Digital communication, rather than in-person communication, is the preferred form of communication for members of the Gen Z and Millennial generations, reports LivePerson. The firm, a provider of cloud mobile and online business messaging solutions, drew its findings from a study of the digital habits and preferences among Gen Z and Millennials across the globe.

LivePerson’s study surveyed more than 4,000 18- to 34-year-olds across the U.S., UK, Germany, Australia, Japan and France, plus an additional 1,016 adults aged 35 or older in the U.S. as a benchmark.

The study found that Gen Z and Millennials in total communicate more with others in the digital space than in person (65 percent). The percentage is even higher in the U.S. (73.7 percent) and the UK (74.4 percent). And more specifically, their preference is for text messaging. When asked if they could only keep either the phone app or messaging/SMS app on their smartphone, a majority of respondents (69.4 percent) would choose the messaging app. This percentage is also higher for those in the U.S. (73.4 percent) and UK (73 percent).

"We wanted to look more closely at the younger consumer audience, across different countries, and in more depth than the well-known trope that young people love their smartphones," says Rurik Bradbury, global head of communications and research at LivePerson. "What we see in the research data is the phone truly becoming an extension of the self, and the platforms and apps within it—digital life—occupying more than their offline interactions."

Emphasizing the primacy of smartphone in Gen Z and Millennial life, the study also found that 61.8 percent of global consumers ages 18-34 would choose to leave their wallet at home instead of their phone. Furthermore, 70.1 percent of respondents sleep with their phone within arm's reach, 64.5 percent bring their phone into the bathroom, and 52.2 percent check their phone if they wake up briefly in the middle of the night.

To download the full report, click here.