My preteen is always curious about my blogging, my addiction to Facebook and my experimentation with Twitter.

He's tried out all of them, but except for commandeering some of the word games I play on Facebook, he has almost no interest in any of it. That's not surprising, since he barely checks his e-mail.

Still, he's always socializing on his computer, but not in that "networking" sort of way that my friends and colleagues do. He just converses with his friends — either by keyboard or headset — as they battle their way through virtual worlds.

While he's still a few months shy of being a teen, the trends found in "Generations Online in 2009" by the Pew International American Life Project seem to apply to him.

According to Mike Shields of Mediaweek, 78 percent of teens play online games, compared with 65 who use social networking, in contrast to adults 18 to 32, who prefer social networking. For Generation Y, online games appeal to half, while two-thirds use sites like MySpace and Facebook.

In addition, the report shows that more teens would post to a social networking site than send an e-mail, but instant and text messaging trumps both.

It makes sense to me. You can use a social networking site to blast a message to the world, but it's not necessarily the best way to get an immediate response, and everyone knows kids are impatient. They want instant gratification.

Waiting for e-mail? Who has time for that?

People my age, apparently. According to Pew: "Contrary to the image of Generation Y as the 'Net Generation,' Internet users in their 20s do not dominate every aspect of online life. Generation X is the most likely group to bank, shop and look for health information online."

And don't count the Boomers and Silent Generation out, the report says. Boomers are Web savvy, and even their parents e-mail, PewInternet.org says.

I do think that Gen X probably has a lock on the widest-ranging uses of the Internet, where you can work and play, buy life insurance and pay taxes (sometimes all at the same time).

This multitasking doesn't leave much time for long online chat sessions, let alone immersing myself in an intense computer game. That's why I prefer social networking, where delayed reactions are the norm. And I can also wait for an e-mail because I have other things to do in the meantime. For urgent matters, though, I'm as apt to text or send an instant message as a teen.

But to my son, it's silly. He tends to do one thing at a time. He's playing a game. He's making videos or watching someone else's. He wants real-time interaction, and if he's not getting it, he gets bored and moves on. He's fully engaged in what he's doing, which is much more conducive to online gaming than social networking.

It'll be interesting to see how things change for these kids when they join the work force. I wouldn't be surprised if social networking becomes a part of work (as if it hasn't already started) and gaming continues edging TV out of the picture.