From the Traditionalists to GenZ: conceptualizing intergenerational communication and media preferences in the USA

4.2.1 The traditionalists and communication media

Born between 1936 and 1950, the Traditionalists are also called the Silent Generation or The Greatest Generation. Many of them are working in the U.S. Congress, the White House, company boardrooms and construction fields. “Will they ever retire?” The author’s GenY and GenZ students are fascinated with the work ethic of this generation. Although they are becoming scarce in the workforce, they are often viewed as a source of wisdom and institutional memory. They grew up in a time when people communicated with face-to-face meetings, rotary dial telephones, manual typewriters, and Snail-mail. Members of the Traditionalists matured during political and economic uncertainties. They generally had a long tenure at a single job and pride themselves as being dedicated long-term employees (Galowich 2018). The Traditionalists appreciate handwritten thank-you notes, birthday cards, and Christmas cards. Face-to-face communication approach works well with them. This generation believes in following rules and respects structure and authority. They expect you to present your information in a logical manner, using good grammar and manners, and formal titles of Mr., Ms., Dr., and so on. Comprehensive respect for this generation is critical, including respect for their age, experience, the chain of command, their legacies, and their institutional knowledge about the organizations.

4.2.2 Baby Boomers and communication media

Born between 1950 and 1965 right after WWII, Baby Boomers are a hardworking generation. The U.S. Baby Boomers experienced challenges during the Korean War, Cold War, and Vietnam War, as well as an extended recession, but they also enjoyed times of economic prosperity. About half of those entrepreneurs interviewed by me were in this category. They feel rewarded by money, recognition, and awards for their long hours at work. Baby Boomers enjoy traditional mass media outlets, such as television, radio, magazines, and newspapers. Baby Boomers grew up with face-to-face communication as the dominant method of workplace communication. During most of the boomers’ careers, the telephone was an important tool in their offices and cubicles. E-mail became available for people at work in the 1990s. Their drive for success gives rise to a call me anytime mentality, and they appreciate it when you seek their advice or use them as a sounding board. Boomers may prefer to use traditional forms of transactions such as checks or cash. They value handwritten thank you notes, birthday cards, and Christmas cards. Many Baby Boomers have transitioned toward social media to connect with family, friends, classmates, and colleagues, especially on Facebook and LinkedIn. About 90 % of Baby Boomers in the United States have a Facebook account (Kasasa 2021). Baby Boomers adopt digital communication with reservations. For cost reduction, there has been a widespread push in organizations to transition from paper documents to online platforms. This transition can be challenging for leaders and employees in the Baby Boomer generation, as they are reluctant to move completely online without a hardcopy. Their reasoning may include cybersecurity, accessibility, and comfort. The author’s Millennial graduate students are appalled that some organizations they work for have cabinets filled with documents as far back as the 1950s!

4.2.3 Generation X and communication media

Born between 1966 and 1980, the GenX generation is the middle child. GenXers are in the middle of their careers, juggling jobs, children, and aging parents. They experienced economic recessions and technological changes from the dot.com boom to social media expansion. Xers are in their peak earning years, which enables them to save, boost their wealth, and achieve stability. For most GenXers, adapting to apps and online services is an integral part of their lives. Splitting time between mass media and social media, GenXers are reachable almost anywhere. E-mail works well for them as a communication tool. They prefer in-person meetings for important issues of finance and investment because it promotes trust and brand loyalty. While this generation is digitally curious, their social media usage tends to be narrower and less experimental than younger generations. GenXers usually do not like encountering ads on social media. According to a 2018 survey, 56 % of Xers said there is too much advertising on social venues. One in three GenXers said they did not trust any social media channels or sharing personal information (Koch 2019). GenXers are willing to adopt new technologies with reservations. GenXers currently dominant as superiors in the workforce, as significant numbers of the Traditionalists and Baby Boomers have retired (Stillman and Stillman 2017). Strawser (2021) reminds us to celebrate generational differences and highlight transformative skills from the younger generations. Brown (2012) summed this up with the idea that Boomers “live to work” and GenXers “work to live.”

4.2.4 Millennials and communication media

Millennials (GenY, born between 1981 and 1995) are called digital natives as they are comfortable with all things digital: smartphones, computers, the Internet, and digital audio/visual (McMakin and Fletcher 2018). On April 30, 1993, the World Wide Web (www) was released for free into the public domain, which made it simple for anyone to navigate the internet (Ring 2023). The toddler or adolescent years of GenY coincide with the birth and early growth of the internet. Millennials’ worldviews have been shaped by the September 11 terrorist attacks and the proliferation of the internet. They are the generation who did not start with many digital technology innovations, but then during adolescence, they were surrounded by digital apparatuses. The abrupt transition from analog to digital technologies made Millennials accustomed to adopting new digital gadgets and social media platforms. Digital technologies and social media play critical roles in the lives of Millennials. Typical Millennials love their cell phones, and the best way to communicate with them is through social media so that you appear on their radar screens. All Millennial students in the author’s graduate class confirm that communicating with and marketing to Millennials needs to be via mobile communication and social media. Millennials make their purchasing decisions based on social media feedback, brand engagement, and online reviews. They have less brand loyalty and prefer shopping online (Kasasa 2021). Their purchasing habits are based on social media interactions and brand engagement. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can be top channels for politicians and executives to communicate with Millennials. According to research by Ernst & Young (2022), 76 % of Millennials would likely leave a firm if they do not feel their values are respected within the company, which includes diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

4.2.5 Generation Z and communication media

Generation Z (or “GenZ,” born between 1996 and 2010) were raised with smartphones and social media at their fingertips. They are called “digital natives,” the first generation to grow up with the internet as a part of daily life. When they were children or babies, they were given gadgets like iPhones, iPads, and smartphones to entertain, to learn, and to bond. Being self-taught tech geniuses, GenZers grew up in a hyper-connected world. GenZers are born self-learners. They learn from Google, YouTube, and ChatGPT! With the internet in their pockets, smartphones and social media are their norm for communication. They are also called the “iGeneration” or “iGen” (like iPhone, iPad). As GenZers spend so much time on smartphones surfing social media as well as going through isolation in pandemic, they might lack interpersonal communication skills and experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2022 left an interpersonal communication vacuum in many young people, as they endured social distancing, online learning, and isolation. One of the author’s GenZ students said: “For two years, I took online classes in my bedroom with my cat. I just hope to talk with another human being who is not a cat!”

GenZers are trend-setters with media. They create or popularize new social media platforms. Instead of TV or radio, GenZers entertain themselves with streaming services such as Spotify, YouTube and TikTok. GenZers like photos and videos instead of paragraphs. Consequently, GenZers prefer image-rich social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Snapchat, and others. GenZers have many ways of self-expressions, such as coloring of hair (green, pink, or purple), tattoos, body piercing and cultivating multiple e-Identities at social media. You might see GenZers acting “cosplay” (costume & play) with colorful hair and outfit as if they just walk out fantasy worlds of video games, Disney movies, manga, or cartoons. GenZers are entrepreneurial. Nearly half of U.S. GenZers plan to own their own business. The author often hears the undergraduate students talking about “monetizing” the projects they do or hobbies they have. With the rise of social media, as well as peer-to-peer networks, they are using new platforms to invent new opportunities: marketing products and services, creating podcasts, and launching start-ups.

GenZers strive to communicate “socially responsible” messages. The impact of eight years of Barack Obama as the U.S. President from 2008 to 2016 ingrained policies and regulations on “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)” in many organizations as well as K-12 schools and colleges. DEI applies to employee retention for equality regardless of their background in race, ethnicity, gender, age, and sexual orientation. Research shows that the notions of equality and inclusivity are important to GenZers. Most of them believe that everyone is equal and should be treated that way. GenZers are passionate about equality for the “lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ)” communities. GenZers are more comfortable with gender fluidity, and they give each other the freedom to choose proper pronounces (he, she, they) for one’s gender identification. It seems that issues surrounding DEI are more salient to GenZers than in any other generation. GenZers are also concerned with issues of climate change.

4.2.6 Generational differences between Y & Z

Members of Traditionalists, Baby Boomers and GenX generations might view Millennials and GenZers as the same “young people.” In reality, Millennials and GenZs are different. The Millennial generation (GenY), born between 1981 and 1995, are around 30s or early 40s. GenZers were born between 1996 and 2010, with the oldest ones just graduated from colleges, entering the workforce. The difference in birth years between the two generations creates significant disparity in technology adoption, economic conditions, and media preferences. First, GenZers are more innate with technologies. Millennials learned to adopt the internet and social media apps during their adolescent while GenZers were born into a world prevalent with technologies. GenZers are truly “Tech Natives,” while Millennials are “Tech Embracers.” This difference is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, GenZers seem to be experts in technology (“teenager genius”) to the point they need minimal management. On the other hand, GenZers are viewed as being “addictive” to their screens, lacking face to face communication experiences. Second, Millennials are economically more confident than the GenZers. Millennials were born and raised in the more prosperous 1990s are characterized as optimistic thanks to their encouraging Baby Boomer parents. Most Millennials are now young parents with established career paths. GenZers are more frugal because they grew up in a more socially unrest world in the 2000s and 2010s. GenZers are living with their parents longer because of the 40-year high inflation during early 2020s Biden Presidency (Boak 2023), pandemic era online learning, and post-pandemic hybrid or remote working styles. Finally, because they grew up in different times, Millennials and GenZers prefer slightly different social media apps. The top social media platforms for millennials are Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube (Gitnux Market Data 2023), while GenZers prefer YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat (Alves 2023). For them, Facebook is for the “old people,” including the Millennials.

4.3.1 Strategy #1: Conceptualize intergenerational communication as intercultural communication

Based on the Speech Codes Theory, it is critical to understand the existence and substance of speech codes used by each of the five generations in USA for more effective communication. Speech Codes Theory serves as the theoretical guidance of this paper. Viewing members in older or younger generations as cultural others, we need to be sensitive and mindful of what they want and how they feel. Dan Forsman, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties says that some Millennials think they can be “cool and hip” because of their own ideal self-images. Mr. Forsman suggests that these Millennial real estate agents to mirror the customers in dress code and manners. When a young Millennial female real estate agent approaches a 55- or 60-year-old GenX couple, Forsman says: “You don’t need to be flaunting it. You need to be very sensitive to whom you’re meeting with.” Jessica Cork is the Vice President for Community Engagement and Corporate Communications at YKK Corporation of America. Ms. Cork believes in the creative power of GenY and GenZ. In the past few years, she has been the supervisor for over ten of the author’s GenY graduate students and GenZ undergraduate students as interns. Ms. Cork listens to these students with care as she believes these young people represent the future of workforce and consumers.

4.3.2 Strategy #2: Craft clear vision statements

Like a compass, an organization’s vision statement guides the decision-making process and helps people stay focused to meet short-term and long-term goals. Alex Gregory advises that employees of all generations need to hear the vision from their leaders at the organization. From the very beginning, a leader needs to communicate his or her vision to employees of all generations and then keep referring back to this vision. A well-crafted vision statement keeps an organization on track, and unites the organization’s teams of employees, investors, stakeholders toward a shared purpose. A well-crafted vision statement is usually concise in language, encompassing in scope and reflective of the organization’s values. Nagendra Roy, CEO of AanseaCore says the vision statement should not be more than 8–10 words. He says vision statements, mission statements, projects, and programs need to be aligned together, so that employees of all generations understand what difference they are making to the organization. Many of the world’s top companies have short and easy-to-understand vision statements:

1. Disney: “To make people happy”

2. Google: “To provide access to the world’s information in one click”

3. Microsoft: “To help people throughout the world realize their full potential”

4. Nike: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world”

5. Tesla: “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy”

6. Uber: “We ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion”

4.3.3 Strategy #3: Communicate with simple language to all generations

In classic Sunzi “The Art of War,” it is proclaimed that “An army will win if everyone from the generals to the soldiers has the same goal.” (《孙子兵法》: 上下同欲者胜). The best way to ensure everyone in a team to have the same goal is to inform and motivate them with plain and simple language. The “Plain Writing Act of 2010” (U.S. Congress 2010) requires federal agencies to communicate clearly in a way the public can understand. The Act states that plain writing means writing that is clear, concise, well-organized appropriate to the subject or field and intended audience. The U.S. Census Bureau (2021) only allows simple language to communicate with the general population in census forms and flyers. Plain Language increases efficiency and reduces the need for clarification. A company can unite employees of all generations with simple words toward a clear goal. Roger Neuenschwander, former President for tvsdesign advises: “It’s 8th grade language and 8th grade vocabulary. Leadership communication is like a drumbeat.” Communicating in simple terms enables everyone to know where to go, what to do, and how to behave. JR Wilson, Vice President for Tower Strategy & Roaming at AT&T appreciates leaders who communicate with their employees directly and openly in simple language. Jeff McElfresh, the CEO of AT&T Communications, is humble, open, and transparent. Mr. Wilson says Jeff gains a tremendous amount of confidence from employees of all generations with various backgrounds. Mr. Wilson says Jeff is well-educated and he could show off with difficult vocabulary, but he chooses to speak in simple terms to let everyone understand.

4.3.4 Strategy #4: Engage in two-way communication via mass media and social media

The author’s participant observation with the GenY and GenZ students supports the “News-Finds-Me” perspective by Zúñiga et al. (2020). Millennials and GenZers get news through smartphones, which are their “digital significant others.” Organizations and companies need to be “visible” on the small screen of smartphones, the “prime digital real estate” of advertising and engagement screen. Mass media platforms are inherently one-way communication, while social media platforms are mostly relationship-based, facilitating two-way communication through likes, comments, and messenger texts. News broadcasting is evolving from one-way “Conduit” model of mass media to two-way “Relationship” model of social media. Organizations can keep up with two-way prompt communication on all media, including mass media and social media. Eddy Perez, the founder, and president of Equity Prime Mortgage says that over communication is better than under communication. An effective leader communicates with people in a transparent and inclusive way, especially when employees are from different generations. Wendy Lu, a partner at Aprio, an international accounting firm, reminds us that leaders should be technologically savvy so that they can use proper types of communication tools that fit with the situation. Each generation has their own preferences. With Millennials and GenZers entering the workforce and the markets, social media has become the mainstream, while traditional mass media is almost sidetracked. Forward-thinking companies are engaged in social networking services (SNS) marketing, for which a dynamic and comprehensive strategy is adopted to promote products and services at social media platforms. Companies that prosper from SNS profiles include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Snapchat, Tumblr, and TikTok. Most social media platforms have built-in data analytics tools, enabling companies to track the engagement and effectiveness of ad campaigns.