11 Sweet Traditions Most People Used To Follow But Are Slowly Disappearing With Gen Z
Leszek Glasner | Shutterstock There are practically a million socioeconomic, technological, and even relational gaps that distinguish people in younger generations like Gen Z and Gen Alpha from their parents’ and grandparents’ generations. None of them are necessarily better or worse, but their differences are largely influenced by changes in societal norms and expectations. Some of the sweet traditions people used to follow are slowly disappearing with Gen Z and Gen Alpha, but it's not because younger people don't care.
In particular, Gen Z is often characterized as the “changemaker” generation, as they're already leaving impactful marks on the workplace, politics and education as they begin to navigate early adulthood. As they discover their own ways of doing things, they will create wonderful new traditions, and, hopefully, they will combine some of theirs with a few of these most meaningful traditions from the past and create something beautiful.
11 sweet traditions most people used to follow but are slowly disappearing with Gen Z
1. Flowers on a first date
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With changing dating and societal norms, it’s more common for a date to show up empty-handed than for them to bring a bouquet of flowers. It’s not considered a necessary sign of basic respect or etiquette anymore, especially with more people chatting via text or online before their first official date. After all, Pew Research reports that more than half of daters under the age of 30 use apps to meet one another, and most of these apps rely on an algorithm to make sure the matches have important things in common, so people often feel comfortable relatively quickly.
Flowers might seem like a waste of money on a first date, especially when you have three more slots for the same week — which is largely a new societal trend that older generations aren’t as familiar with. However, on a second or third date, it might feel more accessible and acceptable to adopt the traditional practice.
2. Handwritten letters
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Along with learning cursive handwriting, many younger generations like Gen Z are moving away from the sweet tradition of handwritten letters to express love, gratitude, and thanks. Focused on convenience, and sometimes affordability, they opt for a phone call, or more reasonably, a text message instead.
Gen Z isn't at fault for preferring texts over written letters. After all, text messages are often conversations, with back-and-forth exchanges in a short time. In that way, they were never meant to replace letters, which are longer and more based on story-telling. Today's young people may even use voice notes, audio clips recorded right in the messaging app, the way their parents and grandparents wrote letters.
Still, some young people still love to sending letters. After all, there's nothing like opening up the mailbox and finding something other than junk mail and bills. Holding that paper in your hands is more than communication, it's a gift that one can save and treasure.
3. Traditional dining etiquette for meals
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Some people may say that table manners are over, that Gen Z is like a whirlwind free-for-all of chaos. But that's a pretty serious exaggeration. No, they may not remove their hats when they walk into the house, but there are ways Gen Z respects sweet traditions in their own way.
According to author Clare Finney at Vogue, table manners and basic dining etiquette aren’t going away completely, they’re just changing on a household and societal level. As new generations bring technology and new slang to the dinner table, there’s inevitably going to be changes in the rules and expectations parents have.
So, no, they might not be actively policing where the silverware sits next to the plate or their children's elbows on the table, but good parents will always focus on teaching their kids to be considerate and kind. And isn't consideration the sentiment at the heart of manners, anyway?
4. Thank you cards
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Many people have almost completely stopped the practice of sending thank you cards, especially handwritten ones after parties, events, and receiving gifts. While many express gratitude in other ways that benefit their wellbeing, this is one of the specific sweet traditions slowly disappearing with younger generations.
In addition to general handwritten items, many public schools have also largely standardized their lessons and curriculums on testing, starting with the removal of cursive from the Common Core curriculum across the country in 2010. So, not only are Gen Zers not writing handwritten thank you cards, they’re not learning cursive at all compared to older generations that were (forced) to.
5. Reading a print newspaper in the morning
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While print newspapers may be seen as “cool” again by Gen Z, the majority of people aren’t reading one every morning the way people in older generations did religiously. After all, we can get our news on our phones, watch favorite news shows any time on our web-based TV server or read a newsletter that thoughtfully summarizes it all.
While many people are still engaging in a similar ritual each morning, Pew Research indicates that 86% of US adults get at least part of their news online. So, it's not that we aren't engaging with the news. But what does get lost is the exposure, via the newspaper that is in your hands, to a wide variety of news events and even different perspectives.
After all, the newspaper doesn't have an algorithm to feed you exactly what you'll engage with, and that is part of what made it such a sweet tradition. Every neighbor on the street read the same stories, had the same laughs at a comic strip, and could relate based on that. And that is a wonderful thing.
6. Owning a home
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Owning a home is no longer a rite of passage for young, married couples starting their lives. Instead, most Americans cannot afford a home until they're 40. That means Gen Z is missing out on more than just a sweet tradition, they're also missing out on one of the most stable wealth assets available. It wasn't always this way. As NBC reported in 2025:
"The median age of first-time homebuyers hit 38 last year, up from 35 in 2023 and almost a decade older than in the 1980s, when the typical homebuyer was just 29, the National Association of Realtors reported late last year."
These days, people are living paycheck-to-paycheck at much higher rates than older generations despite holding the same (if not more) entry-level jobs, internships, and side hustles. That means they’re struggling with long-term financial goals and investments like contributing money to a savings account, their retirement or college savings for their children, and the long-term effects of this change are likely very dire.
7. Formal and ‘professional’ clothing
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Whether it’s changing norms for “business casual” clothing or the tendency for white sneakers to substitute any other footwear alternative for formal or professional events, the new generation of workers and professionals are largely disregarding traditional dress wear expectations. The number of young people working from home or in a hybrid format has likely further enhanced this.
Even in their personal lives, the “athleisure” trend has taken off, with more people prioritizing comfort in their wardrobe than anything else — even to the point of wearing sweat suits out of the house. There's nothing objectively wrong with this, but that means semi-formal and professional clothing is becoming more rare for Gen Z.
While it’s generally a positive sign that workers and peers are more comfortable, as it tends to support higher rates of happiness and productivity at work, many older generations find it distasteful or even rude. It's likely the answer lies somewhere in the middle: the sweet tradition of dressing to impress is still valuable, but it's ultimately better if some of the pressure to appear perfect in a stiff and uncomfortable suit has lessened for Gen Z.
8. Picking up your date instead of meeting them out
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With accessibility to online horror stories about meeting dangerous people who seemed normal online, dating safety precautions have become commonplace, especially for women. According to the Pew Research Center, 79% of online users under 30 have used dating apps, but less than 50% consider them safe.
While it's always good to be self-protective (and for the other person to respect that), the once-sweet tradition of picking up a first date in your car has slowly disappeared from modern dating culture. These days, people would rather meet up in public and start their date from there.
The good news is that young people have created new sweet traditions in dating, ones that help both partners feel safe.
9. Regular family dinners
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How many families today are actually sitting down together at the end of every day and having a family dinner? The truth is: not many. According to a YouGov survey, most Americans wish they were having regular family dinners, but less than 30% actually are.
While it might seem like a societal trend focused on convenience, or a matter of changing values and beliefs, it’s more generally a problem of time, money, and energy.
Many families, even in the once-comfortable middle class, are working multiple jobs and longer hours just to pay their basic necessities and bills. They hardly have the extra money to pay for their groceries, let alone spend the time cooking, setting the table, and finding time for everyone to eat together every single day.
10. Drive-in movie theaters
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Despite there having been an estimated 4,000 drive-in movie theaters across the United States just a few decades ago, according to The United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association, as of 2021, there were only an estimated 318 remaining. So, while drive-ins were once a sense of community — or a “third place” — for Gen Xers and baby boomers, younger generations today are almost solely connecting with people on their phones.
The disappearance of “third places” for social and community interaction isn’t limited to only drive-in theaters. Rather, it’s largely an accessibility problem for many people, from coffee shops to public parks and more. Researchers believe there may be serious consequences to people's well-being without these third spaces to connect with others and recharge.
Fortunately, Gen Z is stepping up and trying to reignite the sweet tradition of third spaces, and people are even enjoying drive-in movies on nostalgic summer evenings again.
11. Dedicated time with elders
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Despite the rise in multigenerational homes in the US, mostly due to financial reasons, people have lost one of the sweetest traditions from generations past: regular, scheduled time spent with elders, like grandparents and great uncles and aunts.
Often, this time is lost because of the pressure on people to always be working and trying to make ends meet. In addition, people often move away from their families once they become adults, creating more isolation and less opportunity for multi-generational time spent together, like regular Sunday dinners of the past.
This loss isn't sad only for the elders in the family whose children have grown up and started their own families, it's also a loss for their kids and the small children in their homes. According to Thomas R. Verny, M.D., not only does time with grandchildren help keep elders healthy, there are benefits to the kids, too.
"Grandparents often have the opportunity to share their knowledge, wisdom, and family traditions with their grandchildren. Such early experiences strengthen a grandchild's self-esteem and reinforce beliefs, norms, and values while creating opportunities to explore identity in the context of one's family."
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
