Boomers are one of the most controversial generations, and younger people have many strong opinions about them. Boomers were responsible for some incredible inventions and social shifts, but they’re also plagued by stereotypes, some accurate and others unfair. Here are 18 of those stereotypes that just won’t go away.
Complaining About Everything
Boomers are the poster children for the viral ‘Karen’ meme, which mocks older people for constantly complaining and giving workers and servers a hard time. The boomer generation is also accused of criticizing everything younger generations do, further fueling the stereotype of boomers as bitter complainers.
They’re Out of Touch
Boomers were born between the 1940s and 1960s, so the world has changed a lot since they were young. They lived in an economically prosperous US with plenty of high-salaried jobs and low student debt. Sadly, this isn’t the case anymore. As a result, they’re often stereotyped as being out of touch.
Not Caring About the Environment
Climate activism is one of the world’s most important causes, but young people frequently stereotype boomers as anti-environmental. A survey by the Pew Research Center found that boomers are the least likely generation to consider climate change a priority or take action to address it. Boomers’ silence on the subject powers that stereotype.
They’re Digitally Inept
Technology is getting smarter every day, and boomers have made fantastic contributions to this, including creating the Internet. However, they’re still stereotyped as digitally inept. People frequently joke that boomers can’t use phones or computers, although this isn’t true of the entire generation and speaks to how much the world has changed.
Rejecting Modernity
Part of the technological stereotype about boomers is due to people believing they refuse to embrace modernity. Boomers are thought to have old-fashioned values about clothing, dating, and working, all things that Gen Z are now modernizing. Boomers regularly receive criticism for being ‘stuck in the past’ by comparison.
Hating Young People
Boomers are frequently stereotyped as being culturally at war with millennials and Gen Z. While many cultural differences divide them, not all boomers are combative, and they don’t hate young people. Their lack of effort to understand younger people’s woes is mostly to blame for this stereotype.
They’re Rich
Wealth and property ownership decrease the further down the generations you go, with boomers often stereotyped as one of the richest. According to Forbes, boomers are currently the world’s wealthiest generation, with an average net worth between $970,000 and $1.2 million, so this stereotype has truth to it.
Hating Change
Change defines the world, but it’s a lot to take in for baby boomers who have seen it change so drastically. They’re resistant to some changes and prefer things the way they were before, but it’s usually unfair to stereotype them as hating change since they fought for many social changes.
They Ruined the Economy
Nowadays, young people struggle to afford bills and purchase their first homes because they pay more for things but earn less. They accuse boomers of ruining the economy by cutting their own taxes and turning entry-level jobs into unpaid internships, among other things. As a result, this stereotype isn’t going away.
Insensitivity
Society is no longer as narrow-minded or conformist as it used to be, so people are much more open with each other. To some degree, boomers are set in their ways, so they’re stereotyped as insensitive because they don’t indulge in the same openness as other generations.
They’re Anti-Equality
Social activism has done incredible things for equality and irreversibly changed the world for the better, but there are still generational tensions. Some young people accuse boomers of being stereotypically anti-equality, especially concerning the LGBTQ+ community. The politics that boomers come from are to blame for these divides now.
Not Believing in Mental Health
Mental health is something people are more open about now, which is a far cry from how it was when boomers were younger. Research by the National Institutes of Health found that boomers demonstrate more resilience in mental health outcomes compared to young generations, so this attitude likely fuels the stereotype.
Obsessed With the Past
Everybody looks back fondly, but boomers are negatively stereotyped as being ‘obsessed’ with the past. They’re accused of wanting to return society to the ’50s and ’60s, which may be true of some things but false of others. Many boomers embrace social and cultural changes, so the blanket stereotype is unfair.
They Overwork
Boomers are known for having a strong work ethic, but this is frequently used against them. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, actively oppose workaholism and are responsible for practices like ‘quiet quitting,’ which involves doing no more than your job description. Workaholic boomers have, by comparison, become an unfortunate stereotype.
Never Going Outside
It’s incorrect to accuse boomers of never getting outside, but nevertheless, it’s a stereotype that won’t seem to shift. Boomers enjoy many hobbies: travel, gardening, music, golf, and fishing. Some even embrace more adventurous experiences, like scuba diving and skydiving, so they’re not the indoor bores they’re stereotyped as being.
Believing Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy theories are controversial and divisive, and people from all generations buy into them. However, boomers are the most stereotyped generation in relation to conspiracy theories because they’re older, and many young people wrongly assume they’re stupid or gullible.
They Can’t Text
Boomers didn’t grow up with modern cell phones, so texting isn’t something they’re accustomed to compared to children nowadays who own phones from a young age. It’s a humorous stereotype that boomers can’t text because of their history and preference for phone calls and voicemail messages.
Thinking Society is Doomed
Finally, society is changing quicker than many boomers can keep up with, so they’re infamously stereotyped as defeatists who believe the world is doomed. CNN claims that boomers have lower life satisfaction and standards of living, so their personal situations are likely to be blamed for their pessimism, not generic feelings of doom.
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