This chapter examines how teenagers use Internet communication to deal with traditional concerns in adolescent life. It reviews a range of data to compare instant-messaging communication with communication by phone calls and in-person visits. Although most teen communication is with local friends and acquaintances, instant messaging supports more communication at a distance than do other modalities. The chapter addresses why teens use instant messaging so frequently even though they report enjoying instant-messaging conversations substantially less than those conducted by phone or in person. It seems that instant messaging allows young people to build and maintain social ties with particular friends as well as to create a sense of belonging with groups of peers with whom they do not necessarily feel close.