I’ve been noticing a very strange trend, at least here in Toronto (which granted is RIM country). There are at least twice as many teenagers running around with Blackberries than all other smartphones combined. Some of this has happened as a result of hand-me-down technology from corporate parents, but at the same time the BB strongly appeals to their social world. Forget Facebook et al… Most teens are still more about texting each other than anything else, and BBM has become the special sauce that keeps these kids plugged into their social circles.

In fact, BBM may be RIM’s key lock-in within the consumer space, and it’s probably no surprise that they’ve started heavily advertising this feature. When I asked some of my wife’s teenage students why they’re carrying Blackberries, they said simply that it’s what all their friends are using and they’ll be left out without one. One girl even said she sold her iPhone and got a Blackberry instead so she wouldn’t be “out of the loop.”

That said, they’re not buying Torches or Storms — basic old-school Blackberries suit their needs just fine. These kids still carry iPods for their music, but rely on Blackberries for their social communication needs.

So I never thought it would happen, but it seems that unless you have a Blackberry you’re not one of the cool kids.