Our society is so different from what it was decades ago, and boomers don’t like much of what everyone considers normal in today’s society. In this light, here are 17 things about ‘woke culture’ that particularly make boomers uncomfortable.
Cancel Culture
Shaming someone publicly or entirely boycotting anything related to them because of a misdeed doesn’t particularly sit well with boomers. They see it as promoting quick judgment, especially if the misdeed is only perceived, and that it denies people the grace of learning from their mistakes.
Political Correctness
Telling people what to say or how to behave so that they don’t offend a particular group is seen by boomers as an attack on free speech. To them, it makes people overly cautious and constrained with their expressions, and it often inhibits honest discussions or simplifies complex issues.
Defunding the Police
Some people advocate that police funding should be redirected to investment in education and housing, helping to contribute to a better, safer society. However, the only thing boomers foresee from this is a dangerous rise in crime rates. Thankfully, USA Today reveals that most Americans are behind boomers in this.
Safe Spaces
The idea of having a space free of bias, criticism, or differing opinions, typically done to protect marginalized groups, is another thing boomers don’t particularly like. This is especially true when safe spaces are in an educational institution, where students are supposed to be exposed to differing viewpoints.
Non-binary Gender Recognition
Boomers also see gender identities that are separate from the binary “male” and “female” as an overcomplication of social identities. Although they exist to promote inclusion, for many boomers, these genders are just too ‘out there,’ and they consider it bad for society.
Compulsory Pronoun Sharing
Continuing from the last point, boomers are outraged that it’s not enough that there are multiple genders; some also require declaring genders in social settings to encourage awareness and avoid misgendering. However, boomers see this as forcing people to participate in a cultural shift they don’t agree with.
Gender-neutral Restrooms
Boomers are already livid about gender, but to make matters worse for them, there are also gender-neutral restrooms created to promote inclusivity, particularly for transgender and non-binary people. However, all boomers see is an unnecessary disruption of traditional norms that comes with apparent privacy issues.
Trigger Warnings in Academia
Boomers don’t quite understand why trigger warnings are required in academic research; yes, they serve as a heads-up to those with trauma, but they think it’s too overprotective of students. Boomers may be right about this one, as US News reveals trigger warnings do nothing to relieve distress, yet they likely limit research.
Cultural Appropriation Debates
These days, society often becomes outraged when someone of a different race or culture uses elements of another without “permission,” but this doesn’t make sense to many boomers! Rather than promoting respect and protecting unique expressions, boomers see it as only restricting artistic expression and limiting much-needed cultural exchange.
Bias-Free Language in AI
AI is on the rise in society, and efforts have been made to eliminate AI outputs perceived to be discriminatory. These are done to prevent AI from amplifying social biases, but there’s controversy with boomers around what really constitutes bias. Many, like IBM, think it’s impossible and that it simply isn’t practical.
Reparations for Historical Injustices
It’s not that boomers don’t believe that injustices, like slavery and genocide, should be forgiven. What they do have a problem with is how these reparations are used to rectify longstanding inequalities, making innocent generations pay for past mistakes they had no hand in.
Microaggression Awareness
Part of what boomers see as unnecessarily policing social interactions is the focus people place on subtle, typically unintentional, expressions of bias. While ‘microaggression’ awareness tries to educate people on the weight their words hold, for boomers, this only promotes hypersensitivity and limits natural human interactions.
Eco-Guilt
It’s generally a good thing to hold people accountable for the damage they do to the environment. Even some boomers will agree with this, but their problem is that micro-managed environmental goals are so stringent that they become unrealistic or even curb economic growth. It’s a tough debate, that’s for sure!
Vegetarianism and Veganism
The motives behind calls for everyone to opt for vegetarian diets go beyond promoting healthy living; there are also ethical stances against using animals for meat. Boomers don’t understand this, given that meat is a traditional source of food. However, we say that people should eat whatever they feel comfortable eating–simple.
Anti-Capitalism
In addition to the unequal distribution of wealth associated with it, The Guardian shares how 80% of millennials and Gen Z blame capitalism for the housing crisis, and 75% point fingers at it for our climate problem. Nonetheless, boomers aren’t with the “eat-the-rich” movement, as they see capitalism as fundamental for free societies.
Universal Basic Salary
On a surface level, it’s a good idea that every citizen gets a basic salary, as it reduces financial hardship and cushions the effects of poor job markets. However, boomers disagree; they’re usually of the opinion that this only discourages work, leading to economic inefficiencies in the long run.
Admissions Favoring Disadvantaged Groups
Finally, universities and companies now typically prioritize marginalized groups in an effort to promote equal representation. Unfortunately, instead of eliminating systemic inequalities, many boomers only see this as reverse discrimination that hurts the more advantageous use of merit in the admission or employment of candidates. We can see both sides!
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