With AIM, both parties are not encumbered by whatever natural tensions may mark having to see each other's physical presence. If, for example, you are a man talking to a hot girl in person, you will be distracted and draw the conversation to more purient topics. If you are a girl, likewise, you may be too prone to tossing your hair rather than having an intimiate conversation.
in the comfort of our own rooms, where it's quiet and free from other social distractions--as opposed to a party--people on AIM are often in a confessional booth mode.
IM is not superior to communicating face-to-face, but by teasing out only the content of the spoken conversation and omitting all the extra non-verbal variables that affect live speech, it should be deigned in its own right as an important communication medium.
Sure, there are plenty of qualms to be had about AIM, but should those come up, then just substitute it with face-to-face or a phonecall. Different tools to meet different needs.
