Of course, generational misunderstandings or, as commonly called, generational gaps are not new. Though they have been identified in the '60s, it’s certainly been a thing in our society for millennia. Older people were always disappointed in younger folks for one reason or another. The youth, in turn, often complained about the outdated attitudes of the generations before them. 

As the world progresses, new issues arise and new priorities emerge. The older values become irrelevant and subject to scrutiny. If the people that hold them also hold the power, criticizing them becomes the only solace.

Scientists have studied the “kids these days” attitude and why it has become an ubiquitous saying for many elders. The reason is twofold. One part is that often that we compare kids to our current selves.

“Authoritarian people especially think youth are less respectful of their elders, intelligent people especially think youth are less intelligent, and well-read people especially think youth enjoy reading less,” states the 2019 study.

So, because right this moment we feel like we are more intelligent and outgoing, or less addicted to screen time, we believe that we were also like that in the past. This is a form of memory bias that influences how we see others. 

In fact, the way we see others can be quite harsh. That’s the second part of the phenomenon actually, the fact that we tend to see other people’s flaws easier than ours. Mix the bias with the judgmental nature and you’ll get a typical image of the ever-complaining elderly.

To be perfectly clear, baby boomers were, in a way, the ones to make generational distinction so clear. They rejected the values of their parents and started deeply questioning authority during the Vietnam War. Their views also influenced culture and we see it all reflected in less restrictive fashion and more experimental music. Baby boomers were the most radical generation.

So, how did we get to a place where calling someone a boomer is basically an insult? According to author and journalist Francis Beckett, it’s their own fault. In his book “What did the baby boomers ever do for us?” he argues that they sold themselves out by focusing on money. 

They prioritized their personal wealth to the well-being of other generations. “The children of the '60s betrayed the generations that came before and after,” he claims, and left “the true legacy of the swinging decade in ashes.”

The sentiment of putting money first is obvious in most of the advice they give to young people. It is always related to people not working hard enough to make money. They spout that everything was much harder for them and that they made do. They claim that younger generations don’t know what hard work is, even though, back in the day, they were the ones dubbed the “Me generation” who had everything handed to them on a silver platter. 

It is important to note that they did work a lot. They are known for a strong work ethic and giving their all which is admirable. They are quite competitive and motivated to do everything on their own. And while that sounds great, there are some drawbacks to this attitude.

The younger generations, boomer children, saw how overworking yourself can lead to personal issues. They saw how prioritizing money left little time for family and life and they didn’t find that appealing. This, together with the fact that the salaries these days don’t compare to what they were when boomers were trying to make it, deters people from being so money focused. People know that they won’t get the same no matter how hard they try, so, instead, many prioritize a comfortable work-life balance.

But now, when boomers look at how protective younger generations are of their time and the small pleasures in life, they don’t see the changed system that disadvantages young people. Instead, they see laziness and lack of commitment. They sacrificed a lot to get to where they are, so why can’t others do it? They mistakenly conclude that younger generations prefer short-term goals to hard work and perceive them as entitled.

When “OK Boomer,” a phrase that was named a “rallying cry” by the New York Times, became popular, boomers were really upset. They claimed that that is blatant ageism. But again, that is not the case. The “OK Boomer” phrase is supposed to criticize the ignorant attitude, not the generation itself.

“Facts don’t win arguments, especially intergenerational ones,” writes Jenna Farbis in her opinion piece on the expression. “I could spend all day explaining that young people are suffering because we are inheriting a destroyed economy, but boomers would still blame our economic problems on the money we spend on avocado toast. And no amount of scientific evidence will sway climate change deniers. The best we can do is say “OK, boomer” to dismiss ignorant arguments and then continue to work toward our goals.”