Boomers deserve more credit. After all, this generation has battled through numerous challenges, including financial crises like the Great Recession, the pandemic, and the current cost-of-living crises. It appears that Boomers’ life experiences have afforded them some wisdom, as they have accurately predicted several modern-day challenges.
Let’s take a look at 18 things Boomers accurately predicted:
Work-Life Balance
Boomers were the first generation to raise questions about overworking and advocate for more work-life balance. Many Boomers predicted that the rise of technology would decrease work-life balance, and they were right.
Privacy
Boomers might be the last generation to experience true privacy, as mobile phones, surveillance cameras, and electronic tracking devices are everywhere now. Furthermore, Boomers have always been cautious about sharing their personal information and processes like online banking, for example. We have seen a sharp rise in identity theft, scams, and hacking, so it looks like their caution was well-judged.
Financial Frugalness
Boomers have often highlighted the importance of saving, avoiding debt, and living within one’s means. Young people’s lack of savings and rising debt appear to confirm that their preference for financial frugalness might not have been such a bad idea.
The Dangers of Technology
While Gen Z and Millennials were busy rolling their eyes at Boomers’ cautionary advice about the dangers of technology, their predictions have been coming true. Research supports the idea that too much screen time can negatively impact health, and tech addictions and online scamming are also on the rise.
Environmental Activism
Boomers are the O’G’s of environmental activism, and their generation has been protesting to save the planet since the 1960s. While many people dismissed their efforts as free-loving, hippy nonsense, the world has now woken up to the threats of climate change, and it looks like Boomers have been right all along.
Home Ownership
Many Boomers prioritized home ownership from a young age. With skyrocketing rental costs and housing market instability, it appears that their focus on home ownership was a smart idea, as many people now can’t afford to buy a home.
Face-to-Face-Communication
Although Boomers have often been mocked for their dislike of modern-day communications like Zoom, Skype, and video calls, society appears to be coming around to their way of thinking. As more research supports the idea that face-to-face communication is good for our mental well-being, Boomers have earned the right to say, “We told you so.”
Physical Fitness
Boomers are the original fitness fanatics, and it was they who were strutting their stuff in neon leotards during the 80s while they worked out to what now looks like cringey exercise videos. Yet again, Boomer’s advice about staying physically active rings true. As America battles rising obesity and diet-related diabetes, maybe they were right after all.
Manners and Respect
Although often thought of as cringy, Boomers have always emphasized the importance of showing respect to elders and saying please and thank you. In 2024, polite gestures like these can make you stand out from the crowd, as most people are too busy for basic manners these days.
Home Cooked Meals
Boomers have always been advocates of home cooking. The fast food trend didn’t really take off until they were adults, so they have always spoken about the importance of good nutrition and the nourishing qualities of a home-cooked meal.
DIY Skills
Boomers seem to be able to fix anything, whether it’s mending a chair or building a crib for their grandchildren; boomers have entire garages full of tools, gadgets, and gizmos that make them look like DIY experts. On the other hand, younger generations can barely change a light bulb without Googling it, and instead, they have to pay hefty prices and employ professional tradesmen for their DIY projects.
Education, Education, Education
Boomers have always championed the importance of education, and they were the first highly educated generation. Thanks to the time they spent investing in their own education, most Boomers have enjoyed lucrative careers and are now financially well off. So, it appears Boomers’ obsession with education might not have been such a misguided one.
Reading Books
Boomers love reading physical books; forget the Amazon Kindle and give them a hardback novel any day of the week over a tablet or computer screen. Research shows that old-fashioned book reading benefits cognition and well-being as it reduces our exposure to screen time while also stimulating the creative part of our brains.
Critical Thinking
If you know any Boomers, we bet you can relate to this one as they are big on critical thinking. While younger generations can quickly jump and snap judgment about something, Boomers advocate for examining the facts and taking some time to think before acting.
Driving Skills
“Let’s go for a drive” is a famous Boomer statement, and this is because they naturally value driving, both as a skill and as a pastime. Boomers have always been advocates of developing good, safe driving skills as it increases independence and job prospects. Furthermore, with the cost of living crisis and an unstable economy, many have made extra money from driving jobs, whether for Amazon, Uber, or Taxi driving. So maybe the Boomers had a point.
Community
After the pandemic, the benefits of community participation became more evident than ever. But Boomers have always advocated for community involvement and have been preaching for decades about the importance of “knowing your neighbor.” This appears to be another thing that Boomers got right.
Political Polarization
Baby Boomers are from a time when bipartisan cooperation and mutual respect were the standard, no matter your political persuasion. Boomers understood that in order to achieve political progress, the values of democracy must be upheld. But given the polarization of America in 2024 and political extremism, these values seem to be under threat. Younger generations now look back on Boomers’ advice with greater understanding.
Traditional Family Dynamics
It’s common to hear Boomers talk about the importance of family and sit around the table together to eat. But now most family members eat separately or with a takeaway meal on a tray in front of the TV. As Americans begin to recognize how disconnected and isolated they have become, many now realize that Boomers were right; there is value in prioritizing family time.
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