Mom gets a texting lesson from her Gen Z son—and wins the internet’s vote

Credit: Instagram/jasonsappy
Gen Z creator Jason Saperstone humorously teaches his parents the “right” way to text—focusing on when to use the emphasis or exclamation point tapback
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If you’ve ever had a child try to explain a viral trend to you, you’ll relate to this. In a now-viral Instagram reel with 2.1 M views, Gen Z creator Jason Saperstone humorously tried to “school” his parents on the “correct” way to text, specifically when it comes to using the “emphasis” or exclamation point tapback.
Yes, parenting in 2025 now comes with pop quizzes on texting rules.
When Gen Z turns texting into a PowerPoint
In a satirical but straight-faced PowerPoint presentation, Jason laid out his generation’s rules. According to his lesson, you use the emphasis tapback to express agreement, acknowledge a shared situation, or get someone’s attention. He then showed an example of his mom using the tapback to react to exciting news, arguing that her use was “wrong.” He claimed that to show excitement, she should have used a simple thumbs-up.
Related: Millennial mom and Gen Z daughter’s ‘then vs. now’ trend video goes viral
The internet’s verdict
But here’s the unexpected twist: the internet overwhelmingly sided with the mom. The comments section was filled with viewers who felt her use of the tapback was not only correct but perfectly intuitive.
Even actor and mom Reese Witherspoon chimed in, commenting, “Gosh, I have been doing all of this incorrectly for a WHILE.” It turns out, Mom’s instincts were exactly what the rest of the world considered correct.
“DISAGREE with the presenter and AGREE with mom. The emphasis on the Alex Cooper text conveys “holy shit! That’s awesome!” – @alexfi24
“I thought emphasize was the equivalent of saying “omg”” – @moisan.suzanne
“Not us all agreeing with Mom 💀 if you send me a thumbs up when I send you exciting news imma cry.” – @kellynswift
The familiar parenting role reversal
This hilarious role reversal is a familiar scene for many parents. As our kids grow, they begin to see themselves as the experts in the ever-changing digital landscape, eagerly positioning themselves to “educate” us on everything from social media etiquette to emoji use.
The moment when your child tries to parent you is a natural, albeit funny, part of the journey. It’s a playful reminder that parenting doesn’t stop, it just evolves.
Related: Malls are rebounding thanks to Gen Z’s shopping habits
The real lesson for moms
The real lesson in this exchange is a reassuring one for all parents: when it comes to texting, there are no hard and fast rules. Digital language is constantly shifting, and what’s “correct” to one generation might be completely different to the next.
So if your kids roll their eyes at your emojis or punctuation? Smile and keep going. Because as this viral moment proved, sometimes moms are the ones setting the standard—and the internet agrees.




















































































