Sometimes, teens may have had enough.
It may come when bickering with their elders because of generational divides – people wearing torn jeans, or that not tipping that tax isn’t a nice thing to do, or that climate change is, in fact, real and will be a problem for my generation. And both parties, regardless of the century in which they’re born, are usually so sure of their rightness that they refuse to listen to any counterargument.
And two little words may come to my mind.
The “OK, Boomer” meme has been popular on social media apps like Twitter and TikTok amongst teens and young adults for the better part of a year, but only after a New York Times article in October did it reach the blogs and cable news talking heads. It did the usual half-week outrage cycle and then fizzled out.
But that doesn’t mean the meme is gone, nor the ongoing resentment between Generation Z and the Baby Boomers. To understand where it comes from, and why young people have chosen this form of revolt, we need to look at some facts.
“Baby Boomers” are those classified as being born between 1946 and 1964, with the oldest now in their late 70s – there are more than 70 million people in the United States of that age. They also make up a reliable voting bloc – with nearly 69% of eligible voters hitting the booths in 2016, compared with 63% among GenXers (1961-1981) and 51% among Millenials (1981-1996).
Meanwhile, Generation Z was born after 1997 – the oldest is around my age, 21. Many have never been old enough to cast a vote in their life – I was 18 and a few days old when I voted in 2016 – and they only make up 27% of the population. They’re ethnically diverse, on track to be the best-educated generation, and much of their understanding of the world and moral values come from the internet.
But, like any new generation, they’re small and underrepresented. Like any young generation, they are more progressive than their parents – 62% believe that increasing diversity is good for the U.S. And like any group of young people, they like to rebel and curse their elders.
But today’s teens aren’t merely protesting their curfew or their homework, they have real questions.
“What are you doing about climate change?” “How am I going to escape crushing student loan debt?” “How can I pay rent when I move out if wages are so low?”
And when some are met with sneering condescension and an attitude of superiority, the teens eventually resort to what journalist Taylor Lorenz calls “the digital eye roll.”
“OK, Boomer.”
It’s worth noting that, to teens, “Boomer” is a mindset. If anyone from their age to 100 fits their stereotypes of an old person – someone who doesn’t tip well or is rude to customer service, is culturally conservative, and is constantly affirmed by their media diet that their opinions and fears are not only justified but correct – they can be, “OK, Boomer”-d. This obviously doesn’t apply to all people of a certain age, which is why some researchers believe that classifying people by generations is a construct.
Nevertheless, the stereotype persists.
The phrase itself can be a last-resort tactic, for when young people feel like they aren’t being listened to by someone who will never change their mind. What’s the point of arguing then? “OK, Boomer.”
What’s the solution? Well, the first is to not take it so seriously – after all, it’s an internet joke. But behind every joke, there’s a kernel of truth. If you don’t want to be “OK, boomer”-d, then I would suggest actually being sympathetic and listening to those younger than you with an open mind. The world is a scary place, and the one that Generation Z will inherit won’t be sunshine and rainbows.
