If you do these 12 things, you're probably a boomer

I say this with love.

Generations are just different operating systems, and sometimes our default settings give us away.

If you recognize a few of these habits, no shame—consider this a fun mirror with a few upgrades baked in.

1. You forward chain emails

If you still copy-paste long stories into an email and send them to 30 people, you’re waving a tiny digital flag from 2006.

I get the impulse—sharing is caring—but most people live in messaging apps now. When I get a forwarded essay with a dozen colors and bolded lines, I assume it’s outdated or debunked.

Try this: share the source link inside a group chat with one sentence on why it matters. You’ll save everyone time and come off as more credible.

2. You prefer calling for everything

A quick call can be great, but if your first move is to phone someone for simple info (“What’s the address?”) you’re playing by landline rules in a voice-note world.

Calls are synchronous and demanding—like ringing someone’s doorbell unannounced. A text lets people respond when they’re free.

I trained myself to ask, “Is this a call or text?” Nine times out of ten, text wins.

3. You write novels on Facebook

Long status updates were once a thing. Now, most people read short posts, photos, or Stories. If your thoughts can’t be skimmed in 15 seconds, they probably won’t be read.

I learned this the hard way after posting a mini-manifesto about airport food. Great idea, wrong format. Keep it tight: one idea, one image, one takeaway.

4. You equate busyness with importance

Busy is not a badge, it’s often a boundary problem.

Boomer-coded culture glorified being slammed at work. But I’ve found that the most effective people protect white space. As Peter Drucker famously put it, “What gets measured gets managed.” If you only measure hours, you’ll optimize for hours.

Measure outcomes, and your calendar starts to breathe.

5. You reflexively distrust new tech

“Why would I use that? Email works.” I hear this a lot.

Healthy skepticism is smart. But refusing to try new tools because “the old way works” is how you miss compounding gains. I used to outline articles in a plain doc. Switching to a cards-based app sped up my drafts by 30%.

Marshall McLuhan warned us, “We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.” If your tools are all from last decade, your habits will be too.

6. You cling to absolute rules

“All meetings must be in person.” “No remote work gets real results.” “You can’t learn design after 40.”

These are maps, not territories. Alfred Korzybski’s reminder that “the map is not the territory” applies here. Reality is messy, and flexible systems usually win.

Whenever I catch myself making a never/always statement, I add “…unless” and watch options multiply.

7. You treat health as a side quest

A lot of folks grew up with “work first, health later.” Then “later” shows up with interest.

I’m vegan, so of course I’m biased toward plants, but the bigger point is consistency over intensity. Instead of hero diets or January-only gym streaks, set low floors: a daily walk, a pile of greens at lunch, lights out at a reasonable hour.

Future you will send present you a fruit basket.

8. You think privacy means not posting selfies

Privacy isn’t just about not sharing—it’s about understanding tradeoffs. I’ve met people who avoid photos but use weak passwords and never update their devices. That’s like wearing a disguise while leaving your front door unlocked.

Basic hygiene (password manager, two-factor, updates) beats performative secrecy every time. I’ve mentioned this before but it bears repeating: small behind-the-scenes habits deliver outsized safety.

9. You default to authority over curiosity

“Because I said so” works when you’re parenting toddlers, not when you’re collaborating with adults.

In creative work, humility unlocks speed. Ask: What am I missing? Who’s closest to the problem? I once scrapped a headline I loved after a junior editor poked a hole in it. The piece performed twice as well with the new angle.

Curiosity is a growth multiplier. Authority is just a switch that turns it off.

10. You romanticize “real” conversations but ignore context

I love a deep, unhurried talk as much as anyone. But insisting that every connection has to be a sit-down can push people away.

When a friend had a newborn, I shifted to quick check-ins: “Thinking of you—anything you need?” The relationship strengthened because the mode matched the moment.

Truth: a thoughtful 15-second voice note beats a forced 60-minute coffee.

11. You see culture as declining by default

Every generation thinks the next one is ruining everything—music, manners, work ethic. But most “decline” is just change.

When I traveled through Tokyo, I watched teenagers teach grandparents how to navigate contactless payments. The joy wasn’t in the tech; it was in the bond. Progress has texture—some parts get worse, many get better. Spot the better. Participate in it.

12. You hire experience and forget adaptability

Experience is priceless. But experience calcified into “my way” is expensive.

When I help small teams hire, I look less for people who’ve “seen it all” and more for people who can learn fast, document what they learn, and share it clearly. The half-life of skills is shrinking. Adaptability, communication, and baseline tech fluency are the real career moats now.

What to do if a few of these hit close to home

First, breathe. These patterns exist for good reasons. Many boomers built careers and communities with grit and loyalty that younger folks (myself included) learn from.

The point isn’t to erase your defaults; it’s to make them conscious. Try a tiny upgrade in each area:

• Replace a forward with a short message and link.

• Ask before calling.

• Cut your next long post in half.

• Audit your calendar against outcomes, not hours.

• Pilot one new tool for two weeks.

• Turn one “always” into an “unless.”

• Set a health floor you can meet even on bad days.

• Install a password manager and enable 2FA everywhere.

• Ask one genuine question before giving direction.

• Send a voice note when a call is too much.

• Name two cultural shifts you actually like.

• In hiring (or mentoring), reward learning velocity.

I don’t write this from a pedestal. I grew up with tech, but I also catch myself getting comfy with the familiar. (I still love a paper to-do list, even if my phone does it better.) The goal is to keep finding the highest-leverage changes and applying them without drama.

Short intro, short outro, simple truth: we become what we repeatedly do. Swap a few repetitions and the whole vibe changes.

If that makes you “less boomer,” great. If it just makes you a little more present and effective, that’s even better.