People from the same generation tend to have similar attributes. For instance, Boomers are often associated with the following:
- Arriving at the airport hours in advance to ensure they don’t miss their flight.
- Still having their newspaper delivered
- Reading a paperback book for entertainment
While Millenials tend to be associated with:
- Some difficulty reading and writing cursive
- Having an innate desire to be on their phone
- Not being able to use the Canadian Atlas
To Millennials and Generation Z, the attributes of Boomers are unbelievable and what they might even call “prehistoric”. This is where the phrase “Ok, Boomer!” has come into play. It began on an app popular to the younger generations called TikTok. Its origin had more of a serious undertone, a grey-haired man wearing a baseball hat stated Millennials and Generation Z have Peter Pan Syndrome, they don’t ever want to grow up; they have ideals from when they were younger that have translated into their adulthood. Their response was, as I’m sure you have guessed, “Ok Boomer!”
Since then, “Ok, Boomer!” has gone viral and, for the most part, has had a much less serious connotation. Yes, Millennials and Generation Z use it to highlight what agitates them about Baby Boomers, but let’s face it, some of it might be a bit accurate. Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself and move on.
Boomers themselves have even taken to Tik Tok to make videos highlighting amusing flaws of their generation, such as always telling kids they had to walk five miles to school and back, seven days a week, uphill both ways, while a blizzard raged around them.
Deciphering whether or not this phrase is disrespectful has caused many reactions and healthy inter-generational debates. The YouTube channel, FBE gathered six Boomers to react to the “Ok, Boomer!” term. The Boomers all agreed it’s all fun and to some extent dismissive. One of the Boomers further explained that once the term “Ok” then followed by the person’s name is used, you are slamming the door for communication.
No generation is perfect, all have their unique differences that everyone else doesn’t quite understand. For the most part, these separations aren’t affecting day-to-day life, and may even create friendly banter at a family gathering that everyone can laugh at when the day comes to an end. Millennials and Generation Z have a lot to learn from Baby Boomers, but it’s also a two-way street. Social media might just be the catalyst that brings a better understanding between people who grew up in very different times.
We are interested in knowing what your thoughts are on the term “Ok, Boomer!”.