Everyone – from business leaders to parents – has something to learn from Gen Z communication styles…
Is putting a full stop at the end of a short, one-word WhatsApp message aggressive? And can there be too many emojis in a message?
If you are in any way an older person, you probably think a full-stop is the right grammatical thing to do. And you are probably also fond of a good emoji – for myself, I love the way a carefully chosen smiling face adds tone of voice and emotion to the words I am typing.
But if you are what is stereotypically known as a member of Gen Z, you absolutely think a full stop is rude; that repeated emojis (three smiling faces! ) are over the top. And you might be amused at messages with some emojis – but too many of them are just irritating.
I asked my son (21) and his girlfriend (23) why a full stop is problematic. They couldn’t give me reasons why but said emphatically that “Ok” reads as “okay cool” (in other words, friendly). “Ok.” reads as abrupt, the way you might say crossly – “ok fine then”.
I also learned that ellipses are Not A Thing.
Apparently, the speed of writing two or three separate thoughts as separate messages is better than putting all those thoughts in one message, with the three dots of the ellipsis between each thought.
Ah! So that’s why these two lovely young people communicate with me in barrages of short texts: they are breaking their message into one thought at a time!
It’s these messaging habits of the young that prompt the kinds of posts I often see on Facebook, wondering what happened to good old punctuation and questions of the “can these youngsters even write proper English” variety.
Let’s look at what’s going on, though
To the question as to whether young people can write proper English, I would answer: yes of course they can.
I have observed that my son and all his friends are perfectly capable of composing a business-like email or a covering letter applying for a job. I know this because I take an active interest in their lives and because they all know that I’m an editor, so they ask me to look over these important communications before they hit send.
I usually find some spelling mistakes, and some misplaced punctuation – just the same as I find in any text, written by any human being, ever (including myself).
My observation is that this younger generation are in fact highly skilled communicators. They know that there are different kinds of writing and talking for different situations and they can switch between them all, effortlessly as and when needed.
What we all can learn from “Gen Z”
I would urge people in positions of authority – bosses, parents, teachers – to look and listen when they are talking to young people, with kindness (the world that we are in in 2024 is quite a hard place to be if you are trying to start an independent life).
It also helps to see relationships with our offspring or our younger colleagues as opportunities to learn new things – one of which is to think differently about written communication.
The key to all good communication is to think about your audience, to put yourself in their shoes. It’s important to be open to looking for the patterns in the ways in which people write to you, and to adapt your own style if needed so that your meaning can be made clear.
In our information-rich world, there are many ways to talk and write – and there is no right or wrong way to communicate. We could all learn what 20-year-olds know instinctively. They move fluidly from world to world, from context to context, from platform to platform, learning the habits and patterns and rules as they go.
Rather than asserting that yours is the only right way to get things done, pick the method that works for the person or people you are interacting with.
This kind of thinking by people in power (that’s us, the older generation) would go a long way to making our multi-generational, multi-cultural world a better place.
But wait, there’s more
The other thing we can learn from younger people is the power of asking questions. It’s my experience that if I say:
What does (insert slang term here) mean?
Tell me why you like this (apparently peculiar) music?
Wait, what’s the Ender dragon (or any other gaming concept)?
Who is this celebrity you are so exercised about?
Is this pair of pants I am about to buy okay or just awful?
Every young person I have asked these kinds of things has been pleased to be asked, and has always willingly explained it to me. And I have always been grateful, just as I am when they ask questions about my life and the things that are important to me.
All of this is why I am happy to abandon punctuation in WhatsApps – there are more important things in life to worry about.
I’m not sure about the emojis though. I am very fond of that person with the sunglasses. 😎
THIS IS SET OF TOPICS I BANG ON ABOUT – MORE READING…
How to find your writing voice | Safe Hands – One of the more mysterious concepts in writing and editing is that of “voice”. Here’s how to find your writing voice (it can take a long time, but you’ll get there!).
Everyone is a writer. Everyone is an editor – We all spend time writing things, every day. We just don’t think about it, until things go wrong. Some tips on how to keep things cool.
I’m not old, I’m a perennial – Senior? Silver surfer? Retiree? None of these words will do. Join me in my quest to find an answer to the question: what to call old people?
What Generation Z think about news – Journalism is going through a tough time – but things are going to get even more interesting, as Generation Z brings its way of using online platforms to the table.
One thing: be kind | Safe Hands – What’s the one thing old people can do to fix the mess we made of the world?
Why I am a grammar cheerleader | Safe Hands – Grammar – no one likes it. And no one likes people who correct grammar. But editors have to do it all the time.
Leaving home ain’t what it used to be | Safe Hands – My son is leaving home – sort of. But for young people in 2024, this is not the simple process it used to be. Kindness and understanding are key…
Skin colour in emojis: the dilemma (solved?) – What to do about skin colour in emojis? There are no easy answers, but I think I got there…
Main picture: Pawel Czerwinski, Unsplash
How to reach me
Contact me if you would like to chat about how I can help with all your communication needs (writing, editing, coaching and training, social media).
NEWSLETTER: I write a post every week, some about my professional life and work, and some about broader issues. You can get either of those, or both, in your email, by subscribing here.