10 outdated boomer behaviors that might be making you an exhausting person to deal with

Before we start—this isn’t about roasting an entire generation.

I’ve got boomers in my life who are wise, funny, and grounded in ways younger people could learn from. But there are a few behaviors, rooted in a different era, that haven’t aged well.

If you’ve kept these habits into 2025, there’s a good chance you’re making people quietly roll their eyes—or avoid you altogether. And it’s not because people are “too sensitive” now. It’s because social norms, technology, and emotional expectations have shifted.

Here’s what I’m talking about.

1. Dominating conversations like it’s a talk show

Many boomers grew up in households where conversation was a performance—loud, opinionated, and often one-sided. That style might have flown in the family living room, but today, younger generations value reciprocity in conversations.

If you regularly talk over people, cut them off mid-sentence, or answer every story with a bigger, better one from your own life, you’re sending the signal: “My voice matters more than yours.”

Fix: Pause after someone speaks. Ask a follow-up question instead of jumping in with your own tale. And if you catch yourself turning every conversation into a monologue, steer it back to the other person.

2. Making “jokes” that are just outdated stereotypes

The joke you’ve told for years might have gotten laughs at the bar in 1987. But humor ages—and not always well. Jokes about gender roles, race, mental health, or appearance can make you look tone-deaf and unkind, even if you insist “it’s just a joke.”

Younger people have less tolerance for humor that punches down because we’ve collectively decided respect is more interesting than recycling old prejudices.

Fix: If you’re not sure if a joke lands in 2025, it probably doesn’t. Swap punchlines for observational humor about shared experiences—it’s harder to offend when you’re laughing with people, not at them.

3. Calling instead of texting for everything

Yes, the phone is for calling. But here’s the thing—life now runs on asynchronous communication. A call can feel intrusive, especially for something that could have been handled with a two-sentence text.

Boomers sometimes treat a phone call as “just popping in,” but to someone on the other end juggling work, kids, and their own mental bandwidth, it can feel like an ambush.

Fix: If it’s urgent or truly personal, call. Otherwise, text first to see if it’s a good time to talk. Respecting someone’s time shows you value the relationship.

4. Assuming your way is the best way

If you learned to fix a leaky faucet, organize your desk, or make coffee a certain way in 1978, good for you. But insisting your method is the method? Exhausting.

Younger generations have access to more information, technology, and approaches than ever before. They’re not disrespecting you by doing things differently—they’re just using the tools they grew up with.

Fix: Trade “Here’s how you should do it” for “Here’s what’s worked for me—want to hear it?” That shift turns a lecture into a collaboration.

5. Bragging about how busy, tired, or overworked you are

The “I only slept four hours and worked through lunch” flex might have been impressive in the old corporate grind culture, but it doesn’t inspire admiration now—it inspires concern.

Today, the badge of honor is balance, not burnout. People value the ability to work effectively and protect mental and physical health.

Fix: Instead of framing exhaustion as a virtue, talk about how you’ve learned to manage stress, protect your time, or find joy outside work. That’s the currency that earns respect now.

6. Talking down to younger people

Some boomers default to condescension without realizing it—especially toward Millennials and Gen Z. That might look like overexplaining basic concepts, scoffing at unfamiliar slang, or implying that youth equals incompetence.

Here’s the truth: mutual respect gets you further than any “back in my day” speech. And younger people can spot a patronizing tone instantly.

Fix: Assume competence until proven otherwise. If you’re curious about how someone younger does something, ask without layering it in judgment.

7. Oversharing about money in the wrong way

Talking about how much your house cost in 1982 or how cheap college tuition was back then isn’t helpful—it’s frustrating. Costs and wages have shifted so dramatically that the comparison isn’t apples to apples—it’s apples to asteroids.

You might think you’re offering perspective. To younger people, it can sound like you’re dismissing the financial pressures they face.

Fix: If you want to talk money, focus on principles and lessons that still apply. “Here’s how I budgeted” is a lot more useful than “I only paid $12,000 for my first house.”

8. Refusing to adapt to new technology

Nobody’s expecting you to master every app the day it drops. But refusing to learn basic digital tools—online banking, text threads, Zoom—can make it harder for people to include you.

When others have to work around your tech resistance, it’s not charming—it’s exhausting.

Fix: Pick one new tool every few months to learn. Ask for help without making jokes about being “too old for this stuff.” Your willingness to try matters more than your speed.

9. Romanticizing “the good old days” too much

Every generation has a nostalgia bias—our youth feels golden because we lived it through fresher eyes. But constantly insisting that “things were better back then” can make you sound closed off to the good that exists now.

Younger people hear it as a dismissal of their lives and challenges.

Fix: Share stories from your past without framing them as the standard everyone else should aspire to. Better yet, ask younger people what they think is great about the present.

10. Treating waitstaff, cashiers, and service workers as beneath you

This one’s timeless—and it’s a dealbreaker across generations. If you snap at a server, wave a hand at a cashier, or talk over a receptionist, people will notice. And they’ll assume that’s how you see anyone in a position of service.

Fix: Use “please” and “thank you” as reflexes. Make eye contact. Remember that kindness toward someone who can’t “do” anything for you says more about your character than how you treat a peer.

A personal note

I once had lunch with a friend’s dad—boomer, successful, charming in some ways. But in 90 minutes, he interrupted his daughter eight times, told three jokes at her expense, and sent back his salad twice in a tone that made the waiter visibly tense. When we left, my friend sighed and said, “That’s why I don’t invite him to things anymore—it’s exhausting.”

It wasn’t his age. It wasn’t his politics. It was a string of small behaviors that made every interaction feel like work. And once you notice them, you can’t unsee them.

The takeaway

Outdated habits aren’t a moral failing—they’re just patterns that made sense in one era and now land differently. The good news? They can be unlearned.

The people who are the easiest to be around aren’t the ones who know every trend or agree with every idea. They’re the ones who listen, adapt, and stay curious—no matter how many birthdays they’ve had.

If you want to stay relevant, respected, and invited, trade the “that’s just how I am” mindset for “maybe I could try it differently.”

That’s not betraying your generation. That’s being the kind of person people look forward to dealing with—at any age.