The Communication Clash: From Boomers to Alphas – Which generation is right? None or all of them?

In one corner we have the Boomers with their phones with big buttons and shopping lists, and on the other side there is generation Alpha, whose children know how to use a tablet before they can speak. Which world do you belong to? Do you feel like an alien in your own home among your children? For some, this is a reason to be upset, but this colorful world of the communication gap is full funny situations to be enjoyed!

Try to imagine a ring in which a verbal clash of generations starts, who would win?

 

Round 1: Baby Boomers (1946-1964) – “Hello, nostalgia here.”

Boomers were born at a time when technology was a phone number written on a paper. They are the second largest generation (after Generation Y), and they grew up in a period of economic stability and a higher standard of living. They prefer to communicate over a cup of coffee and a long conversation face to face. They can spend hours and hours talking on a phone and email is about the most advanced communication tool they use with pride.

Boomers like:

• Telephone conversations: They pronounce all words loud and clear.
• Face-to-face meetings – that’s their specialty.
• Email: Short, formal and often with “Sincerely”.

Boomers dislike:

• They think SMS is too informal. They don’t send messages, they write essays.
• It confuses them how “heart” can also mean “like” on “that” Internet.

 

Round 2: Generation X (1965-1980) – “Can do both”

Gen X are masters of adaptation – they remember the time before the internet, but they embraced it when it arrived. They easily balance between old and new, letters and emails, between phone calls and WhatsApp messages. Economic instability and major changes, both socially and politically, are characteristic of the growing up period of the representatives of this generation.

Gen X likes:

• Email: short but detailed.
• SMS: short and effective, like secret agents in movies.
• Social networks: “Place where old friends from high school are.”

Gen X dislikes:

• They don’t understand why someone would record a video or voice message instead of a simple call.
• They are frustrated by the abbreviations used by young people.

 

Round 3: Millennials (1981-1996) – “Which filter to choose?”

Millennials (English: High-tech generation) grew up with the Internet, SMS and the first generation of smartphones. Their world is digital, and communication is fast and colorful. Formality is not so important to them, it is much more important that communication is fun and creative.

Millennials like:

• Social networks are their natural habitat.
• Messaging applications: they send messages while eating, walking and sleeping. Multitasking is their second name!
• Memes and GIFs: When words can’t describe, a GIF will say it all.

Millennials dislike:

• The elderly often do not understand them because they use too many pictures and avoid words.
• They know how to be offended when their elders tell them that they are addicted to technology.

 

Round 4: Generation Z (1997-2012) – “Internet is their second name”

Gen Z does not know a world without the Internet. They grew up in a time when technology had already taken over the world. We call them the “silent generation”, the “iGeneration”. Their language is digital, and platforms like TikTok is their first choice for communication. Speed, authenticity and visual content are their rules of living.

Gen Z likes:

• TikTok and Instagram: They create content that communicates better than a thousand words.
• Quick responses: If they don’t respond immediately, something serious has probably happened.
• Memes and GIFs: Yes, they use them even more than millennials.

Gen Z dislikes:

• Sometimes older generations see them as too direct and rude.
• They are afraid of phone calls. Why call when everything can be solved with a message?

 

Round 5: Generation Alpha (2013-2025) – “The Future of Communication”

Alphas, the youngest generation, grew up in a 100% digital world where smart devices are part of their everyday life. They communicate through tools like Snapchat that older generations may never even understand.

Alphas like:

• They learn how to use interactive applications before they learn to walk.
• AI and VR: Their reality is virtual.
• They grew up with the “speed of the Internet” which serves them all the information in seconds.

Alphas dislike:

• Elders will have to learn their communication methods in order to understand them because they do not adapt to anyone.
• They are not famililar with face-to-face communication, but it is said that once a member of the Alpha generation looked his interlocutor in the eyes for 3 seconds!

 

Final round: can all generations win together?

Conflicts between generations actually come down to different styles and life preferences. We grew up in different worlds which dictated different rules. But the beauty is in that diversity, which offers us many opportunities to learn from each other.  Boomers can learn how to use social media, while Alphas can learn why it’s nice to have a cup of coffee with a friend and chat live. At the end of the day, communication isn’t just about how, it’s about why we communicate – and that’s something all generations have in common. We don’t have to try to match our different communication styles, but we do have to try to understand each other.