9 things boomers love that Gen Z just can’t tolerate

Every generation earns its quirks.

As a forty-something who straddles the dial-up years and the TikTok era, I’ve seen both sides up close—first on trading floors and later as a writer who spends way too much time people-watching at farmers’ markets.

My goal isn’t to pit groups against each other. It’s to understand why certain habits feel cozy to boomers yet scratchy to Gen Z—and what we can learn from that tension.

Ready to compare notes?

1. Phone calls and voicemails

Boomers often reach for the phone the way I reach for my running shoes: it’s muscle memory.

A live call feels respectful and real. For many in Gen Z, though, an unexpected ring lands like a fire alarm. Why talk when a concise text can do the job—and leave a searchable paper trail?

I learned this the hard way with a Gen Z colleague. I’d call, she’d let it ring out, then reply with a tidy bullet-point text. She wasn’t being rude; she was being efficient. And honestly, her written summaries beat my rambling voicemails every time.

Middle ground: ask first. “Do you have five minutes for a quick call?” Permission smooths everything.

2. Paper everything

Printed boarding passes. Paper bills. Checkbooks. Filing cabinets. Boomers trust the rustle of paper the way gardeners trust rain. It’s tangible, and it can’t “crash.”

Gen Z lives in the cloud. Scans, PDFs, digital wallets—less clutter, more portability. In my analyst days, I loved a fresh packet for a meeting. Today, I keep my records in organized folders on my laptop, and my back thanks me.

If it must be paper, I ask myself: what’s the shelf life? If it’s under 24 hours, digital wins.

A small shift that helps everyone: take a photo of any must-keep doc. The compromise isn’t either/or—it’s “both, backed up.”

3. Long, formal meetings

You know the kind: agenda read aloud, updates that should’ve been an email, everyone waiting to speak just to prove they were there.

Many boomers see meetings as the engine of alignment. Gen Z sees them as drag—especially when async tools exist.

As productivity writer Cal Newport notes, “Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not.” If the outcome isn’t clear, the meeting bloats.

I started asking one pre-meeting question: what decision needs to be made? If no decision, no meeting.

Try a 15-minute cap with a crisp doc sent beforehand. Funny how brevity breeds bravery—people get to the point.

4. Corporate dress codes

I remember my first analyst wardrobe: heels that lived under my desk and a blazer that could stand up on its own.

For boomers, dressing up signals respect and readiness. For Gen Z, rigid dress codes often read as costume—and a distraction from substance.

They’re not anti-polish; they’re pro-authenticity. Clean, functional, personal style beats “power suit” armor.

When I loosened my own dress code (hello, knit blazer), I noticed something: the more comfortable I felt, the clearer I spoke. And clients cared about my insights, not my shoulder pads.

Reasonable baseline: neat, situationally appropriate, and inclusive of cultural expression. We can keep standards without enforcing sameness.

5. “Drop by” culture

Boomers grew up with doorbells and neighbors popping in. Surprise visits were part of the charm. For Gen Z—raised on location sharing and “text me when you’re outside”—unscheduled drop-ins feel like boundary breaches.

It’s not that Gen Z dislikes people; they dislike being ambushed. I relate. After a long writing stint, an unexpected knock can jar me out of a flow state.

Quick courtesy text: “Are you up for company?” It’s the social equivalent of knocking on a digital door.

The upside: consent-based connection tends to be higher quality. When everyone is ready, the conversation flows.

6. Cable TV and channel surfing

Boomers often enjoy the comfort of scheduled programming, flipping channels like shuffling a deck. Commercials are a familiar rhythm. Gen Z streams what they want, when they want, and usually without ads. Waiting for a 9 p.m. premiere? Feels medieval.

There’s also a values gap. Younger viewers curate feeds that reflect identity, niche interests, and global voices. Traditional lineups can feel narrow by comparison.

When my niece shows me a micro-documentary on soil health made by a 20-year-old filmmaker, I’m reminded how democratized content has become.

Maybe the bridge is communal viewing: a live sports game or finale night—then back to on-demand life.

7. Email novels and “reply all”

Nothing says “I grew up with desktop Outlook” like a four-paragraph email with formal salutations, indents, and a signature longer than the message. Boomers mastered email etiquette; Gen Z prefers swift, context-rich chats (Slack, Discord) that keep conversations in a thread.

There’s a psychological piece here. Real-time tools let ideas evolve quickly and transparently. Long emails can feel like monologues—polished, but slow.

My rule now: if it needs nuance, schedule a short call (with permission); if it needs speed, use chat; if it needs record-keeping, send a tight email with bullets and bolded action items.

And please—save “reply all” for true group decisions. No one wants a chain of “Thanks!” ricocheting through their afternoon.

8. Stuff as status

China cabinets. Collectible plates. Spare rooms filled with “someday” items. For many boomers, things tell stories: the wedding crystal, the stereo, the car. Gen Z leans toward experiences, mobility, and clean surfaces. A packed garage feels like a packed mind.

As organizer Marie Kondo famously puts it, “Does it spark joy?” Not everything has to. But if an item demands space, time, or money, it should earn its keep.

During a recent closet clean-out, I found files from a project that ended a decade ago. I kept one memo for nostalgia and recycled the rest. The relief was physical.

Minimalism isn’t anti-memory; it’s pro-meaning. Keep the story, edit the inventory.

9. Face-to-face by default

Many boomers cherish in-person contact for nuance and trust. I do too. But Gen Z—digital since childhood—doesn’t see virtual as “less than.”

They organize communities, businesses, and causes online with astonishing fluency.

Psychologist Sherry Turkle once observed, “We expect more from technology and less from each other.” That’s the cautionary tale—if screens replace intimacy. Yet Gen Z often uses tech to find the right people, then meets with intention, not obligation.

The question isn’t “in-person or online?” It’s “Which medium deepens this relationship right now?”

Hybrid wisdom: make face time sacred, not automatic.

What this list is really about

Underneath each difference is the same human need: to feel respected, effective, and connected. Boomers gravitate to what proved reliable in their lives—phone calls, paper, rooms full of colleagues. Gen Z optimizes for autonomy—texts, async, flexible dress, fewer possessions.

If we treat those preferences as character flaws, we miss the learning. If we treat them as design choices, we get curious:

• What problem was this habit originally solving?

• How might a newer tool solve it better?

• Where does the older way actually serve us?

Personally, I still love the warmth of a phone call—when we’ve agreed to it. I still print a few pages—when I need to think on paper. I still adore in-person time—when it’s for connection, not performative attendance.

Maybe that’s the sweet spot: rightsizing our rituals. Keep what works. Release what doesn’t. Borrow generously across generations.

A simple experiment for your week

Pick one item from the list that irks you. Try the opposite approach for seven days:

• If you default to calls, text first with context.

• If you write long emails, try a bullet-point summary and a clear ask.

• If you bristle at drop-ins, create a standing coffee date you both opt into.

• If your space feels crowded, let one box go and see how your brain breathes.

Most of us aren’t purely boomer or purely Gen Z in our habits; we’re mosaics. When we notice the tile that no longer fits, we can replace it with something truer.

I’ll be over here editing my inbox signature (goodbye, inspirational quote), moving my china teacup to the front of the cabinet (because it really does spark joy), and texting my dad before I call.

Progress, one tiny tweak at a time.