What’s the best digital way to talk with your teens?
There are so many digital ways to talk with your teens — from typing to talking to videoing.
But what do teens actually prefer?
Research shows there’s a new trend of what digital method most teens prefer, and it might surprise you. But first, let’s dig into the various ways you can talk with them:
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Texting
Texting used to be the gold standard of digital communication with your teen.
It is quick and easy, providing instant replies to parents’ queries.
But texting has its downsides. It sometimes feels like decoding short hieroglyphic-like messages from your teens. Gibberish terms and a myriad of emojis can make these messages cryptic.
While texting is still popular and helpful, it’s no longer the primary way teens express emotion, process experiences, or maintain close relationships.
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Calling
Phone calls allow real-time conversation. They also enable you to hear tone, pauses, and all pace.
However, the need for very timely back-and-forth replies can scare teens away. There’s little time to think and ponder before giving a response.
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Video Messages
Video chats are one of the trendier communication methods for teens.
Teens gravitate toward video-based platforms like Snapchat and TikTok to mirror real conversation—spontaneous, expressive, and relational. Then can send short video messages back and forth to emulate a conversation.
Facial expressions can be seen, and tone heard, all while giving the teen time to pause before replying to a message.
There’s a communication method even more popular than this, though.
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Voice Notes
Research shows that voice notes are now the ideal communication for teens. Voice notes, or short-form audio messages, are the preferred way many teens stay in touch with friends and even family.
Snapchat users in the U.S. sent more than 2.5 billion voice notes in the first three months of 2025 alone. Additionally, a 2024 study found that 84% of Gen Z regularly use voice notes, compared to 63% of millennials, 56% of Gen X, and 47% of baby boomers.
Teens have labeled voice notes as the perfect middle ground between texting and calling.
A voice note is personal without the pressure of replying in real time. Teens can speak freely and respond when ready.
Why do teens love voice notes?
The short recordings convey tone, pace, laughter, and pauses. These cues enable teens to express what they mean without the fear of being misunderstood. Many report that it’s easier to talk feelings aloud than type them out.
Walkie-talkie-style apps such as Ten Ten or Voxer allow users to send voice notes that feel intimate and familiar.
Teens typically use voice notes to:
- Express complicated thoughts more clearly,
- Share deeper feelings,
- And grow relationships.
Additionally, when someone hears a voice, it activates the areas of the brain tied to connection and emotional safety. So, interactions involving voice build stronger bonds than text-based exchanges. In one study, around 38% of Americans reported that voice notes helped to reduce feelings of loneliness.
Parents, I encourage you to try voice and video messages with your teens. These methods of communication can help to convey nuanced emotions and decrease misunderstandings.
Ultimately, you need to find the communication methods that best enable your teens to feel seen and heard.
Ask your teens:
- How do they typically communicate digitally with their friends? If they use multiple methods, which one do they use most?
- What is their favorite method of communication and why?
- What makes them feel more understood, voice notes or text messages?
