We polled Gen Z to see if they actually communicate like the kids in Heartstopper
The A.V. Club went straight source to figure out whether Gen Z even has each other's numbers saved in their phone at all

Although the cartoon leaves have settled on Heartstopper’s excellent second season, hardcore comic book fans and casual viewers alike were left with one lingering question. No, it’s not—spoiler alert—whether or not Charlie will hit send on his “i love you” message to Nick, his boyfriend, which will surely be covered in the show’s already-confirmed third season. It’s about the platform that that message may or may not be sent on in the first place.
The Heartstopper kids exclusively communicate through Instagram DMs. It’s confounding—at least to me, a ‘90s kid almost a decade out from my own angsty high school days. Much has been made of this little quirk in this generally thoughtfully-crafted show. Do director Euros Lyn or original comic writer Alice Oseman have some sort of back-door deal with the social media giant? Do these characters even have each other’s numbers saved at all? Is this how real Gen Z friend groups communicate?