We Can Tell How Old You Are Based on the Way You Text
You might not think twice about how you type out your replies, but your messaging style could be giving away your age. Whether you're still using outdated abbreviations (like "2nite" and "gr8") or you type strictly in lowercase, your habits say a lot about you. Wondering what your style screams? Here are 20 ways the way you text is a dead giveaway which generation you fall in.
1. Formal Replies
If you're writing out "Hi, ___" or even "Dear ___" like it's the start of an email chain—hey, boomer. Yup, we know it's you. Unless you're texting your boss or some other higher-up that warrants using extreme formal speak, there's no reason to be drafting out messages like you're on your Hotmail account.
2. Using or Referencing Outdated Memes
If you're using outdated memes that only those who lived through the early 2000s to 2010s would get, then you're definitely not "with the times." The troll face and "Y U No" memes are things of the past already, and instead of being funny, they're most likely just giving away your age when you text them.
3. Outdated Slang
Similarly, if you use outdated slang, such as "that's da bomb" or "cool beans" unironically, you're probably well into your thirties and possibly forties. These slang phrases might have been popular then, but they're no longer what the kids are texting nowadays—if you care about not sounding old through text.
4. Slow Replies
While younger teens and adults might take seven business days to reply back even though they're always on their phones, those who are older don't take it that far. Instead, if you're in your fifties and above, you're probably reading texts, giving them some thought, and replying back at least a couple hours later—even if it's just a simple yes or no question and you're (finally) responding, "Yes."
5. Typing Forever
Younger kids type blazingly fast on their phones, so you can generally expect quick replies when those dancing dots appear on your phone. Older adults, though? They'll take forever. A millennium. You could probably take a nap and they'll still be typing out their reply.
6. Not Reacting to Messages
Sometimes texts don't need a written response—you just need to "react" to it. For example, if you're sick and someone texts back "Get well soon," you can "heart" or "like" their reply, instead of typing back "thank you" and a thumbs-up emoji. As it turns out, older generations tend to not use the react feature at all (or forget that it exists entirely), as opposed to younger texters.
7. Typing in All Caps
Are you typing in ALL CAPS to emphasize how ANGRY you were when a driver CUT YOU OFF the other day? Yeah, you're probably an older texter. Apparently, even the way you use letter case can give away your age. If you type in all lowercase, you're probably younger. If you randomly capitalize words, or worse, capitalize the first letter of every word in a sentence? Boomer.
8. Using Proper Grammar, Punctuation, & Capitalization
Remember when we said typing out formal replies indicates you're likely older? If you're taking it a step further than just including a greeting line, like "Dear ___," and texting your response with proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization, you're most definitely older. Honestly, evening adding a period at the end of your thoughts shows your age.
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9. Emoji Habits
Older texters tend to use excessive emojis. They also tend to use a lot of unpopular or tacky emojis—the ones that nobody really uses. One obvious distinction is the way you might respond to something funny. If you respond back with the cry-laughing emoji, you're probably in your late twenties or older. Younger texters much prefer using the skull emoji to mean "I'm dead" (from laughing).
10. Typing with Pointer Finger
Everybody and their mom know that there's a certain way boomers text: with their phone held in their non-dominant hand and using only their pointer finger to type. If you're a tad younger, say in your late forties to mid-fifties, you might still be using the thumb-tapping method, but your movements are likely much slower than a younger texter.
11. Stretching Out Words
Heeeeyyy, doo youuuuu doooo thiiiiisss in yoourrr teeexxtss? Yeah, you're probably young. Teens especially like to type this way, stretching their words to give off certain playful, teasing, or flirty tones. Older texts tend to not do this and prefer to write properly.
12. Using Ellipses...
OMG...the other day...did you know...what I bought...at the market...? If you're using ellipses all the time unironically, you're most likely an older texter. Even if you need a moment to think about what to text, you really don't need to show your live thought process by adding "..." every three words. Really.
13. Using Outdated Abbreviations
Hey! How R U feeling 2day? Gr8? Me 2! If you're still using outdated abbreviations like you're texting through MSN Messenger, one thing's for sure—you're definitely not young. While abbreviations like "u" (you) or "ur" (your/you're) are still commonly used, others like "g2g," "omw," and "2nite" rarely come up in text speak for younger generations.
14. Signing Off Texts Like It's an Email
Ending your texts with a signature, even if it's just simply "- Dad" or "- Grandma," will immediately give away your age. Again, if you text like you're writing out an email to your boss, even when it's just a reply to your teenage kid, you're definitely showing your age.
15. Writing Out "Haha"
No one writes out "haha" to mean that they're laughing, unless you're a) being sarcastic and don't actually find it funny, or b) you're old. But there are exceptions: for one, if you're typing it out in all caps ("HAHAHAHA"), that could just mean you find it so funny, sending back an emoji as your reaction won't cut it.
16. Using Voice Notes
Teens and younger adults tend to use the voice note feature if there's a long story they want to tell in one go instead of typing it out, or if they're busy and need to be hands-free. Older adults will use voice notes whenever. Honestly, they'll even use it to reply to simple things, like "yes" or "hi," because then they don't need to type it out.
17. Using Asterisks for Emphasis or Sarcasm
Contrary to older texters who will use all caps to emphasize something, younger texters will use asterisks. So you might regularly see them type like *this* when they're talking about how *awesome* they found it when someone spilled their *morning coffee* on them. Sometimes, they might even use the sparkle emoji for emphasis instead.
18. Using Random GIFs
Ever texted out a genuine question and got a random GIF or meme in response? Yeah, that's how you know you're texting someone younger (well, that, or a boomer who doesn't understand context). But specifically in the case of Gen Zers, they love being chaotic, so sometimes you'll get a proper reaction GIF and other times you'll get a completely irrelevant one, just because.
19. Keyboard Smashing
Instead of laughing at a joke or reacting with real words, younger texters tend to keyboard smash. So you may often get complete gibberish responses ("shfiosdlnflsnmlcslkdclssd"), rather than a proper one ("You slipped on an ice cube? Are you okay?").
20. Calling Instead of Texting Back
Let's be honest, though: most of the time, you're not getting a text back from older adults. Instead, you'll get a call. It doesn't matter what the question was or what prompted them to call; they'll still prefer to just talk over the phone rather than having to (painstakingly) type out a reply.
