Email is a buffer for Gen Z.
A new survey of nearly 1,400 Gen Z professionals across the U.S., U.K., Canada, and parts of Europe finds that 60% use email to avoid awkward or stressful work conversations. Among Gen Z women, that number climbs to 65%.
And while most might expect this generation to prefer quick DMs or emojis in Slack, email is actually Gen Z’s favorite way to communicate at work – chosen by 42% of respondents, double the number who prefer Slack or WhatsApp.
Why? It gives them space and protects their emotional wellbeing.
Email helps gen Z set personal boundaries
Several respondents shared that email “allows a degree of separation” and helps them set personal boundaries at work. It may also explain why only 2% of Gen Zers picked video calls as their favorite work communication channel. Even phone calls (at 7%) are more popular.
“Email gives Gen Z a sense of distance to ease anxiety, which could be a form of avoidance coping,” says clinical psychologist Dr. Catherine Wikholm. “But the more they avoid direct conversations, the harder those skills become to build.”
Wikholm suggests grounding techniques and slow breathing as simple but effective ways to reduce social anxiety and grow confidence in face-to-face communication.
Email helps them cope, but it’s also a source of stress
The same survey, conducted by email platform ZeroBounce, reveals that while email offers Gen Z some psychological safety, it’s also making them more stressed and less productive.
- 52% say email stresses them out.
- 92% admit email overload affects their productivity.
Using email to avoid anxiety but ending up overwhelmed by it shows how complex workplace communication can be for the youngest generation.
Many also face challenges with email etiquette:
- 57% are unsure how formal their work emails should be
- 51% don’t know when to follow up if they don’t get a reply
- 26% are confused about when to CC vs. BCC someone
“We didn’t expect a generation known for casual texts to stress so much over emails,” says Liviu Tanase, founder and CEO of ZeroBounce.
The serial entrepreneur adds: “It’s a reminder that many Gen Z employees may be feeling more anxious than we realize because of how we communicate at work. Email isn’t the problem. It’s just one reflection of a workplace culture that may need more trust and model healthier habits.”