7 cringey things Millennials do that prove we became the Boomers we mocked

We spent two decades dragging Boomers for their tech illiteracy and resistance to change. Now we're doing the exact same thing to Gen Z.

Remember when we rolled our eyes at our parents struggling with smartphones? When we laughed at "OK Boomer" memes and felt smugly superior about our digital fluency?

Yeah. About that.

Somewhere between skinny jeans going out of style and TikTok replacing Instagram, Millennials crossed over to the dark side. We've become the generation we swore we'd never be.

Research shows that Millennials and Boomers express more animosity toward each other than toward other generations, but here's the uncomfortable truth: we're morphing into them.

Let's be honest about it.

1. Complaining that everything needs an app

"Why can't I just call them?"

"I don't want to download another app just to order food."

"Back in my day, we could just walk in and talk to a real person."

Sound familiar? That's because common complaints across generations include technology making things unnecessarily complicated.

We've become our parents staring confused at a QR code menu.

I caught myself last week refusing to use a restaurant's app-based ordering system, insisting on flagging down a server instead. My partner looked at me like I'd just asked for a typewriter to send an email.

The irony? Ten years ago, I was explaining to my dad why everything being digital was "the future."

2. Gatekeeping the '90s like it's sacred territory

You know what Boomers did? They acted like they owned rock and roll, like no one could possibly understand the Beatles unless they were there.

We're doing the exact same thing with our decade.

Gen Z loves '90s fashion? "They don't even remember dial-up internet!" Gen Z revives our old shows? "You had to be there to get it!"

Gen Z points out that Millennials have been gatekeeping everything made before the millennium, and they're right.

We spent years mocking Boomers for "back in my day" stories. Now we're the ones lecturing about how Blockbuster Video built character.

3. Getting genuinely annoyed by Gen Z trends

TikTok dances are stupid. Their slang makes no sense. Why does everything have to be "aesthetic"?

Hold on. Let me check my old Facebook timeline.

Oh look, there I am doing the Harlem Shake in 2013. There's a photo of me planking. Here's a status about being "so random" with seventeen hashtags.

Every generation has cringey trends. Ours just weren't documented in 4K.

But now we see Gen Z doing their thing and suddenly we're pearl-clutching about "kids these days." The same energy Boomers brought to judging our participation trophies and avocado toast.

TikTok research shows younger people feel unfairly maligned by older generations, which is exactly how we felt when Boomers called us entitled.

4. Resisting new technology we don't immediately understand

AI is scary. Cryptocurrency is a scam. The metaverse is stupid.

Maybe these things are problematic. But let's be honest about our resistance.

We're doing the Boomer thing where we reject what's new because learning it feels like work.

I've watched Millennial friends refuse to try ChatGPT while simultaneously complaining that Gen Z is "too dependent on technology." The same way Boomers complained about us being glued to our phones while refusing to learn how to use theirs.

The pattern repeats because comfort zones harden with age.

We're not digital natives anymore. We're digital immigrants watching the next wave, and it's uncomfortable.

5. Judging work ethic based on our outdated standards

"Gen Z doesn't want to work hard."

"They expect everything handed to them."

"We didn't have work-from-home, and we turned out fine."

Listen to yourself. You sound exactly like the Boomers who said the same thing about us.

One Gen Z perspective notes that Millennials complain about traditional nine-to-five jobs while Gen Z is selling their creativity at 16.

Maybe Gen Z isn't lazy. Maybe they saw us burn out chasing hustle culture and decided there's a better way.

The same way we rejected our parents' dedication to companies that showed them zero loyalty.

But instead of recognizing the pattern, we're clutching our "I worked three unpaid internships" cards like badges of honor.

6. Refusing to pass the baton

Here's the uncomfortable one.

We complained endlessly that Boomers wouldn't retire, wouldn't vacate leadership positions, kept hoarding resources and power.

Now many of us are in our 40s, established in careers, and we're... doing the same thing.

Millennials fear that Baby Boomers' delayed retirement and retention of power hampers their life prospects. That was our complaint.

But are we making space for Gen Z? Or are we defending our territory, explaining why they're "not ready" for opportunities we had at their age?

I've seen this in my own industry. Millennials in leadership positions are suddenly very invested in "experience requirements" and "paying your dues."

Funny how that works.

7. Making fun of their slang while forgetting ours was equally ridiculous

"No cap? Bussin? What does any of this mean?"

The same people who unironically said "on fleek" and "bae" are now clutching pearls over "rizz."

We turned "literally" into verbal filler. We said "I can't even" and left the sentence hanging. Everything was "goals" or "mood" or "same."

Gen Z's slang isn't more ridiculous than ours. It's just new.

And we're reacting exactly like Boomers did when we started saying "basic" and "stan."

The cycle continues because every generation thinks their version of culture was authentic while the next one is fake.

Final thoughts

The hardest pill to swallow: we're not special.

We're just another generation going through the same tired pattern. Mock the previous generation, establish ourselves, then become the thing we mocked.

Research emphasizes that generational categories aren't scientifically defined, and all generations are slightly different only because of what's happening around them.

The good news? We still have time to break the cycle.

We can acknowledge Gen Z's creativity without dismissing it. We can learn new technology without complaining. We can make space for younger voices instead of defending our territory.

Or we can keep pretending we're somehow different from Boomers while doing literally everything they did.

Your choice. But the mirror doesn't lie.