From remote work being "vacation" to thinking online friendships aren't real, these outdated beliefs create a generational divide that's wider than ever—and it's not just about technology.
Ever notice how conversations with older relatives can feel like you're speaking different languages?
Last Thanksgiving, I found myself in a heated debate with my uncle about remote work. He insisted that anyone working from home was "basically on vacation," while I tried explaining how I'd just finished a 10-hour workday from my home office. The disconnect was real, and it got me thinking about all the outdated beliefs some boomers still cling to about modern life.
Look, I'm not here to bash an entire generation. There's wisdom in experience, and many older folks have adapted beautifully to our changing world. But if you're still holding onto these 10 beliefs about how life works today, you might be more out of touch than you realize.
1. Remote workers aren't really working
This one hits close to home since I left my finance job to write full-time. The assumption that working from home means lounging in pajamas all day watching Netflix? Yeah, that's not how it works.
Most remote workers I know actually work longer hours than their office counterparts. Without a commute to create boundaries, work bleeds into personal time. We're answering emails at 9 PM, joining calls across time zones, and struggling to "turn off" when our office is ten feet from our bedroom.
The pandemic proved that productivity doesn't require a cubicle. Companies saw record profits while employees worked from kitchen tables. If you still think location determines dedication, you're missing how fundamentally work has transformed.
2. Social media is just for sharing vacation photos
"Why do people need to post everything online?"
If this sounds familiar, you're underestimating social media's role in modern life. It's not just about sharing brunch pics anymore. People build entire careers on Instagram, find jobs through LinkedIn, and organize social movements on Twitter.
Social media is how we network, stay informed, and yes, sometimes overshare. But dismissing it as narcissistic nonsense ignores its power as a professional tool, news source, and community builder. Small businesses survive on social marketing. Activists coordinate protests. Artists find audiences. This isn't frivolous; it's fundamental to how society operates now.
3. You need to stay with one company to build a career
Remember when job-hopping was career suicide? That ship has sailed.
The average millennial changes jobs every 2-3 years, and Gen Z even more frequently. Why? Because companies stopped offering pensions, meaningful raises, and job security. Loyalty became a one-way street.
Today's workers know that switching companies is often the only way to get significant salary increases or career advancement. Staying put for decades hoping for recognition? That's how you get passed over for promotions while watching new hires get paid more than you.
4. Mental health issues are just excuses
"Back in my day, we just dealt with it."
This mindset does so much damage. Mental health isn't about being weak or seeking attention. It's about recognizing that our brains can get sick just like our bodies. Would you tell someone with diabetes to "just deal with it"?
Therapy, medication, and mental health days aren't luxuries or cop-outs. They're healthcare. Period. The younger generations aren't more fragile; they're more aware that suffering in silence isn't strength, it's unnecessary. Getting help is actually the brave choice.
5. Everyone wants to own a house
Homeownership as the ultimate life goal? Not anymore.
When houses cost 10x the median salary and require massive down payments most people can't save for, renting becomes less of a failure and more of a reality. Plus, many younger folks value flexibility over roots. They want to travel, pursue opportunities in different cities, or simply avoid being house-poor.
Some people genuinely prefer renting. No maintenance headaches, no property taxes, no being stuck if the job market shifts. The American Dream has evolved, and that white picket fence isn't everyone's finish line anymore.
6. College guarantees a good job
Tell that to the barista with a master's degree.
The "get a degree, get a good job" formula broke somewhere around 2008 and never really recovered. Now we have oversaturated fields, degree inflation, and student debt that takes decades to repay. Meanwhile, skilled trades are begging for workers and paying well.
Many successful people today are self-taught programmers, YouTube educators, or entrepreneurs who dropped out. College still has value, but it's not the golden ticket it once was. Insisting otherwise ignores the reality of $100,000 debt for a $40,000 salary.
7. Technology is making people lazy
Every generation thinks the next one's innovations breed laziness. TVs, calculators, computers – all were supposed to ruin us.
Using technology efficiently isn't lazy; it's smart. Why spend hours on tasks that software can do in minutes? That freed-up time goes toward creative work, problem-solving, or maybe actually having a life outside work.
When I use AI to help research articles or apps to manage my trail running routes, I'm not being lazy. I'm being strategic with my energy. There's a difference between convenience and laziness, and conflating them misses how technology enables us to do more, not less.
8. Side hustles mean you can't handle your main job
Having multiple income streams isn't about failing at your day job. It's about survival in an economy where one paycheck rarely covers rising costs.
Plus, side hustles often become passion projects or backup plans. They're creative outlets, skill builders, and sometimes the path to entrepreneurship. That Etsy shop or weekend photography gig? It might be keeping someone afloat financially while feeding their soul creatively.
Judging people for diversifying their income in an unstable economy shows a fundamental misunderstanding of modern financial reality.
9. Young people don't want to work hard
This might be the most frustrating misconception.
Young workers aren't refusing to work hard; they're refusing to work for nothing. They want fair wages, reasonable hours, and basic respect. Is that really so outrageous?
They watched their parents sacrifice everything for companies that laid them off without hesitation. They learned that blind loyalty doesn't pay bills. So yes, they demand work-life balance and meaning in their careers. That's not entitlement; it's evolution.
10. Online friends aren't real friends
"You can't have real relationships through a screen."
Tell that to the writing community that supported me after I left finance. Or the running groups I've connected with globally through apps. Some of my deepest conversations happen via text with people I've never met in person.
Online friendships can be just as meaningful as in-person ones. Sometimes more so, because geography doesn't limit who you connect with. Dismissing these relationships as fake misunderstands how community forms in the digital age.
Final thoughts
Change is uncomfortable. I get it. When I switched careers, I had to confront my own outdated beliefs about success and stability. But clinging to how things used to be won't make them that way again.
The world has changed dramatically, and that's not necessarily bad. We work differently, connect differently, and define success differently. Fighting these changes or dismissing them as wrong only creates disconnection between generations who have much to learn from each other.
Maybe it's time to stop judging modern life by yesterday's standards and start trying to understand it on its own terms. Who knows? You might find some of these "newfangled" ways actually make sense.
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