Gen Z takes aim at older people for the texting habit that ‘makes their blood boil’ – so are YOU guilty of doing it?

Gen Z has declared their biggest texting ‘icks’ with a very common phrase topping the list.

Those in their teens and twenties have taken aim at Millennials and Gen X for writing ‘LOL’ the abbreviation for ‘laugh out loud’ after every sentence, with some youngsters saying the ‘nonsense’ phrase ‘boiled their blood’.

Late replies, overuse of emojis and GIFs and playing loud voice notes in public are also on the list of phone habits that young people brand uncool.

Nearly one in five people aged 18 to 28 say they’re ‘repulsed’ by the texting habits of older generations, according to Sky Mobile.

Young people have also taken to [/news/tiktok/index.html]TikTok to slam the use of ‘LOL’.

Boms, from [/news/london/index.html]London, an influencer with 113,000 followers shared a rant about the use of the phrase.

’10 marks to anyone who can tell me what value [LOL] adds to the conversation.

‘Let me release that shackle for you that you have for that word because we are tired, it’s nonsense,’ she said.

Similarly, US comedian Nasser Al-Rayess questioned why people use the abbreviation in serious texts. 

He said in a video: ‘Can we stop saying LOL after every message that we send? “What do you want to eat, LOL? Just got hit by a car, heading to the hospital, LOL” Ain’t no laughing out loud every single time you send a text.

‘Don’t hit me with the “Want to go to a movie later LOL?” Don’t do it, it’s not laugh-out-loud funny.’  

Orlando Moonlight told his TikTok followers that the phrase ‘boils his blood’ and said he thinks people are being ‘sassy’ when they write it in their messages. 

However, Millennials have hit back at Gen Z, with many saying they will continue to use LOL and criticising the youngsters for ‘telling me what to do’.    

Texters should also be wary about which emojis they choose to send, according to the Sky Mobile poll of 2,000 British adults.

The most toe-curling emojis are poo, tongue sticking out, laughing and skull face topped the charts for being the most toe-curling symbols.

While 66 per cent of young people found the thumbs up emoji rude, the poo emoji was crowned the most cringe by 29 per cent of Gen Zers, followed by the monkey covering its eyes (26 per cent) and the thumbs-up and the awkward grimace, which were both dubbed awkward by 19 per cent of young texters. 

The research stated that 79 per cent of young people admitted to ignoring messages on purpose, despite 29 per cent of Gen Zers saying their biggest gripe is when someone takes ages to reply. 

One in 10 considered a 15-minute response time as too long, despite 81 per cent admitting it can take them up to two hours to get back to someone themselves. 

This comes as young service workers have been infuriating customers by refusing to greet or make small talk while serving them, and instead giving them what’s been dubbed ‘the Gen Z stare’.

Those aged 13 to 28 are struggling to make small talk in shops, restaurants and cafes and instead will ‘stare’ at the person and wait until they speak first, or even outright ignore something that has been said, according to hundreds of infuriated customers.   

Youngsters have been labelled emotionless’ by Millennials and Gen X and Baby Boomers who have banded together to call the younger generation out on their ‘poor social skills’.

One fed-up person penned on X: ‘[The Gen Z stare is] when I try to make friendly conversation with you and you look at me like you were born yesterday and don’t have language capacity. Just emotionless and nothing going on in your head as far as social skills.’

Another commented: ‘I deal with Gen Z all day and they’re basically socially stunted automatons. You greet them and they say nothing. You ask them a question and they just stare at you. They’re not human.’

And even older Gen Zers in their mid-twenties have noticed the lack of communication skills in their own generation, with one writing: ‘Why as a Gen Z do younger Gen Z look at me like I killed a puppy if I compliment their jacket. Or when I greet them when they come up to me at my job.’

However, Gen Z fought back and said that they become speechless and glare at others only when someone has asked a ‘stupid question’.