While younger generations perfect their "OK Boomer" eye rolls and technology jokes, they're missing the irony that someday they'll be explaining their own outdated apps to grandchildren who think they invented wisdom.
Last week at the grocery store, I watched a twenty-something help an older gentleman with the self-checkout machine.
It was a sweet moment until I overheard her friend whisper, "OK Boomer" with an eye roll when the man thanked them and walked away.
The helper laughed, and they moved on, but I stood there thinking about how exhausting it's become to constantly be the punchline of a generation's inside jokes.
Look, I get it, every generation pokes fun at the ones before.
When I was teaching high school English, my students loved to tease me about everything from my music taste to my inability to understand their slang.
But, somewhere along the line, the gentle ribbing between generations morphed into something else entirely.
The jokes about baby boomers have taken on a sharper edge, and honestly? We're tired.
1) "OK, Boomer"
This one started as a dismissive response to outdated opinions, but now it gets thrown around whenever anyone over 60 expresses any thought whatsoever.
I recently suggested to my neighbor's daughter that she might want to save some money each month, even just a little.
Her response? "OK, Boomer."
The conversation ended there.
No discussion about the challenges of saving in today's economy, and no acknowledgment that maybe someone who's lived through several recessions might have a point worth considering.
It's become a conversational stop sign that shuts down any possibility of actual dialogue.
2) Technology incompetence
Yes, I had to ask my grandchildren for help setting up video calls when they moved across the country.
Also, yes, I took classes at the senior center to learn about smartphones.
But you know what? I learned.
Just like I learned to use a computer when they first appeared in classrooms, and email when that became essential, and social media when I realized it was the best way to see photos of my grandchildren.
The assumption that we're all helplessly pressing random buttons and yelling at our devices is dismissive of our ability to adapt and grow.
Some of us are coding, running online businesses, and yes, even creating TikTok videos.
3) "Back in my day" mockery
Have you noticed how any story or reference to the past gets immediately met with exaggerated impressions?
"Back in MY day, we walked uphill both ways!" Sure, nostalgia can get heavy-handed sometimes, but dismissing all historical perspective as irrelevant rambling means missing out on some genuinely useful insights.
When I mention that I bought my first house at 28 on a teacher's salary, I'm acknowledging that something fundamental has shifted in our economy, and maybe we should talk about that instead of making it a generational warfare moment.
4) Climate change blame
The weight of environmental destruction gets laid squarely at our feet, as if we individually chose to destroy the planet while cackling maniacally.
Were mistakes made? Absolutely, but most of us were just living our lives with the information we had at the time.
We recycled when recycling programs started, we switched to energy-efficient bulbs, we tried to do better as we learned better.
Reducing complex global systems and corporate decisions to "Boomers killed the planet" helps no one and solves nothing.
5) Housing market jokes
"Must be nice to have bought a house for $30,000!"
Yes, houses cost less in absolute dollars decades ago.
They also cost less relative to income, which is a real problem worth discussing.
However, the snide comments about how we're hoarding all the real estate ignore the reality that many of us are still paying mortgages, helping our adult children with down payments, or trying to figure out how to afford assisted living for our own parents.
The housing crisis affects us all, just in different ways.
6) "Snowflake" reversal
Remember when "snowflake" was the derogatory term thrown at younger generations?
Now, it's been flipped around whenever we express frustration about anything.
Can't figure out a new app immediately? Snowflake.
Frustrated by poor customer service? Snowflake.
It's particularly rich given that many of us lived through times when complaining wasn't even an option.
We just dealt with things.
Now, when we finally do speak up, we're labeled as fragile.
7) Facebook stereotypes
Every generation has its social media quirks, but somehow ours are the only ones considered universally mockable.
Yes, some of us share too many photos of our grandchildren and, yes, some of us type in all caps without realizing we're "shouting."
But we're also using these platforms to reconnect with old friends, organize community events, and stay engaged with the world.
The assumption that we're all falling for fake news and sharing chain letters is insulting to our intelligence and critical thinking skills, especially considering many of us are former educators, journalists, and professionals who absolutely know how to evaluate sources.
8) Retirement privilege
"Must be nice to be retired and playing golf all day!"
The reality? Many of us are working well past traditional retirement age, either because we can't afford to retire or because age discrimination pushed us out of careers prematurely.
Others are caring for elderly parents while also helping adult children who are struggling financially.
The image of the wealthy, leisure-focused retiree applies to some, sure, but it's far from universal.
When I started learning Italian at 66 for a trip I'd dreamed about for decades, I'd saved for five years to afford it.
That's patience and planning finally paying off.
Final thoughts
Here's what I've learned after decades of teaching teenagers and now navigating this stage of life: Every generation thinks they invented wisdom and that the ones before them are hopelessly out of touch.
However, real wisdom lies in recognizing that we all have something to offer and something to learn.
The jokes and dismissive attitudes create walls where we desperately need bridges.
We're living longer than ever before, which means multiple generations need to coexist and collaborate for decades.
Maybe it's time to retire some of these tired jokes and start having real conversations instead.
After all, we're all going to be someone's "older generation" eventually, if we're lucky.
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Marlene Martin
Marlene is a retired high school English teacher and longtime writer who draws on decades of lived experience to explore personal development, relationships, resilience, and finding purpose in life’s second act. When she’s not at her laptop, she’s usually in the garden at dawn, baking Sunday bread, taking watercolor classes, playing piano, or volunteering at a local women’s shelter teaching life skills.
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