The Problem with the "Ok Boomer" Movement

Woodstock v.s Coachella

Transistor radios v.s Spotify

Typewriters v.s Laptops

And Tradition v.s Change seems to be many of the polarizing aspects of the Boomer/Gen X, Gen Z/Millennial rivalry.

Now, thanks to creative meme culture, we have two words that sum up the attitude of the generation towards the elderly: OK Boomer. Which is my generation's way of telling the older ones, "OK, we don't have time for your crotchety complaining, so adios."

I'll admit there's a lot of generation discrimination coming from the older and younger generations. I'm even guilty of it at times. But I'm not taking up for any one group or side in this article — no sir (as the Boomers and Gen X'ers prefer us to say to show respect).

First of all, generation gaps aren't anything new. We've been, as a species, experiencing them culturally for millennia.

2,500 years ago, in ancient times, Aristotle said:

"[Young people] are high-minded because they have not yet been humbled by life, nor

have they experienced the force of circumstances.…

They think they know everything and are always quite sure about it."

Then about 800 years later, during the medieval period, a Japanese writer named Yoshida Kenko observed:

"Modern fashions seem to keep on growing more and more debased … The ordinary spoken language has also steadily coarsened. People used to say 'raise the carriage shafts' or 'trim the lamp wick,' but people today say 'raise it' or 'trim it.' When they should say, 'Let the men of the palace staff stand forth!' they say, 'Torches! Let's have some light!'"

These are just a couple of examples of the older generations, throughout history, shitting on the younger ones for being lazy or changing the culture they both share.

It's an endless cycle of humanity. One generation establishes changes; another comes along and establishes more. The third one comes along, causing the original generation in the cycle to pull their pants down, ready to shit on all beneath them.

But for what reason? Why does this happen with every generation? Why will we eventually turn into boomers?

I believe it's a combination of misguided superiority, and a quote by Douglas Adams.

Let me explain.

Human beings are always looking for ways to make themselves feel better. Bullying, for example, shows how people exercise power over someone else because power feels, well... good.

When older generations criticize the younger, it gives them a sense of pride — a feeling that their generation is better, and the previous ones even greater.

I heard many times how great the greatest generation was. I've also heard many times from my grandparents how much simpler times were. And how morally superior to the past generations were. Especially when compared to the dastardly young whippersnappers of today, who play those violent video games on the inter spider webs, and are glued to their devices 24/7 (hope that was a good impression of an older person)

Then with the Douglas Adams quote, we get a better understanding of the resentment, which reads:

"I've come up with a set of rules that describe our reactions to technologies:

1. Anything that is in the world when you're born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.
2. Anything that's invented between when you're fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary, and you can probably get a career in it.
3. Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things."

Combining these two factors gives us a mucky soup made of cranky old remarks. Liberally seasoned with inevitable resentment towards anyone younger than they are.

However, I don't hold it against the Boomers or Gen X'ers for complaining about me. Because, as many people have told me, you will become your parents, and eventually, after years of progressive grumpiness, your grandparents too.

So I encourage all the millennials and Gen Z'ers who are reading this to show some understanding. Cause when you think about it, our generations aren't so different.

We shouldn't let the generation gap cycle drive a wedge between us. Cause we're all still a bunch of fucked up, crazy, ignorant human beings. If we're going to get along, we have to find our many commonalities despite our age differences. And those similarities can be found when you look at how alike Gen Z and the Boomer generations are.

Is there truly a massive difference between Elvis and Eminem, the Beatles, or even Kendrick Lamar. All are people who pushed music into a new direction or took their genres into new innovative territory.

Hippies, hipsters.

War protesters, climate activists.

Rock’n Roll, Trap music.

Boomer, Millennial, Gen Z. They're a lot more alike than you think.