Texting: Millennials And Boomers At Work

Think about the number of texts you send each day. Oh, that includes the short, one-word replies or just a solo emoji.

For millennials between the ages of 18 and 24, the number of texts sent on a normal day averages 109.5, or about seven texts per waking hour.

Can’t even?

Those text numbers are according to Pew Research Center, which calculates that all those texts add up to about 3,200 per month and 38,400 per year.

Communication styles, namely text messaging, seem to have evolved exponentially over the past decade or so, which certainly has its benefits and drawbacks. And generations each seem to have their own mode of communication strategy, tactics and beliefs. Millennials are stereotyped as being wild-eyed and glued to the screen, while Boomers are stereotyped as not as savvy, even missing certain text etiquette or typing too much or too little. And much as been written about how to overcome or see through these stereotypes.

In the office is where many colleagues — no matter your generation — find a strange and sometimes frustrating communication situation in this digital age.

According to the study, and others, the top reasons that millennials prefer texting is speed and convenience. OpenMarket released a separate study that said that 83 percent of millennials open a text message within 90 seconds — or sooner — of receipt. Another study by eWeek reported that 80 percent of people who do text use it for business — whether they use it as the dominant communication style, that varies, of course.

As for what to do about working in tandem, generation to generation, experts say listen to each other and mentor each other. Others add advice like promote individuality and learn to be flexible.