If you do this in your text messages, you’re aging yourself, according to Gen Z!

Texting etiquette differences across generations

People from different generations have wildly different rules for how to text. Where a Boomer might drop a thumbs-up emoji, Gen Z favors shorthand, vibe-based reactions and a whole new texting vernacular that can make older replies feel out of step.

A Gen Z’er made a PowerPoint for his parents

Twenty-two-year-old Jason Saperstone decided to teach his parents the new rules. He created a “Texting rules” slide deck explaining modern texting etiquette and posted it to Instagram to get everyone on the same page.

The opener: a gentle roast with love

Jason started his presentation with a warm but blunt line: “Mom and Dad, I love you, but you need to get better at texting.” Then he dove into the first lesson — how to use emphasis reactions properly.

The emphasis reaction — misunderstood and misused

He singled out the “exclamation point” emphasis reaction and explained that many people are using it incorrectly. Jason said the reaction should mean that you agree, that you share the same situation, or that someone is ignoring you and you want to get their attention.

A simple decision test for emphasis

His rule of thumb is neat and practical: before using the emphasis reaction, ask yourself three questions — do I agree with the message? Am I in the same situation as the sender? Is the sender ignoring me and do I need to demand attention? If the answer to all three is no, a thumbs-up will probably do the job.

Parents and commenters were confused — but not alone

Jason’s mom clearly didn’t understand the nuance; she used the emphasis reaction the wrong way, and commenters on his post noted similar confusion. Some people admitted they’d assumed “emphasize” meant something like “omg,” and others defended using it as an excited reaction.

Gen Z admits the rules are complicated

In an interview with TODAY.com, Jason acknowledged that his generation has complicated the simple act of texting. He said Gen Z texts with good intentions but has layered features and meanings onto messages — essentially creating a language mostly they fully get.

Millennials get called out, too

Jason didn’t spare millennials: Gen Z teases them for overusing “lol,” but millennial Anna Gaddis explained on TikTok that “lol” is often used to soften a message — a polite quick laugh that prevents texts from sounding harsh.

Why “lol” still matters to some people

Commenters backed Gaddis, saying that without “lol” messages can sound blunt or rude; for many, the term functions as a social buffer rather than literal laughter.

Generational texting etiquette is a live debate

The whole exchange underscores an ongoing cultural debate about digital manners: punctuation, reactions and little text flourishes now encode social meaning across generations — and the meanings keep shifting.