Gen Z is cancelling capital letters. In fact, it’s a whole new trend, with Gen Zers trashing traditional grammar in communications. Now, they’ve dropped using capital letters and punctuation altogether. So what do Gen Zers have against capital letters? According to business etiquette expert Jason Dorsey, Gen Z’s aversion to capital letters comes down to two main factors: the rise of casual, social media-driven communication and a decline in emphasis on traditional writing skills in schools. Most Gen Zers feel capitalizing names, places, acronyms or other proper nouns doesn’t really change the meaning, so why bother? Others say it’s just easier. Still others say their reason for dropping capital letters is because “capitals feel like you’re trying to be formal or fake; it doesn’t feel authentic.” It’s not just a texting thing anymore. It’s everywhere, from social media to branding and even some workplaces in creative industries. It’s part of a bigger shift toward more relaxed and natural ways of writing, moving away from old-school grammar rules. While this approach works well for lifestyle, beauty and tech brands, it may not be suitable for industries that rely on trust and authority, such as finance and health care. So where’s it all headed? “Over time, casual conversational styles will be the norm everywhere,” predicts Dorsey, “but for now, even as business communication becomes more relaxed, we’re not losing capital letters entirely.”
