Nine in 10 Gen Zs have friends they now communicate with exclusively through memes
Nearly nine in 10 Gen Zs have friends they now communicate with exclusively through online memes - and rarely or never see them in real life.
A poll of 1,000 Gen Z found those who send memes typically fire off 572 to friends, and receive 661 each year, with 74 per cent claiming this form of online talk including funny videos, gifs and images has brought friendships together.
This is because they make everyone laugh (58 per cent), they are relatable (44 per cent) and they can tap into a niche, shared sense of humour (40 per cent). For those who say memes have brought them closer, 36 per cent claim they are good at conveying specific emotions – including, happiness, excitement and amusement.
The research was commissioned by National Express, which is working with communications expert Amira Mansour to reveal how communication styles have changed over the years, and the importance of maintaining in-person connections.
Amira said: “Memes have become such a natural part of how Gen Z communicate because sometimes sending one is just a way of saying, ‘I saw this and thought of you’ or ‘you’ll understand this because you get me’, without needing to start an entire conversation.
“Shared humour also creates its own language between friends and sometimes a meme can express an emotion or experience that feels harder to put into words.
“What I find interesting about the research is that despite Gen Z growing up with more ways to communicate digitally than any generation before them, they still place higher value on being together in person.
“That tells us digital communication isn’t necessarily replacing human connection; it can help us maintain it in the moments when we can’t physically be together.
“There are parts of communication that a screen simply can’t replicate. When we’re face-to-face, we’re responding to tone of voice, facial expressions, body language, energy and all the smaller cues we pick up from another person, without even thinking about it.”
The research went on to find a quarter think memes are some of the most expressive ways of communicating. But face to face conversations were voted the most meaningful form (52 per cent), followed by video calls (32 per cent) and phone calls (29 per cent).
And 46 per cent say they laugh the most with their friends in person, even though 73 per cent think digital communication has had a positive impact on their friendships.
Furthermore, 77 per cent claim sending and receiving memes is great, but nothing beats meeting friends in person. Two-thirds believe they need to see each other at least once a month to maintain a strong friendship.
But lack of free time (38 per cent), living too far apart (36 per cent), and limited transport options (15 per cent) can make things difficult. And 68 per cent believe residing in different towns and cities can make it hard to keep friendships, according to the stats by OnePoll.
Rocio Escondrillas, commercial director at National Express, which is running a competition on its Instagram and TikTok encouraging students to turn their memes into miles, said: "Memes have become a huge part of how Gen Z keeps in touch, and it’s great to see how they can help maintain friendships when you’re miles apart.
“But as the research shows, there’s nothing quite like spending quality time together in real life. We know students are often juggling busy lives and tight budgets, so getting together with friends and family isn’t always easy.
"With millions of young people travelling on our services each year, we understand how important it is to have access to affordable and reliable travel, our nationwide network helps you get to where you need to be so you can stay connected with the people who matter, wherever they live.”