Talkin' 'Bout Our Generations: Reigniting the Boomer vs. Millennial Debate in 2019

Ok, boomer.

It's the two-word phrase that has captivated a nation. And by nation, I mean internet. And by internet, I mean a very small corner of the world wide web.

Nevertheless, this past week has seen a curious digital divide where millennials and generation-Z'ers have united to take on baby boomers in an online spat that, like most online conflicts, bears little actual meaning beyond the confines of a computer screen. However, it has been interesting to follow from a political perspective as the issues raised by the younger generations seem to be a pushback to their parents' generation on a variety of political topics. This is not the first time this conflict has flared up, but recent political events have put the discussion at the front and center of many online message boards and discussion forums. At a time when we all, as Americans, have to take a look at how and why we ended up here, an emerging part of that discussion has to do with the generational divide and how each generation has been shaped by the time in which they came of age. The result has been a fascinating look at how the newest generation of adults have come to view their elders and vice versa.

The basis for the conflict seems to be a younger generation that is tired of facing constant stereotypes rained down on them by their parents' generation. Millennials especially have taken a beating in online and popular culture for being lazy, entitled, and have been criticized as the "everybody gets a trophy" generation. Older generations tend to look at millennials with a consummate side-eye in everything that they do from their social media habits to their hobbies to their child-rearing practices to their modern views of inclusivity and acceptance for all people. Many boomers feel that millennials are creating a culture that is too politically correct and the reasons for that are so that nobody's feelings get hurt. At a time when the United States, is browning to the point where it will be majority people of color by 2045, many boomers are uneasy about these changing demographics and what it might mean for a world inherited by their future grandchildren. 

On the flip side, millennials are simply tired of being compared to boomers and their own experiences. Millennials frequently point to the changing times and how boomers had much more opportunity for upward mobility, thanks to a vast array of post-WWII programs that made everything from homeownership to higher education so much for affordable than it is today. Millennials frequently mention how they face a half-trillion-dollar student loan debt that combined with disproportionately low salaries that have made it extremely difficult to settle down and start a family. Whereas boomers tend to criticize the nearly 23% of millennials who at one point moved back in with their parents, millennials respond that they have no other options if they want to actually acquire enough wealth to purchase a home. Millennials are also quick to point out how boomers tend to demonize those that work in areas like food service because whereas those were once summer jobs, for millennials these are now full-time professions. As millennials have now become the largest generation in the U.S. labor force, more than one-third of them need a side job to survive.

But even more infuriating for millennials than all the negative stereotypes is the fact that many of them feel a deep sense of betrayal by their parents' generation. Millennials look to the current state of the world and wonder why our parents did not fight harder for a better world for us and our children. This may seem like an unfair criticism, but for millennials, the criticism is very real and very raw. For over 40 years, boomers had the opportunity to address wealth inequality, college affordability, climate change, and social justice for vulnerable populations like immigrants, refugees, and people of color and yet here we stand today with those issues still largely unresolved. As millennials look to their own future and start having children of their own, they are looking at a situation where they are worse off than their parents with less chance of being in the middle class. Combined with the fact that they are a generation that entered the workforce during the worst financial crisis in 80 years and you can see just how badly millennials are struggling to keep their heads above water. The last thing they need is to also have to fix the things that their parents' generation was simply unwilling to do and they see this generation's inaction as a huge slap-in-the-face by refusing to help create the kind of world they want for themselves and their children. 

Generational divides are nothing new. The meme of an older man yelling at the kids to get off his lawn or the parent telling his children to turn down that hideous sound they call music will endure for many generations to come. But the millennial vs. boomer divide is the first one in history that has been driven largely by technology. Millennials are the first generation to grow up with internet access, first in their homes and later at their schools and universities. No longer did generations have to live in isolation but millennials could instead use social media and discussion boards to realize that they were not alone in their situations. By reading about others in their similar situation, they did not feel as isolated as previous generations might have felt. By citing statistics, they could vouch for just how screwed up the economy is for them and how and why the criticisms directly against them were unjust and unfair. At any time of constant criticism, there comes a breaking point and millennials just so happened to have theirs over the past week with the boomer generation. It should come of no surprise that this breaking point occurred on the app TikTok, an app known to millennials and largely unknown to the boomer generation.

As silly as all this may seem, it serves a valuable discussion piece on generational stereotypes. As we know, not all boomers are selfish and unaware and not all millennials are lazy and entitled. But many of us have these perceptions based on our own experiences. As a millennial myself, I've seen my parents' generation struggle with identity politics and the changing demographics of the country. What I see as moving toward more inclusivity, many of them see as being a move toward unnecessary political correctness. What I see as unique and vibrant cultural practices, many boomers see as strange and confusing demonstrations in the streets. What I see as ingrained, systemic issues of racial injustice in this country, many boomers see as isolated incidents with no central cause. And what I see as the absolute horrifying and catastrophic impact of climate change, many boomers see as an exaggerated and distant problem that is unworthy of our time and political capital.

But I've also seen boomers buck this trend. Working in the field of social justice, I've been introduced to numerous boomers who do, in fact, care about climate change. Who do, in fact, understand intersectionality and the systemic injustices people of color face in this country. Who do, in fact, welcome the multicultural and multilingual America that will grace our presence in 2045 and beyond. On the flip side, they've seen me for who I am. Someone who is active on social media but who also actively tries to educate his community through this medium. Someone who did move back in with his parents but is working to save and one day own his own home. Someone who did go to college and who received an advanced degree without requiring financial assistance but still relates to those struggling with student loan debt and those working a second or third job. Someone who does think we should reward effort but also who thinks that we should recognize and continuously motivate those who excel in whatever they do. By putting these stereotypes aside, boomers and millennials can work together for the greater good for a world that they all want to create for their grandchildren.

And that, after all, is the primary goal. As much as we would like to sometimes distance ourselves from our parents' generation, millennials are who we are because of them. We have learned from their successes and more importantly, their failings. We are the first generation to raise our children in a country with legalized marriage equality, with alternative energy replacing fossil fuels, with criminal justice reform being seriously discussed for the first time, with public support shifting in favor of providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. These discussions, all of them, began with the boomer generation and are just now taking off with a new generation of political leaders who are now aware of all these issues. At a time when boomers and millennials combine to make up 60% of the eligible voters in this country, it is critical that these two generations work together for the common good. For boomers, it's the perfect time to show the world that they do, in fact, care about future generations. For millennials, it's the perfect time to show the world that they aren't lazy and entitled and that they do care about the political process. By working together to combat these stereotypes, it's a win-win for everyone involved.

Especially our future generations.