Baby boomers often get a bad rep for being old-fashioned, out of touch, and ignorant, but they’ve made many fantastic contributions to society. From technological advancements to changing cultural beliefs, boomers helped shape our modern world. Here are 18 things they got right that we should all take note of.
Children Playing Outdoors
Nowadays, children have so many indoor entertainment options that they don’t spend enough time outside. Research shared by Save the Children found that only 27% of children regularly play outdoors today compared to 71% of the boomer generation. Baby boomers remain huge advocates of children spurning technology for fresh air and exercise.
Not Relying On Technology For Everything
Though the boomers made many incredible contributions to technology, including inventing the Internet, they dislike relying on technology for everything. Nowadays, it seems like everything requires an app, and social media has become a major form of communication. Our reliance on technology hinders us as much as it helps us.
Basic Car Controls
Newer cars reflect modern society’s love of technology. Instead of the buttons and knobs used to control features in older cars, they have touchscreen controls. Not only do these excessive screens have the potential to distract drivers, but they’re tricky to use, which is why booms prefer their older models.
Owning, Not Subscribing
Subscriptions are normal for Generation Z, but boomers remember simpler times when you owned the things you paid for. Now, if you want to listen to music, watch television, or read news online, you must pay a monthly subscription fee. Boomers are correct that continuously paying to use something feels like a con.
Dressing For the Occasion
While the baby boomer norm of wearing business suits to work is now outdated and unnecessary, it’s still important to dress for the occasion. Disregarding dress codes and wearing casual attire to formal events has become more socially acceptable, and boomers are fair to be critical.
Paper Menus
Many millennials and Zoomers are starting to share the boomers’ dislike of QR code menus. A survey shared by CNN found that 88% of people prefer paper menus to QR codes; however, restaurants continue to use them. Boomers are right about paper menus being easier to read and more aesthetically pleasing.
Respectful Silence
Despite their history of saying things like ‘children should be seen, not heard,’ baby boomers have a point about current society being too loud. It’s normalized for people to shout and curse in public, and many establishments boom with music. Respectful silence is never a bad thing.
Living in the Moment
How often do you see a crowd filming a concert or people taking hundreds of photos rather than enjoying a unique experience? Boomers remember times before cell phones existed, and we should all take note of how they enjoyed things by living in the moment. Memories are more valuable than photos or videos.
Simple Devices
Technology has done amazing things for society, but it has also made all our devices more complicated. Gone are basic cell phones, laundry machines, computers, and kitchen appliances. In their place are gadgets with too many features that people struggle to use. Sometimes, the simplicity favored by boomers is better.
Addressing Children’s Bad Behavior
Boomers are critical of the rise of ‘permissive parenting,’ which involves limiting rules and consequences for children, and many experts agree. Verywell Family reminds us that children need discipline to learn impulse control and self-regulation. Boomers didn’t get everything right about parenting, but they’re right that addressing bad behavior is important.
Personal Privacy
Internet culture has made it normal for people to record themselves in public, but many take it to the next level by ‘pranking’ or otherwise bothering strangers. This lack of respect for privacy enrages boomers, and they’re right to be angry at people invading their space for social media content.
Customer Service From Real People
Nowadays, many companies rely on automated customer service from computers over hiring real people for the jobs. It’s so frustrating to contact customer service only to be kept waiting by an automated system that doesn’t help you. Boomers prefer simple communication with real people, something society should bring back.
Quality Over Quantity
Social media has led to the glorification of owning lots of expensive things, but this materialism is terrible for society. It makes people who can’t afford such an affluent lifestyle feel inadequate, and it’s terrible for the environment. Boomers prefer minimalism, and they’re right to choose quality over quantity.
Emotional Resilience
Boomers were very wrong about the concept that crying shows weakness, but their other ideas about emotional resilience have merit. We must be emotionally resilient to face difficult situations and avoid feeling fatigued or vulnerable when things go wrong. It’s an important life lesson for everybody, regardless of age.
Respecting People’s Property
Young people often joke about baby boomers yelling at people to ‘get off their lawns,’ but respecting other people’s property is a considerate thing to do. People work hard to keep their homes and gardens in good condition, so disrespecting their property means disrespecting them.
Upbeat Entertainment
Boomers love comedies, and they’re not so drawn to the slew of dramas and tragedies on our screens today. Many people from younger generations are also fatigued by excessive trauma and misery in modern movies and TV shows, so the boomer love for comedy is more universal than you might think.
Appliances That Last
It’s a common complaint that modern appliances break easily. Cheaper materials and mass production are mostly to blame for malfunctions and breakages, with many modern appliances lasting less than a decade. They’re a far cry from the well-built, durable appliances boomers produced in the past.
Working Hard For Your Dreams
Finally, most baby boomers are or were workaholics due to what Forbes calls the ‘post-war work ethic,’ which encouraged them to work hard for what they wanted. A strong work ethic is admirable, so long as you also make time to enjoy yourself, making the boomers an inspiration for all subsequent generations.
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