Gen Z & millennials alike have been getting a lot of criticism lately for ‘OK, Boomer’ meme that has been going viral. Isn’t ironic that it was actually an unidentified Boomer on TikTok who claimed that “The millennial and Generation Z have the Peter Pan syndrome; they don’t ever want to grow up: they think that the utopian ideals that they have in their youth are somehow going to translate into adulthood.” started this whole generational showdown.
One has to applaud Gen Z for our cutting response - ‘OK, Boomer’. It’s our digital version of an eye roll. After having many Boomers frequently referred to our generation as “snowflakes,”, it is rather comically to now watch them get so enraged with this phrase.
If nothing else, the ‘OK, Boomer’ meme has brought a generational cultural fracture to the forefront and into conversation. Gen Z and millennials feel increasingly let down by previous generations, who many believe that they have left us with a world of high-priced housing and an impending climate crisis.
“When we use generations as a lens rather than a label, it can help us generate deeper understanding of one another instead of fear.” Megan Gerhardt, Founder of Gentelligence
Obviously, the phrase struck a chord because it is regarded as ‘ageist’ and age-based putdown. Haven’t millennials endured just as harsh of generational name-calling and negative adjectives in recent years? Do they consider these disparaging comments discriminatory? It seems the Boomers do.
Sadly, generational labeling and name calling isn’t going to change our reality. Gen Z needs to rise above resorting to belittling other generations and become known as the generation who truly made a difference based on common respect.
We need to stop the generation shaming, the blaming, the labeling, the meme making and the scapegoating. We need to create an environment where the different generations can both learn and teach each other. We need to engage in conversations that will inspire entirely new ways of solving global problems, TOGETHER.
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