Why Gen Z finds it hard to talk about emotions?

In my recent conversations with four teenagers, they all echoed the same sentiment: “I can never get the right way to put across what I am feeling. It always comes out the wrong way, and so now I just avoid talking about feelings.” Their frustration and avoidance of emotional conversations highlight a critical issue: the lack of tools to express emotions is not just inconvenient—it’s potentially damaging.

Communication today happens primarily through texting, social media, and emojis. While these platforms make it easier to stay in touch, they remove key elements of emotional communication, such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language. Without these cues, conversations often lose their depth, leaving young people with a limited emotional vocabulary.

This digital age encourages quick consumption of information, which further impacts reflective emotional processing. Instead of taking time to understand and articulate what they feel, Gen Z is swept up in the fast-paced nature of online interaction.

The inability to articulate emotions is more than just a communication gap—it’s contributing to the mental health crisis among Gen Z. Feelings of frustration, isolation, and confusion arise when emotions are misunderstood or ignored, exacerbating conditions like anxiety and depression. As mental health issues rise, it’s clear that emotional illiteracy is playing a significant role.

Emotional expression also plays a vital role in building strong, meaningful relationships. When young people struggle to communicate how they feel, both personal and professional relationships suffer. Unexpressed emotions create barriers that prevent genuine connections, leading to misunderstandings and unresolved conflicts.

The question now is: How do we help Gen Z develop a richer emotional vocabulary, allowing them to express their feelings beyond basic terms like "happy," "sad," or "anxious"?

Schools should integrate emotional literacy into the curriculum, encouraging students to explore complex emotions and language through reflective activities like journaling or group discussions.

Promoting face-to-face communication over digital interactions will give Gen Z the chance to practice reading non-verbal cues and using more nuanced emotional language, as these skills are often lost in text-based communication.

Mindfulness and emotional awareness exercises, such as labeling emotions during mindfulness sessions, can help individuals slow down and process their feelings more deeply, expanding their vocabulary beyond basic terms.

Parents and educators should model diverse emotional language, openly discussing their own feelings in varied ways, so that young people learn to articulate their emotions in more specific, nuanced terms. Providing the right language and context can make all the difference in emotional expression.

By addressing this silent struggle, we can empower Gen Z to speak openly about their emotions, improving their mental health and relationships in the process.