Phones used to be glued to the wall, and now they’re basically glued to our hands, which means that our phone habits have changed as well—a lot. Some of the stuff boomers do on calls or texts feels normal to them, but to younger people, it comes off kinda rude or just plain weird. Let’s look at eleven boomer phone habits that Gen Z believes are inappropriate. It’s not about who’s right or wrong, it’s just differences in generations.
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Calling Instead of Texting First
When Gen Z is focused on scrolling through TikTok, or perhaps mid-bite into a burrito, there’s nothing worse for them than someone calling out of nowhere. For them, a heads-up text is just polite because surprise calls feel too invasive—most younger people treat phone calls like appointments. Unless it’s your mom or someone close, random ringing feels jarring, and sending a quick “Hey, free to talk?” would avoid all the panic Gen Z goes through.
Leaving Long Voicemails
Gen Z isn’t gonna sit through a five-minute voicemail of “Hi, it’s me again, just wanted to say…” as a quick “Call me when you can” text works better. If it’s anything longer, they’ll ignore it like a spam call—and that’s if they even check it, because most Gen Zers won’t even check their inbox unless they’re told to. Some phones don’t transcribe them well either, so they end up sitting there unopened forever.
Answering With “Who is This?”
Whenever you text a baby boomer that you don’t know, you might get a message back that says, “WHO IS THIS?” in all caps. Gen Z hates that because it feels like they’re being scolded by a school principal, and they’d much prefer boomers send something more relaxed, like, “Hey, remind me who this is?” That aggressive tone sets things off to a bad start, and it’s even worse when it happens in a group chat where your name is literally right there.
Using All Caps in Texts
Similarly, sending messages in all caps doesn’t make them easier to read, and it just looks like you’re yelling, even though boomers might mean well. But Gen Z reads it as pure rage, so if you want people to actually respond, it’s better to use lowercase—just write words in bold if they need emphasis. This completely changes how the message comes across, and in a good way.
Talking on Speaker in Public
Gen Z feels embarrassed when they’re standing in line next to someone loudly chatting about their cousin’s gallbladder surgery on speaker, although boomers don’t always realize what they’re doing. Earbuds exist for many reasons, and listening to music is just one of them—nobody wants to hear both sides of a conversation while waiting for coffee. Even if you try not to listen, you’ll still end up hearing every single word.
Talking to Two People at Once
Boomers sometimes pick up a call and then immediately start chatting with someone else in the background, which makes it seem like you’re just listening in on their day. Gen Z doesn’t get why someone would even answer if they’re not ready to talk, and they’d rather you call back when you’re actually free. No one wants to wait around while you finish talking to the cashier or yelling across the house.
Telling Someone How They Should Use Their Phone
Ironically, Gen Z hates being told what to do with their phone, and they get annoyed when boomers say things like, “You’re always on that thing” when they see younger people with a phone in their own hands. It comes off judge-y and out of touch, as a phone is practically everything to them. What looks like “wasting time” could be answering work messages or checking bus schedules.
Ending Texts With Periods
A text that says “Okay.” might seem polite to boomers, but Gen Z reads that tiny dot in a completely different way—they think it’s cold or even annoyed. They’re used to casual messages that don’t have punctuation, unless it’s part of the tone, and including a period changes the whole feeling of the conversation. There’s no point in making things tense for no reason.
Saying “Call Me When You Get This” Without Explaining Why
The majority of boomers probably don’t see anything wrong with sending a message that just says “Call me” with zero details, yet Gen Z reads that and immediately assumes someone’s in the hospital. Nine times out of ten, it’s something small like “Do you want chicken or pasta?” so if it’s not urgent, just say what it’s about—it saves everyone from having a mini heart attack.
Calling Again Immediately After You Don’t Answer
When there’s no response, lots of boomers go straight for round two and will ring again and again. Gen Z sees the missed call, but before they can even open the screen, the phone’s ringing again. They see this as intense and unnecessary, unless the call is urgent. A little patience goes a long way, especially when someone might just be in the bathroom or away from their phone temporarily.
Using Voice-To-Text Without Checking It First
At one time or another, everybody’s received one of those messages that’s just a wall of nonsense, with no punctuation & random words, perhaps a sentence that just ends mid-thought. It’s what happens when boomers use voice-to-text and don’t check what got typed—Gen Z opens it and still has no idea what they’re trying to say. They think it’s rude not to edit the message first, let alone skim it real quick before sending. That’s all they’re asking.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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