Goodbye capital letters: Gen Z ask “What’s the point? It doesn’t feel authentic”

It starts with a text. No capital letters, no punctuation. Maybe it’s from your teenage kid, maybe a Gen Z co-worker. Either way, if you’re a millennial (or older), you probably pause for a second, wondering: Are they mad at me? Did I do something wrong? Did no one ever teach them grammar?

Turns out, it’s not anger or education – maybe we can argue later about the latter – it’s style. And as more ‘oldies’ encounter lowercase-only messages, from “i’m good” to “c u l8r,” a new question has emerged: Why has Gen Z decided that capital letters are out?

Capital letters and not for Gen Z

You might think it’s laziness. But if you ask Gen Z, the answer is way more deliberate. To them, skipping capitals isn’t a mistake – it’s a vibe. “Capitals feel like you’re trying too hard,” says Summer, 17, as part of research done by generational researcher Jason Dorsey. “It doesn’t feel authentic.”

Authenticity is a big deal for Gen Z. Unlike millennials, Xs and Ys, who grew up curating the perfect MySpace profile or choosing just the right sepia-toned Instagram filter, Gen Z has leaned hard into “realness” – or at least what looks like realness. And nothing says casual, low-effort cool like a lowercase text that feels like you thought of it and hit send without a second thought.

Micah, 18, puts it more bluntly in the same survey: “It’s not that deep. It’s just easier.”

Dorsey, who is also the president of the Center for Generational Kinetics, says it’s a reaction to how communication has changed on social media and texting platforms.

“Language is fluid, and conventions change as societal norms evolve,” Dorsey says. In other words, they’re not breaking rules – they’re rewriting them, quite literally. Evolution has also been seen with the increase in short voice messages across various platforms.

With TikTok and Instagram dominating much of the eyeball time these days, lowercase has become a visual cue for informality and relatability. Let’s see where it goes next.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.