Devin Jacobs
Every generation gets stereotyped, but Boomers might catch more heat than most. People love to make sweeping claims about how they think, act, or what they believe—and most of it’s just flat-out wrong. These assumptions stick around because they’re easy to repeat, not because they’re accurate. The real story is way more nuanced than the headlines suggest. Here’s what people constantly get wrong about this generation.
Boomers Don’t Understand Technology
You might picture them staring blankly at a tablet, but that’s just not reality. Boomers picked up texting, video calling, and digital banking because they saw the benefit. Think about it: it’s the generation that saw TVs and personal computers become a thing—they’ve been adapting to tech their whole lives!
Boomers Caused The Housing Crisis
Blaming an entire generation for something as massive as the housing crisis is an oversimplification. The real mess came from complex stuff like shady bank practices, big-picture economic policies, and reckless speculation. It was a financial system that made risky bets and then collapsed.
Boomers All Vote The Same Way
It’s crazy to think that every single person in a generation who spans almost twenty years votes the same way. The oldest Boomers, who were born right after the war, have totally different viewpoints from the younger ones who came of age much later.
Boomers Don’t Care About The Environment
Many of those core values about protecting the planet have stuck with them ever since. They were the ones marching in the first Earth Day protests and pushing for new clean-air and clean-water laws. People forget that Boomers were young adults when the whole modern environmental movement started in the late 60s and early 70s.
Boomers Reject Change
The idea that this generation hates anything new just doesn’t track with their history. From historic social transformations like the Civil Rights era to groundbreaking innovations such as the space race and the rise of the internet, every chapter has been witnessed. Their history proves it’s not just about enduring change—it’s about evolving with it.
Boomers Are Financially Set For Life
A lot of people assume every Boomer is kicking back in retirement with a massive nest egg, but that’s a total fantasy for a lot of them. Health care costs and the worry that their retirement savings might not last are very real, stress-inducing problems.
Boomers Are Anti-Social Media
Look at Facebook on any given day, and you’ll see tons of older people actively posting and sharing. They use social platforms incredibly well for catching up with old school friends and keeping in touch with their extended family. For this generation, social media is actually a vital tool for maintaining social bonds.
Boomers Are Bad With Diversity And Inclusion
Boomers actually have a long history of fighting for a more equal and inclusive society. They were on the front lines, supporting the movements for civil rights and gender equality decades ago. A lot of people in this generation still actively champion diversity within their workplaces and local communities today.
Boomers Don’t Understand Mental Health
While earlier generations didn’t talk much about mental health, a lot of them are actively changing that narrative. Mental well-being is now seen as important, with many seeking therapy or using digital support tools. The level of comfort with the topic certainly varies; however, more people are becoming more open and aware every day.
Boomers Don’t Exercise Or Care About Fitness
People in the age group do make wellness a priority, finding joy and energy in regular movement and physical activity. You will often see them taking a brisk walk or participating in a fun group exercise class. Remember, they were the ones who made aerobics and jogging incredibly popular in the 70s and 80s, so fitness isn’t new to them.