Remember the Rolodex? Most baby boomers will. Heck, some may even still have one.
Yet, for many younger generations, it's either something they used to play with on a parent's desk or – for some Gen Zers – akin to an artifact Indiana Jones would dig up.
Since the Rolodex, other devices have suffered a similar fate. Physical maps, pagers, and calendars have all become fond memories of the past.
Indeed, smartphones have swallowed them all up, with 85 percent of Americans owning one as of 2021.
These have – alongside other cultural phenomena – changed how people like to communicate, with clear trends across the generations:
- Baby Boomers: Born between 1945 – 1964
- Generation X: Born between 1965 – 1980
- Millennials: Born between 1981 – 1996
- Gen Z: Born between 1996 – 2012
With that said, it’s critical to remember everyone – across these generations - is on a digital journey, just moving at a different pace.
As such, many of the insights below into the communication preferences across the generations will twist and turn with time.
Baby Boomers
Many baby boomers enjoy face-to-face conversations and talking over the phone, putting significant value on establishing relationships.
Research from Nova Southeastern University supports this claim, noting:
“The older the generational group, the more likely they are to prefer talking over texting and to have issues with the device interface.”
That said, the pandemic forced a considerable surge in mobile phone use. That has increased their digital maturity – with many boomers joining family WhatsApp groups and engaging in video calls.
The latter proved particularly helpful in filling the human connection void lockdowns created.
Despite this, most boomers are slow to adopt new channels. For instance, Talkdesk found that only 38 percent of baby boomers have interacted with virtual chat automated by AI – compared to 78 percent of Gen Z.
Such findings don't necessarily show that older people are more resistant to tech but may need extra assistance to engage with them.
Generation X
Gen X often prefer email as a communication channel because it allows them to be efficient and respectful of other people's time.
Moreover, as the first-generation to access computers from birth, many have a deep-rooted affection for the channel – which boomers, millennials, and Gen Zer's often fail to grasp.
They will also search Google and engage with human and live agents on webchat to fulfil a particular purpose.
Yet, they're typically not as app-friendly as younger generations and will likely only add them to their phone to complete a specific task – not to unlock benefits.
In general, they are also less influenced by visual stimulation than millennials. Instead, they place more value on personal interaction – as perhaps demonstrated by how Facebook has 10 percent more Gen X users than YouTube.
Finally, as the “middle generation”, they benefit from being both direct and relatively tech-savvy.
Millennials & Gen Z
Ironically, the phone calling app has become a smartphone app that Gen Z and millennials don't often use – with many suffering from the phone anxiety phenomenon.