Think of modern messaging like managing a well-balanced diet: too little, and you miss out on nourishment; too much, and it becomes overwhelming noise.

Texting, especially among younger consumers, has become the equivalent of fast, on-the-go snacking—quick, convenient, and increasingly popular. According to a study by SimpleTexting, 69% of Gen Z and millennial consumers have opted in to receive brand texts over the past year. But even the most enthusiastic snackers have limits—90% prefer receiving messages once a week or less.

Consumers are also setting boundaries. Much like scheduled meal times, 52% use quiet hours or “Do Not Disturb” settings to control when messages reach them, with 23% enforcing this daily. Gen Z, in particular, is more disciplined here—58% use quiet time compared to 47% of millennials.

So why are 31% still opting out? The answer is simple: overload and irrelevance. Many, especially millennials, don’t want more notifications cluttering their day. Others are wary of spam and privacy concerns. For Gen Z, the rule is even stricter—if the message doesn’t deliver clear value, it doesn’t deserve attention.

Now, not all “nutrients” are best served via the same channel.

Email remains the hearty, sit-down meal—preferred for more detailed or transactional content:

Texting, on the other hand, is the quick energy boost—ideal for time-sensitive updates:

Behaviorally, Gen Z and millennials also consume their “digital diet” differently. A majority of Gen Z (57%) spend their phone time browsing social media, compared to 44% of millennials. Millennials, meanwhile, lean slightly more toward direct messaging (18% vs. 15%). Interestingly, both groups barely differ when it comes to email usage—just 3% each actively engage there.

When it comes to opting in, consumers show the highest appetite for texts from ecommerce and retail brands (48%), followed closely by healthcare (43%). Travel (24%), consumer services (23%), finance (20%), and technology (20%) fall into the mid-tier, while construction and manufacturing barely register (3% each).

Across the board, certain “flavors” consistently win:

Millennials, however, show a slightly stronger taste for richer engagement—two-way customer support, loyalty perks, and local offers all resonate more with them than with Gen Z.

Actionable takeaway:

Treat your messaging strategy like a nutrition plan. Use SMS sparingly and purposefully—reserve it for high-value, time-sensitive updates. Let email handle the heavier, information-rich communication. And above all, respect your audience’s boundaries: frequency, relevance, and timing are the difference between being welcomed and being ignored.