As technology continues to advance, people on the bleeding edge continue to jump on the hottest trends and take advantage of the coolest new toys. Mobile IM isn’t exactly anything new, but it is quickly gaining ground as the preferred way to stay in contact with friends and family. This trend is so pronounced that analysts are predicting the inevitable death of text messages.

Ask just about any teenager and they’ll tell you that they’re still firing out those text messages left and right, but the use of SMS will start to diminish as more people adopt mobile instant messenger services. The advantage is that it is easier to contact people who are sitting at their computers, not to mention the access you gain to avatars and emoticons.

The forecast calls for 301 billion text messages sent in 2008, so its demise isn’t quite as imminent as some may lead you believe, but it’s only a matter of time before it’s mobile IM’s time to shine. Or so they say.