Latchkey kids used to advance directly home and wait for the inevitable parental check-in call.

Latchkey kids used to advance directly home and wait for the inevitable parental check-in call. While any still do, others are exempt to roam around after gymnasium untethered, relying on all manner of wireless gadgetry-cell phone two-way pagers and handheld organizers enabled with e-mail service-to couple with at-work parents.

The advantageous news for marketers is that kids are becoming the recently made known ``early adopters.'' They're embracing each technology from Web surfing and instant messaging via wireless phone and PC to portable gaming units and handheld organizers. Teen-agers and on the same level pre-teens are becoming the novel influencers ...