Chances are, you’ve heard someone from a younger generation remark, “Ok, boomer.” It’s no secret that folks born between 1946 and 1964 catch a lot of heat, but one boomer asked people in an online forum when it all began. These are their best guesses.
Note: Some quotes in this piece have been lightly edited for grammar.
Times Change
One boomer says times change, and so do people’s values. “Even those of us who were ‘alternative’ and ‘activists’ in our day were probably not working on issues that are relevant now. The way boomers vote, the way they spend their money and their time affects what’s available to everyone (though that’s less monolithic than in previous generations, thanks to the internet).”
Age of Misinformation
One commenter says the big thing that separates boomers from previous generations is the immense ability to learn and access information. “But as a whole, they stick with Fox News and are actively making things worse.”
Reaping the Benefits
One person notes that boomers enjoyed significantly reduced poverty and “not leaving school at 14 barely literate to work in a factory and die at 70 like their parents” but then decided to pull up the bridge behind them. “That is a bit annoying, but it isn’t the fault of individuals, and they, as a generation, were also part of great social change themselves.”
Adds Up
One boomer sees where people come from when they say their generation is mean. “Many men my age (60-70) are mouthy. Toxic masculinity and tough guy syndrome,” they said. “I see so many my age be so condescending to younger people. Have some empathy, boomers.”
Pointing Fingers
“There is a perception that all of the world’s problems for young people are a result of boomer policies that somehow all boomers got together and agreed on,” one commenter says. “Millennials are now the largest age cohort. If they’d just vote, they can change whatever they want.”
Cleaning Costs
One commenter says new generations don’t hate boomers themselves; they just feel like their generation has dropped the ball. “It has created a serious mess. And the following generations are pissed that if it gets cleaned up, the boomers won’t be doing it. It will be us, at great cost.”
Spreading Lies
Another commenter says while they love their boomer family members, they’re not a fan of their social media habits. “I get so frustrated that she and my other relatives, coworkers, ex-church family, and so on are content to bury their heads in the sand, share false memes on Facebook, and refuse to educate themselves.”
Nothing New
One person in their 60s said the generational divide is nothing new. “When I was younger, I hated those old WWII daddies. New generations are coming along that will feel the same way the present generation feels now.”
Not All the Same
“Do not buy into the idea that whole generations are one homogenous group,” one commenter warns. “You might as well believe in horoscopes, where everyone born at the same time of year can expect the same destiny.” They even call it “the new prejudice.”
It’s Inevitable
One commenter says the issue lies in boomers coming into political and economic power just as the post-WW2 boom started to wind down. “It’s basically unavoidable that the largest age segment of the population would end up with all these things tailored to benefit their generation. It wasn’t even intentional.”
Too Much of a Good Thing
One late-year boomer says growth in technology has changed the landscape for subsequent generations. “Part of my experience is that millennials and Gen Z have very legitimate concerns for societal values, acceptance, and the world, including climate initiatives,” they said. “The other part is that excessive social media may be a distraction to normal and more logical critical thinking.”
All Your Fault
One commenter says older people like to blame things on kids and quickly forget how they were at that age. “Also, boomers are the generation that bought participation trophies for their kids and then collectively decided to call them entitled for getting participation trophies. Obviously, there’s more to it, but that about sums them up.”
Double Standards
“I constantly hear about millennials being lazy,” one millennial says. “But many of us had helicopter parents who insisted on driving us everywhere because it wasn’t safe. And we weren’t allowed to do a lot of things because our parents wouldn’t let us.” Now, the same generation is criticizing them for it.
In the Spotlight
One Gen Xer openly admits to a bit of boomer resentment growing up based on media coverage. “I was so bleeping tired of hearing about what the boomers were doing and everything being marketed to them. Now the millennials are the media darling, and now I have great sympathy for the boomers getting blamed for everything under the sun.”
Taste Your Own Medicine
“As a 29-year-old myself, nothing makes my day more than to get lectured on not working hard enough,” one person sarcastically states. “Most young people’s complaints about boomers are the same as the stereotypical reverse, that they’re lazy and entitled.”
Source: Reddit.
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