Sometimes, it’s the little things that can create the biggest divides between generations. There’s probably no bigger divide than that between millennials and the baby boomer generation, and it’s getting worse. Here are 25 habits of people 50+ that millennials can’t stand. We’re not judging anyone for these, and if you do any of them, don’t feel bad.
Dodging the Digital World
It’s no secret that many boomers would rather stick to their old-school tech than try out the latest options. For millennials, this can be a real headache because they’re digital natives. They’d love for boomers to use newer technology so they can streamline things at work or keep in touch more easily.
Sticking to the Old Ways
Change isn’t easy for anyone, but many boomers take sticking to tradition to a whole new level. Millennials would much rather shake things up and find new ways to do things. When they see some older people refusing to budge, it’s a real drag. But millennials should remember that boomers were here first, and there’s nothing wrong with the old tried and tested.
Being Overly Formal
Boomers remember a time when writing letters was the norm, and you had to be formal when writing them. It’s something they continue doing now, and millennials just can’t understand it. They’d rather get a quick text than a long email thread or phone call, and they feel that it turns catching up into a chore.
Questioning Remote Work
While millennials love the idea of working from anywhere, many boomers aren’t sold on the idea that work doesn’t have to happen in the office. Boomers value face-to-face interaction, and millennials see remote work as a way to optimize their time. It’s a clash of workplace cultures that sometimes causes issues.
Playing It Safe With Money
Boomers like to keep their wallets close and their investments even safer. But millennials are dealing with a completely different financial situation, and they’re usually up for a bit of a risk. They don’t mind splurging a little for the chance of success, and it’s this bravery that can cause some tense family dinner debates.
Praising the 9-to-5
To boomers, nothing beats the classic 9-to-5 schedule because it’s got clear boundaries and a steady paycheck. Millennials, on the other hand, would prefer some more flexibility to balance their personal lives with their jobs. They think the traditional work grind is outdated and would much rather go for the freelance opportunities that boomers are skeptical of.
Loyal to a Fault
Boomers come from a time when it was normal to stick to the same employer for years if not decades, and they don’t see an issue with that. But millennials prefer bouncing around to different jobs to get a broader range of experiences. They don’t understand the power of being loyal to one employer.
Hanging On to Cable TV
While millennials are cutting cords and streaming their favorite shows, many boomers are still channel surfing the old-fashioned way. They don’t see how Netflix could be a better deal than cable. To them, cable is reliable and straightforward, but streaming services are way too complicated.
Preferring Paper Over Pixels
There’s something about a freshly printed newspaper or magazine that boomers simply can’t resist. Meanwhile, millennials are just scrolling their newsfeeds and wondering why anyone would want to carry around huge stacks of paper in the first place. Yes, the digital world is convenient, but it’s nothing like the real feel of paper.
Suiting Up
If you’ve got a fancy meeting, as a boomer, you might break out your finest suit, but millennials prefer to keep things cool. They’d rather wear a smart blazer on top of a casual shirt. Each generation has a completely different view of what “professional” really means, and it’s making for some awkward moments.
Planning Phone Calls
When a millennial has something to say, they’ll send a quick text or maybe even make a spontaneous phone call. But boomers? They like to schedule them because they remember a time when phone calls felt like an event, not a simple check-in. It’s this formality that can be a bit much for the younger generation.
Questioning Social Media
Who would’ve thought social media could be a tool and a marketplace? While millennials see all the benefits of social media, boomers are still confused about why anyone would air their dirty laundry online. They recognize that our personal affairs should stay personal, and we shouldn’t be sharing them for everyone to see.
Owning Over Sharing
It doesn’t matter if it’s a car or a house because boomers like to own their stuff, unlike millennials, who prefer sharing or renting things. It’s difficult for them to explain AirBnB to someone who’s had the same house for thirty years. Of course, there’s no right way to think, but it definitely opens up some interesting conversations.
Skipping Sustainability
Millennials are always trying to turn their lives green by recycling or reducing waste. That’s not to say that boomers don’t do it; they’re just a little more skeptical about some of the data. Millennials are trying to make people more sustainable, but boomers don’t feel the same sense of urgency.
Paper Trails Everywhere
Boomers love their paper, and they don’t care if it’s bills or notes. It’s annoying to millennials, who prefer going digital, especially when it comes to decluttering and organizing. Going paperless? That’s pretty much a completely different idea to boomers since they’re so used to physical records.
In-Person Banking
Millennials like managing their finances with just a few taps on their smartphones, but boomers are completely different. They’re still making trips to the bank because it gives them a sense of security. Plus, sometimes they just want to talk to the tellers and get that human touch that online banking can never compare to.
Manual…Everything
In a world where almost everything’s either automatic, digital, or both, watching boomers do things manually at work gets a little confusing. Millennials would rather do this efficiently, which, to them, means getting a machine to do it. But honestly, doing things the old-fashioned way really feels a lot more worthwhile.
Dining With Decorum
If you’ve ever gone to dinner with another boomer, you might feel like you’ve gone to a fancy restaurant with a strict dress code. They’d rather stick to the rules, which millennials find a little too stiff. The younger generation prefers to do things more laid-back, even though boomers see it as a time to be respectful.
Loving Landlines
Yes, almost everyone has a cell phone these days, but many boomers still have a landline at home. For millennials, it’s just another unnecessary thing that’s tying them to their homes, and they’d much rather go out and about. So, it’s no surprise that around 75% of them don’t even have one.
App Anxiety
Need to order food or book a ride? There’s an app for that. But many boomers are slow to use them, as they’d rather call someone or make a booking face-to-face. To millennials, this makes life more complicated than it needs to be, although we think there’s definitely a charm in doing it yourself.
Long Voicemails
Short and sweet is the motto for millennials, and they’d much rather get a text than make a cool. They get pretty annoyed when they have to fast-forward through voicemails from boomers that are over a minute long. But honestly, can you blame them? At least with a voicemail, your message can’t be misinterpreted.
Valuing Degrees Over Skills
Most of us agree that education is important, but boomers value formal qualifications much more than millennials. It could be because they come from a time when a diploma was a rarity that could open doors for you, unlike millennials. They think skills and hands-on experience are way more important.
Offline Shopping
Why drive to a store when you can shop online? Actually, there are quite a few reasons, like being able to actually touch what you’re shopping for and even try it on. Boomers prefer the experience of traditional shopping like this, but millennials enjoy the convenience and speed of shopping online.
Planning Every Detail
If there’s a plan to make, you know that boomers are going to make one to the very last detail. They see this kind of planning as something they’ve got to do to avoid any issues. But millennials? They’d rather see where life takes them, for better or worse, and they see overplanning as overbearing.
Medical Mysteries
New health tech can certainly be revolutionary, but that doesn’t stop some boomers from being wary of them. They’re not so quick to trust every new invention and would rather see how things go first. But millennials are some of the first ones to use new medical technology because they think it can improve their lives.
19 Grim Realities of Dating After 50 That Are Often Overlooked
19 Grim Realities of Dating After 50 That Are Often Overlooked
26 Things That Will Be Extinct Because Millennials Refuse to Buy Them
26 Things That Will Be Extinct Because Millennials Refuse to Buy Them
24 Outdated Slang Terms You Absolutely Shouldn’t Be Using Anymore
24 Outdated Slang Terms You Absolutely Shouldn’t Be Using Anymore
25 Hardest Parts About Getting Older That No One Ever Talks About
25 Hardest Parts About Getting Older That No One Ever Talks About
