Gen Z greets with casual slang like "What's good?," "Sup?," or "Hey," but also uses non-verbal cues like a simple nod or even silence, especially on the phone to avoid spam, prioritizing efficiency and authenticity over formal "hello". They might use emojis (like 💀 or 😭 for laughter) in texts or get straight to the point in messages instead of elaborate greetings, reflecting digital-native communication habits.
Gen Z uses casual greetings like "Sup," "What's good?," or even just a nod; they might use "Yo" or "Hey," while sometimes preferring authenticity over formal hellos, often skipping words entirely or using internet-driven phrases like "Bet" (meaning sure/okay) or "fam" (friends) in related contexts, but generally keeping it simple and direct.
Whilst boomers and millennials may use the 😂 emoji, this has long since been deemed 'uncool' (or 'cheugy') by Gen Z. Instead, this has been replaced by the skull (💀) or the crying emoji (😭), dramatising the idea of 'dying with laughter'.
Evolving culture
“Many Gen Zers value emotional clarity over politeness. They want authenticity, not artifice.” In other words, your friendly greeting might sound more like a cold call than a warm welcome.
To say “hi” in Gen Alpha slang, you could say “hey”, “what's good?” or simply “bruh.”
15. Bet: Like saying “okay” or “sure thing.” Example: “You coming to the party?” – “Bet.”
A simple wave or a smile is still considered a greeting if you're more of an introvert. For extroverts, good greetings for people are "Hi, how are you?" or "Hello, what's good?" or even a simple, friendly "hi" is a great greeting. Saying "Hola" or "Bonjour" is also a good way of saying hello or greeting someone.
loudly crying face emoji 😭
For Gen Z, this emoji is more exclusively used to indicate positive feelings, like when something is so funny, cute, or sweet that it's totally overwhelming. Example: “Look at my puppy wearing his new Halloween costume. 😭”
Gen Z often avoids saying "hello" on the phone due to fears of scams (voice cloning), a preference for authentic interactions over performative politeness, and a belief that the caller should initiate conversation, stemming from growing up with digital, asynchronous communication and abundant spam calls, making traditional greetings feel disingenuous or risky. They wait to assess the caller's intent, valuing control and information gathering over immediate pleasantries, seeing it as a safety measure against bots and fraudsters rather than rudeness.
20 Gen Z slang terms and what they mean
The sequence "🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥" means someone is enthusiastically talking about something amazing, excellent, or "lit," using the speaking heads to show they're voicing strong opinions and the fire emojis to emphasize how impressive, attractive, or exciting it is. It conveys intense approval or passion about a topic being discussed.
“Can't lie” “Can't lie” falls under the same umbrella as slang terms like NGL (not gonna lie) and TBH (to be honest). The 🆑 emoji is perfect to use when you're trying to keep things unfiltered and brutally honest.
The 🍋🟩 combination, officially the Lime emoji (🍋🟩), represents a literal lime, symbolizing sourness, Mexican food, summer, or tropical vibes, often formed by combining the Lemon (🍋) and Green Square (🟩) emojis on platforms that support it. It can mean something tart, refreshing drinks (like mojitos), lime green color, or generally mean "lime" in texts.
“Bruh” is a Gen Z staple for everything from calling out a friend to reacting to wild news online.
Flirty texts to start a conversation
What does pookie mean? A term of endearment or nickname that you call your best friend or significant other. Also used to describe something cute/adorable. Example: “I can't wait to hang out with you, pookie!”
Bae – Boyfriend or girlfriend.
Recent research shows that members of the Baby Boomer generation have worse health than previous generations did at the same ages—diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses are more common.
Quiet quitting represents a cultural shift, and is a response to many things—it could be unreasonable expectations, a toxic work culture, a heavy workload, or micro-management. If these issues aren't acknowledged, addressed, or resolved, the employee may feel they have little choice other than to scale back.
The 👁️👄👁️ emoji from a girl usually means she's speechless, surprised, or witnessing something awkward, funny, or unbelievable, expressing a "can't believe this" vibe, often with resignation like "it is what it is," or sometimes a slightly judgmental "wow, okay" without being overtly mean, just observing. It's versatile for awkward situations, shocking truths, or when something is so wild you don't know what to say.
Extreme laughter or amusement
One of the most common modern uses of the skull emoji 💀 is to show that something is so funny the sender is “dead” from laughter. This usage often replaces the face with tears of joy emoji 😂 or the rolling on the floor laughing emoji 🤣 for added exaggeration.
What does 💃 Dancer emoji mean? The dancer emoji is a sexy, confident woman used to tell folks that you are ready to party, are cool and carefree, or are a confident, fun loving lady. It can also indicate a general celebratory mood.
The earliest known use of the word good afternoon is in the early 1600s. OED's earliest evidence for good afternoon is from 1607, in the writing of Thomas Middleton, playwright.
American English: 9 ways of saying hello casually
adjective