Let me be clear, I was born in 1969 and primarily identify myself as a child of the 1980’s. I recall having only three television networks, using a rotary phone, and bridging the gap between generations that didn’t grow up with technology and the ones that did. In other words, I am a card-carrying Gen Xer. That is, if they handed out cards for things like that, but they don’t – I checked.
Later this week I will turn 50 which, more than anything, means that I’ll be able to get sweet AARP discounts and that dinnertime will now be around 4:30. Joking aside, turning 50 doesn’t bother me one damn bit as it’s really just a number. What does bother me, however, is being slotted as part of a generation to the point where individuality doesn’t matter – and this is something that has been done for, well, generations.
While I’ve written about the differences in generations before in my weekly space here at PromoCorner, I have generally avoided getting into the fray for one simple reason: I have never understood society’s obsession with having to label large groups of people. Contrary to what the “accepted” defining characteristics of generations are, I know some Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) who are incredibly innovative and I know some Millennials (born between 1981 – 1996) who are fabulously earnest in the workplace. Again, I just don’t really like labels that provide little more than hasty generalizations peppered with a bit of shock value.
Lately, however, it seems that the war between generations has bubbled over – especially between Millennials and Baby Boomers. A few weeks ago, 25-year-old New Zealand parliamentarian Chlöe Swarbrick was giving a floor speech about the climate crisis when an older colleague began heckling her – mainly about her age. Instead of being rattled, she quickly shut him (and his perceived authority) down by simply saying, “OK, Boomer.”
The term – which has been a viral meme for some time – has exploded to the point where countless videos have been posted calling out what Millennials (and Gen Z) perceive as out-of-touch Baby Boomers and their patronizing opinions.
As a Gen Xer, I completely understand the response because when I younger I was told the following:
- I was unfocused and, therefore, wouldn’t ever contribute to society
- Because both of my parents worked, I lacked adult supervision after the school day ended and would never be able to adapt to societal “norms”
- Due to the erosion of belief in government, I was skeptical of authority and was likely a communist
- I played way too many video games which would rot my brain
- I listened to a ton of hard rock and heavy metal with my headphones on which would rot my brain
- I spent too much time watching music videos on MTV which would rot my brain
All of this led to “my” generation being labeled as one that was filled with apathetic slackers as we were told time and again that we were ruining the world for everyone. My sense is that this sounds quite familiar to anyone who is a Millennial or part of Gen Z.
In all actuality, Gen X is filled with independent, resourceful, self-managing, adaptable, and pragmatic folks who, yes, are still skeptical of government authority. In other words, “we” turned out just fine even though we grew up differently, dealt with more distractions, and embraced technology that our parents simply couldn’t or wouldn’t understand. I'm here to tell you that Millennials are already turning out just fine and so will Gen Z – if we simply allow them to be who they are.
It’s the responsibility of every youngest generation to make the rest of us feel a bit uncomfortable becaust it allows us to grow. For example:
- The Greatest Generation made their elders worry because they openly violated the Volstead Act (also known as Prohibition)
- The Silent Generation made their elders worry because they left the cities in droves and preferred to live in the suburbs leaving tradition behind
- Baby Boomers made their elders worry because they were tuning in, turning on, and dropping out instead of blindly following authority
- Gen X made their elders worry because they spent too much time in front of cable television waiting for the next Duran Duran video
- Millennials made their elders worry because they embraced social media as the preferred form of human storytelling and connection
- Gen Z currently make their elders worry because they choose to communicate in ways that are difficult to understand
From my perch at Mount Half-a-Hundred, all of this finger-pointing and saber-rattling is beyond silly; it’s counterproductive. For society to move forward, the younger generations should push the older ones and, frankly, it’s up to us older ones to meet them halfway and not simply expect them to adapt to us. Just like my parents had to adapt to me walking around with my Sony Walkman as the latest Van Halen album blasted my eardrums, I have to adapt to the fact that my 17 year old twin boys prefer communicating via text or snapchat if I want to reach them. If we start at a place of mutual respect – a place where people realize there is much to be learned from each generation – a lot of this disdain will vanish.
It’s really easy to decide that any generation is culturally irrelevant – but only if you’re comfortable making sweeping conclusions about the identity, values, and dreams of millions of individuals from every imaginable background – and this goes both directions.
OK, Boomers! Talk to young people – they know cool stuff you don’t.
OK, Millennials! Talk to old people – they know cool stuff you don’t.
Bill is president of PromoCorner, a digital marketing, media, and advertising agency, and has over 20 years working in executive leadership positions at leading promotional products distributorships. A featured speaker at numerous industry events, a serial creator of content marketing, president of the Regional Association Council (RAC) board, and PromoKitchen chef, Bill has extensive experience coaching sales teams, creating successful marketing campaigns, and developing branding that resonates with a target audience. He can be reached at bill@promocorner.com.