8 things Boomers still do when watching TV that Gen Z finds oddly formal

There’s something fascinating about how differently generations experience the same thing.

Take TV watching, for example.

For Boomers, it’s an event. For Gen Z, it’s background noise or maybe a TikTok clip in between texts.

The rituals Boomers keep around the TV might look strange (or even charmingly formal) to younger generations who grew up streaming content on phones in bed. But there’s meaning behind these habits, and in a world where convenience rules, some of these “formalities” might even be worth revisiting.

Let’s dive into eight of them.

1) They still “sit down” to watch TV

Remember when “watching TV” meant physically sitting down in a specific chair, at a specific time, in a specific room?

Boomers do.

There’s a whole ritual around it: the recliner, the remote, the drink on a coaster. It’s not just entertainment, it’s appointment viewing.

Gen Z, on the other hand, streams shows on laptops while multitasking or half-watching from bed. The idea of “sitting down” just to watch something feels quaint.

But there’s something almost mindful about it, right? A kind of deliberate attention. As someone who’s spent way too many nights with Netflix playing in one tab while I scroll in another, I sometimes envy that focus.

Maybe the Boomer ritual reminds us that being fully present, even for a sitcom, is a lost art. When you sit down with intention, you’re giving yourself permission to slow down. It becomes more than just content, it becomes a moment.

2) They plan their TV time like it’s a dinner reservation

There’s a reason the phrase “Prime Time” used to mean something.

For Boomers, TV wasn’t on-demand, it was an event. Thursday night at 8 meant Friends, and missing it meant waiting for a rerun or catching it months later.

They planned around it. Dinner had to be done. Phones off the hook. Snacks prepared.

Ask a Gen Z viewer to “wait until 8” for a show, and you’ll get a look that says, You mean… voluntarily delay gratification?

It’s almost funny how structured it used to be, but it also points to a discipline that’s rare now. When something’s scarce, we value it more. When access is infinite, we drift.

I’ve mentioned this before, but our ability to binge anything anytime has flattened our sense of anticipation. There’s a dopamine rush in waiting, one that older generations knew well. The countdown, the theme music, the moment the screen lights up, it all built tension and payoff.

Today, even excitement feels disposable. Maybe that’s why Boomers seem oddly formal about their TV routines: because they remember when watching something meant looking forward to it.

3) They actually flip through channels

Scrolling through Netflix menus doesn’t count.

Boomers still love the tactile act of channel surfing, clicking through live TV to see “what’s on.”

There’s randomness to it that younger generations might find inefficient. Why watch whatever happens to be airing when you could choose exactly what you want?

But I get the appeal. On a recent road trip through a small town, I stayed in a motel with cable TV for the first time in years. I found myself flipping channels just for the fun of it.

It was like rediscovering serendipity. No algorithm, no curated playlist, just the joy of stumbling on a late-night movie halfway through and deciding, “Yeah, this’ll do.”

It reminded me how much curation we’ve outsourced to machines. Channel surfing feels human, it’s messy, random, and sometimes surprisingly rewarding. Boomers treat the act like browsing in a bookstore, not scrolling through a search bar.

That little bit of unpredictability makes entertainment feel more alive.

4) They respect the commercials

If you grew up in the streaming era, you probably treat ads like intruders. Skip. Mute. Switch tabs.

But Boomers? They watch them. Some even enjoy them.

For years, commercials were part of the storytelling rhythm, tiny breaks for reflection, or to grab another drink.

And in a way, they added to the shared experience. Everyone saw the same jingles, the same catchphrases. (“Where’s the beef?” still lives rent-free in some heads.)

It’s formal because it’s communal. TV used to connect people through repetition, not personalization.

When I was studying behavioral science, I came across research suggesting that shared experiences, even minor ones like watching the same ad, build social cohesion. Maybe Boomers were onto something.

They weren’t just tolerating the interruptions, they were participating in a collective moment that tied everyone together.

Even now, the only time we see that again is during the Super Bowl, when ads are treated like cultural events. That’s not just nostalgia. It’s proof that some “formalities” create belonging.

5) They watch one episode at a time

This might be the most shocking of all.

They’d watch one episode, then wait a whole week for the next one. No autoplay. No “Next Episode in 5 seconds.” Just silence and suspense.

To Gen Z, that sounds like torture. But it created emotional pacing. You could talk about the show with friends, make predictions, look forward to next week.

Now? We binge-watch entire seasons in a weekend and forget about them by Monday.

I’ll admit, I’m guilty of that. But sometimes, when I revisit an old show with weekly cliffhangers, I feel that spark again. The waiting makes the payoff richer.

It’s kind of like how reading a book chapter by chapter feels different from scrolling through summaries online. There’s depth in pacing.

Patience may be old-fashioned, but it’s still powerful. Waiting creates space for reflection, for conversation, and for the simple pleasure of wanting something before you get it.

6) They “host” TV nights

Boomers love turning TV time into a mini social event.

Friends over for a game. Family gathered for the season finale. Popcorn bowls. Debates about the characters.

It’s not just watching, it’s hosting.

Gen Z’s equivalent might be a Discord chat, a live-tweet session, or a Netflix Party. Still social, but disembodied.

There’s something beautifully formal about making space for people in your living room, sharing snacks, and collectively reacting to a plot twist.

Growing up, my parents would invite neighbors over for award shows or big games. As a kid, I didn’t get why it was such a big deal. Now, I see it for what it was: community disguised as entertainment.

And there’s psychology behind that too. Shared laughter strengthens bonds. Coordinating physical gatherings creates emotional anchors. It’s not about the show, it’s about the shared experience.

In a time where so many of our “social” moments happen through screens, that feels almost radical.

7) They keep the volume low and the lights on

If you’ve ever watched TV with a Boomer, you might notice two things:

1. They can’t stand when the volume is too high.
2. They always, always keep a lamp on.

It’s like there’s an unspoken rule about maintaining a certain decorum. TV should be “pleasant,” not immersive.

Gen Z’s approach is the opposite: lights off, soundbar booming, cinematic vibes all the way.

Boomers treat TV time like polite conversation; Gen Z treats it like a sensory experience.

Neither is wrong, but it does say something about how each generation approaches leisure. Boomers grew up seeing TV as an extension of social life; Gen Z sees it as a full-on escape.

Sometimes I wonder if that formality, keeping things balanced and comfortable, kept TV from swallowing their evenings whole. It wasn’t supposed to be a trance; it was supposed to be company.

And maybe that’s the subtle difference: Boomers didn’t get lost in TV, they just invited it into the room.

8) They stay loyal to their shows

Boomers stick with their favorite shows for years, even when they jump the shark. They commit.

Gen Z tends to hop around, new series, new vibe, new obsession every month.

Maybe it’s because there’s too much choice now. But loyalty builds nostalgia, and nostalgia builds meaning.

My parents still talk about the finale of M*A*S*H* like it happened yesterday. They remember where they were when it aired. For them, TV wasn’t just something to consume, it was something to remember.

That kind of long-term emotional investment is rare now, when everything’s disposable and algorithm-driven.

I’ve read enough psychology to know that attachment is built through time and consistency. The same goes for stories. When you spend years growing with fictional characters, they become a mirror for your own life.

So maybe Boomers weren’t being overly formal when they kept “their shows.” Maybe they just knew how to stay invested long enough to feel something real.

The bottom line

Every generation brings its own rhythm to how it consumes stories.

Boomers may seem “formal” in how they approach TV, but maybe that formality is really about intention, making space for shared moments, anticipation, and community.

Gen Z has mastered efficiency, personalization, and access. But there’s a quiet value in some of those old habits: the ritual, the waiting, the togetherness.

Maybe the real question isn’t who’s watching TV “right,” but what we’ve lost by making it so casual.

Because sometimes, being formal just means you cared enough to make it matter.