The intergenerational wars are on – where millennials talk down to older people dismissively saying ‘OK Boomer’, and ‘bloody’ millennials receive their fair share of flack as well. So what are boomers, what do they mean when they refer to Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z? Also, who are millennials and why is there a problem between them all?
Baby boomers are people born in about 15 years after the Second World War. Then comes Gen X (60s and 70s), then Gen Y (aka millennials born in the 80s and 90s) and then Gen Z. This chart tells you more about the stereotypical characteristics associated with each. What comes after Gen Z? I don't think they've thought that far ahead.
They are used to saying what they want because they often unaware that things they say may be construed as offensive, racist or simply inappropriate.
The jokes boomers find funny may sometimes be ---- well not very funny ---- you know the sort of thing WhatsApp uncles find funny? That.
These two generations don’t get on much. Boomers think of millennials as thin-skinned snowflakes. On the other hand, millennials or Gen Y as they are also known, think that boomers are responsible of all the problems in the world today: economic problems, environmental degradation, countries fighting each other, paucity of resources… pretty much everything.
Mostly they are the not-so-old guys over in the corner watching and mostly enjoying the slugfest between the aged and the young.
When boomers and millennials face-off, things can get a little tense – because Gen X is kind of caught in the middle.
Immersed in social media, gaming and other virtual reality; this is the generation that is nervous the entire time they are forced to spend away from their gadgets.
Boomers don’t understand it. Millennials do, but they take themselves too seriously to laugh very much at those jokes.
Gen X and Gen Z also have their issues – Gen X thinks that Gen Z, living in their virtual world cannot cope with the real world. Gen Z has an equal amount of contempt for Gen X; thinking of them as geriatric duffers in about the same league as boomers.
So millennials have it in for boomers because they think they ruined the world, and boomers think millennials are gutless and rudderless underachievers. Gen Z believe Gen X have a terrible sense of entitlement while Gen X lament the terrible music ‘kids these days’ listen to.
It’s just the generation gap. Each generation has a problem relating to the generations above and below – that’s every generation ever! Boomers, Gen X, Y and Z --- these intergenerational wars have always been around and it all makes good grist for the meme-mill --- now more than ever.
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