Part of the gap that separates digital immigrants and digital natives is based in perception. We immigrants, who struggle to learn the language of technology, look with amazement and, perhaps, some envy at the natives who so effortlessly embrace and adopt the most befuddling new offerings. Because these younger members of the online population take to the new technologies so easily, many of us perceive that they have replaced traditional communication methods with newer digital channels. We can’t understand why kids would text each other over their cell phones rather than talk, or why they would sit at their computers instant messaging one another rather than get together.

The truth is, though, that these new communication channels supplement the traditional rather than replace them. Just as in the business world, any new communication channel is additive. It comes as no great surprise, then, to read that most kids responding to a Minneapolis Star-Tribune survey said they preferred face-to-face as their favorite way to communicate with friends.

Some 3,100 students from Minnesota and Wisconsin responded to the query, which asked, “What’s your favorite way to talk with your friends? Do you prefer the telephone, e-mail, instant messaging, talking face-to-face or something else? Why?”

Face-to-face communication, they wrote, is more meaningful because of the immediate visual feedback they get from friends’ facial expressions and body language. They can tell more easily that a friend is really listening, for example, or if the person is angry or sad and may need a hug or a hand to hold. And nothing compares to the joy of making a friend laugh out loud or lapse into a giggle fit. In addition, a sharp eye can help them tell if a person is lying, a bonus they can’t get as readily with other modes of communication. Others wrote that some difficult subjects, such as breaking up, always should be discussed in person.

On the other hand, resondents said that emotionally difficult subjects are often easier to deal with using the newer technologies, which also help kids stay in touch when they just can’t get together face-to-face.

While the study isn’t even close to scientific or statistically valid, it’s worth reviewing to ensure our assumptions don’t lead us to produce digital-heavy communications aimed at the youth market. IM, e-mail and SMS are just part of the mix, but the other channels remain important.