But now, when boomers look at how protective younger generations are of their time and the small pleasures in life, they don’t see the changed system that disadvantages young people. Instead, they see laziness and lack of commitment. They sacrificed a lot to get to where they are, so why can’t others do it? They mistakenly conclude that younger generations prefer short-term goals to hard work and perceive them as entitled.
When “OK Boomer,” a phrase that was named a “rallying cry” by the New York Times, became popular, boomers were really upset. They claimed that that is blatant ageism. But again, that is not the case. The “OK Boomer” phrase is supposed to criticize the ignorant attitude, not the generation itself.
“Facts don’t win arguments, especially intergenerational ones,” writes Jenna Farbis in her opinion piece on the expression. “I could spend all day explaining that young people are suffering because we are inheriting a destroyed economy, but boomers would still blame our economic problems on the money we spend on avocado toast. And no amount of scientific evidence will sway climate change deniers. The best we can do is say “OK, boomer” to dismiss ignorant arguments and then continue to work toward our goals.”
All in all, the animosity between the generations is definitely there. And it certainly might be the case that the injustices paired with biases are taking it to the next level. And while seeing through the differences is important, the boomer ignorance that is represented in this list makes it very hard.