands, while final copies of papers do not. IM-speak is also compared to informal acronymns used by previous generations (SWAK= “sealed with a kiss”).

For a good primer on IM-speak click here. Its written by a 19 year old as if to his grandmother.

Are you seeing IM speak popping up in your organization? How do you react to it? Is it appropriate in business…or do you perceive it as sloppy, lazy english?

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Toyota Motor Company unveiled the new model of its tech-savvy Scion xB in Chicago and on the virtual world of Second Life at the same time today in simultaneous press conferences.

First presented in 2003, the Scion has always been targeted at early-adopters - young, urban, tech-geek male audiences. The car can be customized with choose-your-own-goodies that can be created on Toyota’s website or at special kiosks in low-sales-pressure dealerships. Scion’s can be ordered up with high-tech gadgets like i-pod connections, up-load capabilities and audio systems that appeal to young, hipsters.

In Second Life, Toyota has actually created an entire Scion City in which young entrepreneurs can build online communities, events, and companies in the buildings it “owns”. The new Scion xB can be purchased for 300 Linden (or $1 in real life money).

When does tech start and real life end for this generation? Will Second Life car dealers have the same sleazy reputations they do in real life? Will cars driven in Second Life contribute to Global Warming? Stay tuned…

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Jupiter Research reports that 53 percent of online teens watch video on the Internet occasionally and 22 percent of them view video weekly or more frequently. According to Jupiter 44% of teen online video viewers usually find the programs they watch based on friends’ recommendations via online or off-line channels. Other popular means of discovering online video include personal blogs and social networking sites like MySpace, as well as search engines. .. So, who is watching your kids, who are watching videos??