"In this day of technology, words travel faster than they ever did—and can sometimes inflict even more damage."
You can hardly spend a couple of minutes scrolling through your TikTok or X (previously known as Twitter), Instagram, or gaming apps without noticing a significant evolution in the way people communicate.
This generation has brought sarcasm to life, defined roasting as entertainment, and made cursing a part of their everyday conversation.
Although many generations have questioned social standards imposed by society, some experts believe that Generation Z communicates more straightforwardly and aggressively than older generations.
There is a question of whether this generation is mean—and the clear answer would be no—but there is still the question of why this generation receives more rewards in the world of the Internet when being aggressive.
To figure out how this happened, one needs to understand that this is the first generation to grow up in a world with nothing but smartphones and social media.
According to DataReportal 2025, there are more than 5.6 billion Internet users worldwide and over 5.3 billion people who use social media.
Young people spend from four to seven hours daily on the Internet, where they communicate through various apps and websites.
In an environment where attention is all that matters, people are more attracted to news and controversial events than to polite communication. Words such as “ratioed,” “delulu,” “NPC,” “cooked,” “clown,” “canceled,” and “brainrot” have become common in the language of today.
What began as humor and irony can very easily lead to normalization of disrespect, a fact explained by The Online Disinhibition Effect, a term coined by psychologist John Suler, which states that people engage in more abusive and extreme language online compared to their interactions in real life due to anonymity, distance, or instant publishing.
Mental condition and uncertainty play their roles in communication. Gen Z was born and raised during the COVID-19 pandemic, economic turmoil, climate anxiety, political conflict, and the rapid development of AI.
According to WHO, every 1 in 7 teenagers suffers from mental health disorders, and surveys in Europe and N. America reveal that teenagers suffer from greater amounts of tension, loneliness, and anxiety.
Employers across different workplaces have also noted the change. According to LinkedIn's report on workplace learning and employer surveys, communication and emotional intelligence are among the most sought-after skills.
Many companies observe that young workers prefer communicating digitally to having face-to-face meetings. Nevertheless, researchers warn against interpreting this change as rude behavior.
Video games have introduced some new elements to this phenomenon. We have over 3.4 billion people engaged in gaming, while competitive online games are full of fast comments, insults, and overly emotional communication. Platforms help to amplify these behaviors because they allow getting lots of views and followers.
However, we cannot say that Gen Z is rude. Their representatives are known for being the strongest advocates for mental health, diversity, inclusion, and environmental sustainability. Their word has weight in issues of social justice and the context of new technologies.
The real problem, it seems, is the attention economy. Online platforms benefit from emotional reaction, and the most profitable emotion is irritation.
Every provocative statement leads to many hits and comments. The task in the near future is to work towards developing new digital literacy. Digital leaders must demonstrate empathy and emotional intelligence while expressing their opinions.a