8 classic products that boomers still stock up on, but their grandkids don’t get the appeal

I was at my parents' house last weekend when I noticed something that stopped me in my tracks.

Stacked neatly on the coffee table were three physical newspapers, a TV Guide, and what looked like a dozen CDs still in their jewel cases.

Meanwhile, my nephew sat in the corner streaming music on his phone, completely baffled by the whole setup.

It got me thinking about how drastically our consumption habits have shifted between generations. Not in a judgmental way, but in a genuinely curious one.

What makes certain products feel essential to one generation and completely alien to another?

The gap between boomers and their grandkids isn't just about age. It's about fundamentally different relationships with physical objects, information, and the rituals we build around them.

1) Physical newspapers and magazines

There's a ritual to reading a physical newspaper that digital news will never replicate. The feel of newsprint, the act of turning pages, the way sections are organized.

For boomers, newspapers aren't just information delivery systems. They're morning companions. They're conversation starters at the breakfast table. They're tangible proof that they're staying informed.

My dad still gets the Sunday paper delivered. He'll spend an hour with it, coffee in hand, working through the sections in his preferred order. When I visit, he'll physically hand me articles he thinks I should read.

Research backs up what feels obvious to anyone who's watched this dynamic play out. The results showed that comprehension was better when reading in print. There's something about the physical medium that changes how we process information.

Gen Z doesn't get it. Why pay for something you can access instantly and for free on your phone? Why deal with the mess of discarded papers and recycling?

But for boomers, that tangible relationship matters. They grew up in a world where information had weight and took up space. Digital news feels ephemeral, easily dismissed, potentially unreliable.

2) CDs and physical music collections

Walk into most boomer homes and you'll find shelves dedicated to CD collections. Not just a few favorites, but hundreds of discs, often alphabetized, sometimes with handwritten notes about when and where they were purchased.

Boomers are still buying CDs in significant numbers while younger generations have moved entirely to streaming. That gap tells you everything about how differently we relate to music as an object versus music as access.

Here's what younger generations miss: CDs aren't just about the music. They're about album art you can hold. Liner notes you can read. The physical act of selecting, placing, and playing an album. It's an intentional experience.

I've mentioned this before but making or playing music lights up large parts of the brain, linked to improvements in memory, mood, and cognitive sharpness [036]. For boomers who grew up carefully curating their music collections, that physical interaction matters.

My partner's mom has over 500 CDs. She knows exactly where each one is and can tell you stories about most of them. Meanwhile, my nephew has 10,000 songs on Spotify and couldn't name half of them.

Neither approach is wrong. They're just different relationships with music.

3) Landline phones

About half of boomer households still maintain landline phones. In an era where most people don't even answer calls on their cell phones, this seems bizarre to younger generations.

But landlines represent something beyond just making calls. They're about reliability, clarity, and a connection to home that feels more permanent than a device you carry around.

For boomers, the landline is the family phone. It's the number you give to doctors' offices and schools. It's what rings in an emergency. It has a physical location tied to a physical place.

Cell phones feel transient by comparison. They die, get lost, need constant updates. A landline just works, year after year, in the same spot.

Gen Z can't fathom paying for two phone services. Why would you need a phone that only works in one location when you have one that works everywhere?

It's a fair question. But it misses the point that for boomers, that fixed location is a feature, not a bug.

4) Physical photo albums

Nearly half of boomers still maintain physical photo albums. Not as backups to their digital photos, but as their primary way of preserving and sharing memories.

There's something about flipping through actual photos that digital galleries can't capture. The weight of the album. The way certain photos are arranged together. The handwritten captions and dates.

My grandmother's photo albums are family artifacts. They tell stories in a way that scrolling through cloud storage never could. You can see which photos were important enough to print and preserve. You can hold the same print she held decades ago.

For younger generations, photos exist in the cloud, backed up automatically, instantly shareable. Printing photos feels like an unnecessary extra step.

But for boomers, the physical album is the point. Digital photos feel temporary, easily lost in a device crash or forgotten in an endless camera roll. Printed photos have permanence.

I recently read Rudá Iandê's Laughing in the Face of Chaos, and one passage stuck with me about how we relate to memories. He writes that "your body is not just a vessel, but a sacred universe unto itself, a microcosm of the vast intelligence and creativity that permeates all of existence."

The book made me think about how holding physical photos connects us to memories in a more embodied way than scrolling ever could.

5) Paper planners and calendars

Despite the existence of Google Calendar, Apple Reminders, and countless productivity apps, a significant number of boomers still use paper planners.

Writing things down by hand engages your brain differently than typing. There's research showing that handwriting improves memory and comprehension. But beyond that, paper planners offer something digital tools don't: they can't crash, get hacked, or require updates.

My mom has used the same brand of day planner for 30 years. She likes the ritual of writing appointments, crossing off completed tasks, flipping to new pages. It's tactile and satisfying in a way that checking off a digital box isn't.

For Gen Z, this seems wildly inefficient. Your phone can sync across devices, send reminders, and integrate with other apps. Why limit yourself to something that can't do any of that?

The answer is that for some people, those limitations are the appeal. A paper planner does exactly one thing, and it does it without distractions, notifications, or battery concerns.

6) Checks for payments

Younger people are often shocked to learn that people still write checks. In a world of Venmo, Cash App, and Apple Pay, checks seem absurdly outdated.

But boomers trust checks. They provide a paper trail. They feel official and secure. They don't require understanding apps or worrying about digital security breaches.

When my parents need to pay for something, checks are often their first instinct. They keep a checkbook in their bag. They know exactly how much is in their account because they record every transaction.

For Gen Z, this is incomprehensible. Writing a check takes longer, requires more steps, and delays payment. Digital payments are instant, trackable, and don't require carrying a checkbook.

The generational divide here isn't just about convenience. It's about trust. Boomers trust what they can hold and record themselves. Younger generations trust systems and apps.

7) Printed maps and atlases

I once watched my dad refuse to use GPS and instead pull out a folded road atlas to plan a trip. My nephew, watching from the backseat, looked genuinely confused about what was happening.

For boomers, printed maps offer something GPS doesn't: context. You can see the whole route at once. You can plan alternative paths. You understand where you are in relation to everything else.

GPS just tells you where to turn next. It doesn't teach you geography or give you a sense of place. If it fails, you're lost.

For younger generations, this argument makes no sense. Why memorize routes or understand geography when your phone can guide you everywhere? Why carry bulky maps when you have unlimited information in your pocket?

But there's something boomers understand about physical navigation that's getting lost. When you use a map, you're actively engaged with where you're going. You're learning. You're building spatial awareness.

With GPS, you're just following directions.

8) Cable television packages

While younger generations cut cords and build their entertainment around streaming services, boomers overwhelmingly stick with cable.

It's not that they don't know streaming exists. It's that cable offers something different: simplicity, reliability, and the ability to channel surf without making decisions.

With streaming, you have to choose what to watch from endless options. With cable, you can flip through channels and land on something unexpected. There's a serendipity to it that algorithm-driven recommendations don't replicate.

My parents pay for a cable package with hundreds of channels they never watch. When I suggest they'd save money streaming only what they want, they look at me like I'm speaking another language.

For Gen Z, this is financial insanity. Why pay for content you don't use when you can subscribe only to what you want?

But for boomers, channel surfing is the point. Having options without having to actively decide is comforting, not wasteful.

Conclusion

These products aren't just objects. They're different philosophies about how we interact with information, memories, and the world around us.

Boomers grew up in a physical world where things had weight, took up space, and required intention. Their grandkids grew up in a digital world where everything is instant, searchable, and weightless.

Neither approach is inherently better. They're just different adaptations to different environments.

What fascinates me is how these purchasing decisions reflect deeper values. Boomers value permanence, tangibility, and rituals. Gen Z values efficiency, convenience, and instant access.

Understanding these differences isn't about judgment. It's about recognizing that the tools we grew up with shape how we see the world. And maybe, just maybe, each generation has something valuable to teach the other about what we're losing and gaining along the way.