Generation Gap(s) Is A Real Thing - How To Handle It?

I attended an online writing retreat over the weekend. I was one of the few non-members who attended and also one of the younger attendees, even though I do not consider myself young anymore. One of the speakers actually read to us from the book(s), which was unusual for me - I found it hard to concentrate for so long with no slides to keep me grounded. And part of it is also the fact that I am a new writer. But, it made me wonder how generational differences are real - and more so with Gen AI now.  

For example, ordering food, clothes, or anything else online without interacting with a single human being is my default and preferred option. Why would I go to talk to somebody when I can do it with zero-touch/talk online? I know my dress size, so it is easier to browse online, where you can see the reviews and pick the colour, size, etc., without having to scan through racks with other people doing the same. Online - you can also narrow down the choices, which is not possible in stores, where you have to go and physically move the hangars and dig for price tags. And then there is the whole talking bit - if you need a different size or colour, you have to find somebody, wait patiently if they are talking to somebody and then ask them the question. Or, when you go to the billing counter, you make small talk. Or, worse, they swing by occasionally asking if you need help - all very awkward. Online - there are no such interactions; in the worst case, you can always use the chat feature.

Similarly, I prefer texting to calling any day. When calling, the other party has to be ready to pick up the call, or if they are not, you have to leave a voicemail - which is so weird. I read that one of the Millenials/Gen Z has a voicemail that says - don’t bother leaving a voicemail as I won’t read it. I rarely listen to my voicemail. If it is that important, they will call again or text. The calls I get on my phone are mostly Scam/Spam - nobody really calls each other anymore these days.

With teams, emojis etc. I find expressing emotions through emojis easier than talking about them. When teams introduced that feature first, it was awkward - there is hesitation when you are like, what will thumbs up a comment actually mean - and then one day, I found myself making a heart emoji in a Zoom meeting with my hands. As it was easier to express what I felt with that - as we advance, Gen Z or Gen Alpha will change how we communicate or even use the written language. Eddie Bauer changed their logo because they realized younger folks could not read it. Nobody uses Yours truly or sincerely these days - the formality of language is changing.

Now, I love writing cursive despite refusing to do the handwriting assignments during the summer holidays. And creativity flows more easily when I write by hand, especially creative writing. I told my husband this is a critical skill that future generations will lose. His comment was, well, I am sure our parents thought the same thing when Google/smartphones came along. It is true, right - with encyclopedias, you could learn something other than what you are searching for. So, the wheel of time will keep rolling - and with each turn, we lose and gain some. What we can do is adapt - keep the memories and make it work.