7 things your boomers do in public that mortify younger family members

Boomers have earned their stripes.

They’ve survived rotary phones, office smoking, and whatever was happening with carpeted bathrooms in the 70s.

Sometimes, when we’re out in public with them, it feels like we’re watching someone use a fork to eat soup.

Technically possible, yet socially confusing.

Look, I’m here because you’ve probably felt that specific heat rising in your face when your older relative does something loud, oblivious, or weirdly confident in a crowded place.

Let’s talk about the seven public habits that make younger family members mentally dissociate and stare into the middle distance:

1) Talking to strangers like they’re long-lost cousins

You’re in line at a coffee shop, and they’ve already asked the barista where they’re from, what they study, what their mom does for work, and whether they’re “still doing that avocado toast thing.”

Some boomers treat public spaces like a neighborhood block party.

Everyone is fair game for conversation, commentary, and unsolicited life advice.

What mortifies younger people is the intensity.

There’s no warm-up, no small “hey,” as it’s straight into “You should really stand up straighter” or “You look tired, are you sick?” in a tone that suggests they’re helping.

A lot of us grew up in a world where privacy is a safety feature.

We’ve watched how quickly things can go sideways when you overshare, even casually.

When someone from your family starts interviewing strangers, it feels like social free-climbing with no harness.

If you’re a younger family member reading this, try this simple reframe: They’re trying to connect.

Connection just looks different depending on your era.

2) Using speakerphone like it’s a public service announcement

There are two types of people in the world: People who treat phone calls like private correspondence, and people who treat them like podcast episodes for the entire sidewalk.

Boomers are more likely to go full speakerphone in public, volume maxed out, holding the phone in front of their face like they’re presenting evidence in court.

It’s always a full emotional arc: “Hi, Donna! No, I’m at the grocery store. Yes, I know, the eggs are ridiculous. No, I didn’t get the coupons. Wait, what did the doctor say?”

Meanwhile, the younger person with them is shrinking into a hoodie that doesn’t exist.

Embarrassment is basically your brain trying to keep you inside the group as it’s a social safety alarm.

When your boomer relative broadcasts their call to strangers, your nervous system is screaming, “We’re breaking the rules of the tribe!”

The fix is to give a quick, low-drama prompt: “Hey, do you mind taking it off speaker? It’s kind of loud in here.”

3) Correcting employees like they’re training a new recruit

This one hits hard because it often comes from a place of competence.

Boomers grew up in an era where you spoke up, you demanded quality, you didn’t accept “I’m sorry” as a complete sentence.

Sometimes that confidence turns into a public lesson, and the poor employee becomes the unwilling student.

It can look like grilling a cashier about why a coupon didn’t apply, or telling the server how to “properly” bring plates, or explaining, in detail, that the younger generation “doesn’t want to work anymore.”

You’re standing there, trying to telepathically apologize with your eyes.

The mortifying part is the vibe of hierarchy because younger people tend to prefer collaboration and respect over dominance, especially in service interactions.

We’re also more aware that lots of these jobs are underpaid, understaffed, and emotionally exhausting.

If you’re dealing with this in real time, one tactic I’ve used is to redirect toward problem-solving.

Instead of “Stop being rude,” try “Let’s just ask what the quickest fix is.”

It gives them a goal, moves the situation forward, and gets you out of the emotional splash zone.

4) Making comments about people’s bodies like it’s neutral information

This might be the biggest generational friction point because it can be harmful.

Boomers are more likely to say things out loud that younger people keep inside their skulls.

Especially when it comes to appearance:

• “You’ve gained weight, huh?”
• “She’s so skinny, is she eating?”
• “Look at his hair, that’s a choice.”
• “That outfit is… interesting.”

Sometimes it’s about family, or it’s about strangers walking by.

Either way, the younger family member is suddenly the manager of the situation, trying to decide whether to intervene, pretend they didn’t hear it, or crawl into a nearby plant.

We’ve been trained by culture and psychology to understand that bodies are complicated.

Health is complicated, identity is complicated, and public commentary is rarely helpful.

Also, people can hear you and that’s the whole nightmare!

If you want a simple boundary line that doesn’t start a war, try: “Hey, let’s not talk about people’s bodies. It’s just not my thing.”

Keep it about you; that’s how you keep the peace.

5) Treating rules as suggestions when they’re inconvenient

Boomers are not the only ones who do this, but they’re more likely to do it with a certain swagger.

Parking in a weird spot “just for a minute,” cutting a line because “I’m just asking a question,” ignoring a sign because “that’s ridiculous,” and walking into a clearly closed area because “someone should be here.”

To a younger person, this is like watching someone casually step onto thin ice while whistling.

A lot of us grew up in systems where rules are enforced inconsistently, sometimes harshly, and often unfairly.

We’re hyper-aware of consequences, cameras, and the general vibe of authority.

When your older relative breaks small social rules in public, you’re anxious.

You’re imagining a confrontation, a viral video, or a security guard who’s having a bad day.

If you’re the boomer in this scenario, here’s the honest truth: Younger people often are predicting the outcome and trying to avoid chaos.

If you’re the younger one, remember that many boomers came from an era where bending rules was a survival skill, not a moral failure.

Still, you can nudge them toward the safer option with humor: “Please don’t get us banned from the CVS.”

6) Oversharing personal details with zero fear

Some boomers share information the way people used to share casseroles.

Freely, repeatedly, and with anyone within reach.

In public, this can turn into a full story about their medical issues, their friend’s divorce, or your cousin’s “phase” while strangers stand nearby pretending to read labels.

I’ve heard someone describe their colonoscopy results in a restaurant like it was a movie review, and I get it: Boomers were raised to talk through things out loud.

Many didn’t have therapy culture—their version of processing was storytelling—but younger people grew up with a different social currency.

We’re trained to curate, we know the internet exists, we know a stranger can record, and we also know that not everyone deserves access to our inner life.

So, when a boomer relative overshares in public, it feels like they’re tossing your family’s group chat onto a billboard.

A gentle redirect works better than a hard shutdown.

Try: “Let’s talk about that later,” or “Hold that thought, we’re in public.”

7) Calling out other people’s behavior like they’re the referee of society

This is the public one that can make you want to teleport.

Someone cuts in line, someone’s kid is loud, someone’s music is playing, someone’s outfit is confusing, someone’s dog is in a place your boomer believes dogs should not be, and boom!

Announced commentary: “It’s unbelievable how rude people are,” “Somebody should teach that kid manners,” and “This is what’s wrong with the world!”

The younger family member instantly feels like they’re standing next to a megaphone.

Why does this happen? Well, in my experience, a lot of boomers grew up with a stronger sense of shared social standards.

They believe public correction helps maintain order, and they’re trying to protect the idea of “how things should be.”

Younger people tend to avoid public confrontation because we’ve seen how quickly it escalates.

We’re also more likely to assume we don’t know the full story.

That kid might be neurodivergent, having the worst day of their life, or that “rude” behavior might be panic, not personality.

If you’re a younger family member, the fastest way to de-escalate is to bring them back to the mission.

The bottom line

If any of these made you laugh and cringe at the same time, welcome to the club!

Generational differences are about social rules, personal boundaries, and what each era learned to fear.

Your boomer relatives are just running older software in a newer world.

Honestly? That’s kind of human.

The next time you feel that familiar wave of secondhand embarrassment, take a breath and redirect gently.

Keep your sense of humor, then go home and process it like the emotionally aware modern person you are.