Anti Baby boomer hate

[Amy SF]

Anti baby boomer hate. It’s all over the internet, and I’m tired of it. There are articles claiming that the baby boomers are the worst generation, baby boomers screwed over every else, the baby boomers are responsible for Donald Trump, the baby boomers only care about themselves, etc.) As a baby boomer, I push back, but it doesn’t work. Millennials know what buttons to push to get me upset. Is there something I can say in response that will help? I feel personally attacked whenever someone attacks my entire generation for stuff I had nothing to do with, such as making Ronald Reagan president. (I refused to vote for him both times, but the millennials don’t care about that.)

The only thing I can think of to say is that someday the millennials will get the same crap from younger generations, but that doesn’t seem to stop the attacks. They say they already get attacked by MY generation. I say it’s just the media stirring up trouble to divide us, but that tactic doesn’t work, either.

I guess this is more of a rant than anything else. I really hate it when I see an entire generation attacked on the internet.

 

[Blues]

Just don't reply Amy you will feel better for it, the net can get pretty toxic at times and raves of the day can seem to give a false representation of current thinking.

I watched a programme recently on the analysis of the tweets re the election in the UK, they were in between 2to3 times to 1 in favour of Corbyn

 

[Chryssie]

I avoid reading any of that crap. I think ignoring it is the best policy! I am a proud "boomer" and old "hippie."

 

[KLS52]

Funny but I was talking about this with my son and husband today. I can’t stand the labeling anymore. I was saying how frustrating it is that Millenials blame boomers for everything and how boomers are constantly putting down Millenials for being entitled and not wanting to work. It’s ridiculous.
I work with several Millenials and they are amazing. I’m a boomer and I’m amazing, too.

The same goes for democrats and republicans. I’m so tired of every single conversation ending up with the name calling...liberals against Conservatives, snowflakes against Trumpers. It’s very depressing.

 

[Val]

Anti baby boomer hate. It’s all over the internet, and I’m tired of it. There are articles claiming that the baby boomers are the worst generation, baby boomers screwed over every else, the baby boomers are responsible for Donald Trump, the baby boomers only care about themselves, etc.) As a baby boomer, I push back, but it doesn’t work. Millennials know what buttons to push to get me upset. Is there something I can say in response that will help? I feel personally attacked whenever someone attacks my entire generation for stuff I had nothing to do with, such as making Ronald Reagan president. (I refused to vote for him both times, but the millennials don’t care about that.)

The only thing I can think of to say is that someday the millennials will get the same crap from younger generations, but that doesn’t seem to stop the attacks. They say they already get attacked by MY generation. I say it’s just the media stirring up trouble to divide us, but that tactic doesn’t work, either.

I guess this is more of a rant than anything else. I really hate it when I see an entire generation attacked on the internet.

Blin, i just realized that i'm a millennial. T'fu... (Btw, that's true: the younger generation, as we say, will "devour us with the intestines", haha).

 

[Andy_T]

Well, here’s the thing ... if you are not responsible, why would you feel attacked?

Indeed, Boomers elected Reagan, just as White Americans elected Trump.
Two very unfortunate and evil things that they should be rightfully called out for.
If you did not personally vote for any of these, why feel attacked?

I hear all the time that men are more likely to do horrible things, and I would never consider to answer a discussion of that with something like “Not all men”, simply because I myself try to do my best to NOT do any of that stuff and so it would never cross my mind that somebody saying that would want to attack me with such a statement.

Disclosure: Am not a Boomer myself, but GenX ... so I guess we’ll be next.

Also, “Boomer” IMO is not only defined by age, e.g. I would never think of Bernie Sanders when thinking of a “Boomer”, however, many much younger, entitled rich a****les would totally fit that picture for me.

 

[Amy SF]

It’s ageism, nothing else. I feel personally attacked because an entire generation is being attacked. Millennials see me and assume the absolute worst about me just because of my age. They don’t say the same thing about older generations; they get a pass. There are people like Rupert Murdoch in their 80’s and 90’s who have done great harm in the world, but it’s the baby boomers who are singled out for the hatred. They would never dare translate that into racism or misogyny, but they’re safe when they do it to a whole generation.

 

[Val]

It’s ageism, nothing else. I feel personally attacked because an entire generation is being attacked. Millennials see me and assume the absolute worst about me just because of my age. They don’t say the same thing about older generations; they get a pass. There are people like Rupert Murdoch in their 80’s and 90’s who have done great harm in the world, but it’s the baby boomers who are singled out for the hatred. They would never dare translate that into racism or misogyny, but they’re safe when they do it to a whole generation.

Geez! We have nothing like this here...

 

[Chryssie]

Maybe this is more regional because I have felt none of this! I have seen a few articles about it but have not been targeted personally in any way! At my work, we have people of all ages and no one treats anyone with that disrespect.

 

[PTree15]

Maybe this is more regional because I have felt none of this! I have seen a few articles about it but have not been targeted personally in any way! At my work, we have people of all ages and no one treats anyone with that disrespect.

I definitely don't feel it as much IRL, but I have seen some recent uptick in internet bashing of boomers. I think it escalated when a young lawmaker (I think in New Zealand) dismissively uttered "OK boomer" to an older colleague who was heckling her in Parliament.

But like Andy T said, I don't feel attacked because I didn't vote for Reagan or Trump. Still, it's annoying to paint a group with such a broad brush. It gets old. There have always been differences of opinions between the older and the younger, so this animosity isn't really new. I think it's exacerbated by social media.

 

[Blues]

I think it escalated when a young lawmaker (I think in New Zealand) dismissively uttered "OK boomer" to an older colleague who was heckling her in Parliament..

This is where it was started just an "of the cuff" remark.

 

[Chryssie]

It is all dumb!

 

[silva]

It’s ageism, nothing else. I feel personally attacked because an entire generation is being attacked. Millennials see me and assume the absolute worst about me just because of my age. They don’t say the same thing about older generations; they get a pass. There are people like Rupert Murdoch in their 80’s and 90’s who have done great harm in the world, but it’s the baby boomers who are singled out for the hatred. They would never dare translate that into racism or misogyny, but they’re safe when they do it to a whole generation.

I'm on the cusp of boomer and gen x depending of where you draw the line. I don't see that stereotype here much, although I did get teased about older white women voting in trump--and, yeah, they sure did!
I agree with Andy on this - I see it more as a slur not just based on age, but when deserved.

 

[Second Summer]

#okboomers



When someone criticizes a whole generation, nation, gender or other broad category of people like that, I usually don't feel personally attacked. I'm usually not responsible for all the bad things perpetrated by generation X, other Norwegians, other men, and so on.

 

[Poppy]

I can certainly see why younger generations think we had it easy - we did, imo. Many of us have now retired with pensions (in addition to 401ks and social security), we had stay-at-home Moms growing up, MUCH lower college costs and thus incurred a lot less debt starting out, and (especially for whites), easy access to credit and affordable housing. I worked my way through college between 1980 and 1984 - at a state university - which had tuition and fees of just over $500 a semester, and I still graduated with student debt. But my debt was around $2500, not the 10s or 100s of thousands you hear about now.

And you KNOW we ruined the environment! My gosh, we are the generation of over consumption, single use plastic, "better living through science" and "Greed is Good!". Bell-bottoms were good, tho.

 

[GingerFoxx]

I agree any sort of generational discrimation is unfounded and ridiculous. That said, I think the anti boomer aggression was a retaliation to a lot of the older generations blaming millennials for what they see to be faulty about society. An ill-directed bitterness at all the long-standing companies closing as they fall prey to online storefronts, etc. Also, don't discount the possibility that many people are just jumping on a trendy bandwagon... the way schoolyard bullies would target someone and other would join in so as not to be excluded or targeted themselves. Still not right, to be sure, but that's my take from a human psychology viewpoint.

 

[Tom L.]

I was going to write that "every generation blames the one before" (as that "Mike & The Mechanics song starts out).... but I don't know. I don't feel like I've often been disrespected because of my age- although I don't suppose I've been respected because of it either! Hopefully, I've done something worthwhile and laudable with the long time I've been around and learned from my experiences, but that's not always the case.

I don't think my parents' generation were disrespectful toward my grandparents' generation either, but of course I wasn't around back then to observe for myself.

 

[KLS52]

I bet this thread would get some interesting responses on VF ...

 

[Andy_T]

I definitely don't feel it as much IRL, but I have seen some recent uptick in internet bashing of boomers. I think it escalated when a young lawmaker (I think in New Zealand) dismissively uttered "OK boomer" to an older colleague who was heckling her in Parliament.

And rightfully so!

The younger MP was extolling the importance of combating climate change, don’t think laughing at that and trying to disrupt is a particular sign of the wisdom of a distinguished generation.

 

[PTree15]

And rightfully so!

The younger MP was extolling the importance of combating climate change, don’t think laughing at that and trying to disrupt is a particular sign of the wisdom of a distinguished generation.

Oh, I agree. I was just noting how the insult might have gained traction. Heckling is not very becoming behavior.