According to a new report released Wednesday, only 8 percent of online teens have embraced Twitter, a notable low for a generation so passionate about technology. Think of the millions of text messages that teens send. Think of their endless hours on Facebook.

Twitter has not caught on in nearly the same way -- and experts suggest the difference is that most teens want to socialize with their friends and peers, not broadcast to the larger world.

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The report showed that social networking is more popular than ever among teens, used by 73 percent of those ages 12 to 17. That's a big jump in recent years, with 55 percent using social networking sites in November 2006 and 65 percent using them in February 2008.

"It is steadily climbing," said Amanda Lenhart, lead author of the Pew report. "This is a very important way to manage your social life."

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