How Do Communication Modalities Influence Intergenerational Communication?

This cross-sectional study analyzes the rapidly developing landscape of online communications. In particular, it studies the modalities used by three generations, which include baby boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y/millennials. In addition to analyzing their preferred methods, researchers also studied the conflicting views on other generations. This was done through data collected from an online survey administered via email and social media posts. It was hypothesized that the gaps in communication styles between different generations would be significantly different than the other generations mentioned. Researchers found that while generational differences are still present among the three demographics studied, a significant number of similarities between the groups were present as well. One example being that the majority of individuals from each generation reported using Facebook as their primary social media service (SMS) as well as over 90% stating that they felt confident in their ability to effectively utilize new forms of technology and social media