The Digital Generation Gap: How Boomers and Gen Z Use Tech Differently

Everyone uses technology — but how we use it says a lot about the era we grew up in. From phone calls to DMs, desktops to TikToks, the digital habits of Boomers and Gen Z reveal just how much tech has shaped not only what we do, but who we are.

Connection vs. Curation

For Boomers, tech began as a tool for connection — emails, video calls, and long Facebook posts to keep in touch. Gen Z, on the other hand, treats digital spaces like creative canvases. Their feeds are less about updates and more about identity — curated visuals, humor, and trends that shift weekly.

Privacy Means Different Things

Older generations grew up guarding privacy; younger ones grew up managing it. Boomers often share more personal details online out of openness, while Gen Z is fluent in controlled exposure — public profiles, private stories, close friends lists. It’s not that Gen Z overshares; they just understand visibility as a language.

Different Platforms, Same Purpose

Boomers still favor platforms with familiar structure — Facebook, LinkedIn, email. Gen Z moves fast and fluidly between apps, following where the culture lives that week. But both groups use tech for the same core reason: to connect, express, and belong.