Boomer opinions usually are the subject of mockery by Gen Z, but based on a recent discussion, it seems like the younger generation is catching onto some of the learned and lived wisdom that the older generation has to share.
When asked for their “I’m with the Boomers on this” opinion, both Gen Z and Millennials were quick to jump in with thoughts that might surprise you.
Here’s what they had to say:
1. Tipping is out of control
“Coming from someone who relies on tips for income: it hurts people who actually should be getting (tips) because now people are extremely agitated about any and all tipping. I was just at a music festival, and the guy who exchanges your cash for drink tickets, not even the person who pours the beverage, had an iPad with tip options starting at 18%.”
Agreeing, one person wrote, “I went to a shop yesterday, where I walked into the store and pointed to the item I wanted behind the counter. The girl from behind the counter put it in a small paper bag and handed it to me,” after which, the individual was prompted for a tip.
“What am I tipping for? I stared at the screen for 5 seconds, looking for the ‘no tip’ option, and there wasn’t one.”
2. Cars don’t need touchscreens
“Distracted driving is at an all-time high. Touchscreen controls require you to take your eyes off the road and can create a longer time of inattention due to their complexity.
“I have an old car with physical controls. I can do dang near anything (radio, climate control, etc.) without taking my eyes off the road and in much less time.”
3. Everything doesn’t need to be a subscription
“I don’t need a subscription for everything. No, you don’t need my phone number or email. Just let me buy my shirt and get out of the store,” wrote a disgruntled individual.
Another commenter agreed, writing, “Everything is a subscription. Music? Subscription. Movies? Subscription. TV shows? Subscription. Heat your (seat) while you’re driving? Subscription. REALLY? Oh, sorry—I’m a boomer. I’ll leave now.”
4. We shouldn’t be glued to our phones
“If you’re walking on a crowded sidewalk, get off your phone. It’s not the job of other pedestrians to avoid you while you make your vlog. Awareness of your surroundings is important.”
Adding one commenter, “I’ve seen people stand in the middle of a stairway, blocking people going up and down the stairs just to do something on their phone. The lack of awareness of people around them is horrible.”
See also: Why You Should Try Deleting Instagram from Your Phone for a Few Days—It Just Might Change Your Life
5. Cassette tapes, CDs, and DVDs are better than digital streaming
“Physical media: owning books, movies, and music, is far superior to a subscription service or digital content,” commented one user.
Expressing their frustration, a different user agreed, saying, “Much more permanent too. Do you know how much I’ve lost (books, photos, music, personal (writing), etc.) due to ending subscriptions, devices breaking, getting lost, data being corrupted, etc.?”
6. Automated support messaging has got to go
“I want a human customer service operator, not an automated operator or chatbot.”
A frustrated customer responded, “I hate having to go through 5 minutes of menus just for it to connect me to a person anyway, and then they have to transfer me 3 times. What purposes does it even serve?”
7. Some things don’t need to be apps
“Certain things shouldn’t require you to download an app and/or create a whole account, including ordering food in a restaurant, paying for parking, buying something online, and sending a parcel.”
Another individual chimed in, commenting, “I’ll throw in buying concert tickets, especially since they got rid of tickets entirely. You get in by scanning a code on your phone. I have a huge collection of ticket stubs that all bring back various memories of concerts, but the most recent one I went to has absolutely nothing physical to remind me of the experience.”
8. Dogs need strict training
“Most people don’t train their dogs well enough because they treat them like children, then they can’t handle them when they’re reactive and put people and other dogs in danger.”
9. Music is getting too loud on nights out
“I want to find just one bar where I can talk to my friends without screaming.”
10. TV was better in the good ol’ days
“TV is getting too dark. Not emotionally—it is visually too dark, and I can’t see it.”
Equally confused, another responded, “Too dark and too quiet. I swear we have to turn the volume up like twice as loud as we have it normally to watch Yellowstone.”
11. Physical cables are better than Bluetooth and WiFi
“Sometimes it’s faster to just plug something in instead of dealing with Bluetooth connectivity. There’s something nice about knowing how to get it connected and being able to connect and disconnect physically,” expressed one user on their boomer opinions.
A different commenter agreed, stating, “The same applies to networking: WiFi is not a panacea, and it’s very much worth your while doing some cabled networking if you actually value your networked experiences.”
12. K.I.S.S.
“There is an old acronym, K.I.S.S.
“Keep It Simple Stupid.
“Just because you can make something super flashy, complicated, intriguing, or otherwise impressive doesn’t mean you should.
“Trying too hard to make something impressive only leaves you with something that may look pretty but doesn’t have proper support.”
Boomers still have some things to learn
Just because Gen Z’s come around to some Boomer opinions doesn’t mean that the older generation can’t learn a thing or two from their youthful ways.
These are the 12 false cliché phrases boomers need to stop using
Gen Z should take Boomer advice more often
It seems like Gen Z might have more in common with Boomers than they want to admit. What other boomer opinions can the older generation impart to the younger crowd?
Here are 11 unbelievably useful pieces of Boomer advice Gen Z will probably ignore.
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Why is it that some jobs seem to attract the worst types of people? These jobs were voted as being the rudest.
Know what to avoid: 11 Rude Professions That Are a Nightmare to Work In
Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
