What went wrong with the Boomers?

[hobbes2702 13453]

Ok im not sure if you know how sentences work.

Anyone born 95/96 or earlier is a millennial. Your point was moronic to begin with but at least attempt to base it somewhat in fact.

[hobbes2702 13453]

I’m not sure why you think my feelings would be hurt because you can’t write. Is that a Gen X thing?

See how stupid that sounds.

Your generalization was based on a premise that was entirely flawed because you don’t even know what criteria is used to define a millennial or other generations.

 

Wait... aren’t you Rocko? God dammit. I’m done.

Edited January 25, 2019 by hobbes2702

[NameAlreadyInUse 5169]

2 hours ago, troph said:

The Fourth Turning theory has some interesting applicability. It’s a cycle of 4 generations with a high, an awakening, an unraveling and a crisis that then starts all over after resolution. The boomers are the awakening (following WWII aftermath which was the high) when communal and institutional values are questioned, then the unraveling was after that with GenX and the culture wars and now we are in the crisis. The generation in the crisis is called to save the wreckage created and the beginning of that is arguably the first generation after the high - so lots of blame on the boomers. But interestingly it’s their kids - who the heck were GenX parents?? - that will save the day so do they get credit? And before you scoff - most of us in politics who are not Fox News consumers are waiting for the day millennials have more political power. Their views and beliefs are more inline with what we want and we know when they arrive things will be radically different.

 

 

I don’t know if I ascribe to this theory but it’s interesting for sure.

Read that book in college.  It was pretty fascinating.  Of course it was written before we were called GenX.  The authors gave us the name 13th Generation, because no one had bothered to name our generation yet.  Because like everything else that didn't personally affect the Boomers, they hadn't bothered to think of one.  The book was called Generations for those so inclined it covers every generation that spent most of their lives in the US, with the first generation being that of Washington.  Gen Xers are the 13th generation raised in North America by their math, and thus the name 13th Gen.

[Gatorubet 30711]

3 hours ago, Anastasis said:

No no no. They expect their small group plan to drop 150k to eradicate their viral infection with no longer term ability to recoup the cost offset and no premium impact. Cause boomer math. 

I, for one, am planning on getting even sicker to piss you off

[SameSame 1751]

I'm gen x I guess, he's baby boomer.  We both served in different atmospheres. Nowadays our opinions keep sliding away from each other and it pisses both of us off.

[SameSame 1751]

I'm fucking done arguing with people it doesn't fucking matter

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Skinny Tie said:

Scumbag Gen X coworkers still dropping “technologically challenged” as if Microsoft Office was invented a year ago.

How bout you Google your question instead of getting paid to play with your tits and talking bout your children.

I will ask technical questions from time to time.  College kids just have more access to the newest technology.  I'm leveraging a resource.  I will ask my own kids if they are around.

When shit hits the fan with respect to their jobs, those same employees will flood my phone or office for advice. It's a two way street...the way it should be.

Successful organizations should actually have some teamwork, don't ya think?

 

The age hatred on this site by many posters is trippy.  There are fuck ups in every generation.  There are great folks in them too.

Edited January 25, 2019 by slorch

[Fudge Nuggets 19453]

7 hours ago, bolverk said:

For Gen X, it was "The Day After", AIDS, and poisoned Tylenol.

9/11 was kind of a big deal too.

[bolverk 30320]

59 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

9/11 was kind of a big deal too.

I was discussing formative years. In that instance, 9/11 applies to Millennials - not Gen X.

[Js1 87175]

9 hours ago, OatmealRaisinCookie said:

Millennials are betas whose kids will look back and think what a bunch of weirdos who created elaborate systems to connect online and take pictures of themselves just to create mental illnesses within each other and invented cyberbullying. Have y’all met some of these generation Z or whatever? Oh my gosh they are whip smart. And cut throat. I’ve seen 24 year olds handle Wall Street internships, Big 4 20 hour days, and have more money than most millennials who traded in their upward mobility so they could wear chuck Taylor’s to work and drink beer in the break room between moving some sticky notes from one part of the whiteboard to another.

just saying, my kids will need to step it up.

So like, four questions:

1. Have you ever met a "millennial" or are you generalizing something stupid?  The oldest Gen Z-er is like 23 - most of them haven't even graduated college yet. 

2.  I'm sure you're aware that plenty of millenials now entering their 30s suffered through 15-20 hour days in the height of the recession, if they were lucky to find a job.  You should note, then, that a big chunk of millenials graduated college in the middle of the worst job market imaginable, saddled with student loans, and are probably the ones you denigrate for working at Starbucks or whatever.  Wall Street and the Boomers truly traded their upward mobility by limiting their initial job prospects right out of college, putting them further in debt.  But sure, blame Chuck Taylors and drinking beer in the break room. 

2. Were you dropped on your head a lot as a kid?

3. If no to #3, were your parents 1st cousins or something?

Edited January 25, 2019 by Js1

[Fudge Nuggets 19453]

32 minutes ago, bolverk said:

I was discussing formative years. In that instance, 9/11 applies to Millennials - not Gen X.

9/11 is to Gen X what getting drafted was to the boomers, at least to the younger end of the Gen X spectrum.

Ok, 9/11 may be pushing it a little, but Gulf War I was definitely comparable to the boomer's Vietnam as far as age at the time it happened.

[Chuckie Finster 23039]

6 minutes ago, OatmealRaisinCookie said:

I’m just saying, the perception is the younger millennials who make up the last wave or the long tail are super impressive and have more firepower in ability, ambition, earning power, and leadership already as babes than older millennnials. Maybe it’s because millennials are beaten down by student loans and not having a home or trying to find meaningful relationships on bumbles or tender and they are burned out (you can see it politically even with their “just give me free stuff like college and loans and make all this go away, we are owed!”). I guess as you say 15 hours making coffee or whatever as a young they when the market was crashed was soul crushing.

Serious questions... have you ever met a millennial?   Even if you go by the stereotypes, ambition and ability are not the stereotypical millennial faults.

[Anastasis 23717]

1 hour ago, Js1 said:

But sure, blame Chuck Taylors and drinking beer in the break room. 

Can we still blame the participation trophies?

[Js1 87175]

Well technically, the parents of millenials invented them for their kids. So.... good job, good effort?

Edited January 25, 2019 by Js1

[Anastasis 23717]

Fucking boomers strike again. 

[Captainant 28519]

10 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Can we still blame the participation trophies?

Can we talk about how it's the parents of millennials - the boomers - who shoved participation trophies into their kids hands? Seems more like a failure of parenting than of character imo

[Celery Man 21094]

lol oatmeal's not a millennial?

[Parliament 14593]

Gen X'ers in their 20's were derided too.  Whiners wearing flannel listening to screeching music.  Our "generational movie" was Reality Bites.

And I've read the generation after Millennials aren't so bad?  they aren't burying themselves in debt and spend less time on social media.  

[Js1 87175]

They're probably just on social media you've never heard of. 

[Chuckie Finster 23039]

10 minutes ago, Parliament said:

Gen X'ers in their 20's were derided too.  Whiners wearing flannel listening to screeching music.  Our "generational movie" was Reality Bites.

And I've read the generation after Millennials aren't so bad?  they aren't burying themselves in debt and spend less time on social media.  

They spend less time on Facebook.  They absolutely do not spend less time on social media.  And most of them aren't even out of high school yet, how could they be in debt?

Edited January 25, 2019 by Chuckie Finster

[Spankytoes 1748]

4 minutes ago, Parliament said:

Gen X'ers in their 20's were derided too.  Whiners wearing flannel listening to screeching music.  Our "generational movie" was Reality Bites.

And I've read the generation after Millennials aren't so bad?  they aren't burying themselves in debt and spend less time on social media.  

This is true on both accounts. 

Gen X'ers have a distinct advantage in today's society. We grew up in a time where segregation wasn't the de facto policy, so we're more racially enlightened than the previous generations who had to change their government mandated way of thinking completely. The advent of the PC, internet and cell phones came during our teen years, so we grew up not being dependent on technology. (I can read a map and backup a car without any issues if I need to) Basically, the 90's were a re-invention of the 60's that pissed off Boomers something fierce because the message was more towards a shift in cultural thinking rather than rebelling against authority. It was a "You do you" time in a pre-9/11 world where America was a pretty decent place to live.

My oldest was born in 1998 and is a college student. He hates today's music, rarely uses social media because it's for "old people" and is concerned about his job prospects when he graduates school with an in-demand degree. He doesn't own a credit card, has no debt and is great at saving for his future.The Millennial generation is where the advent of PC culture began. They grew up shifting the "You do You" message into the "anti-bullying and everyone gets a trophy" generation. When you don't learn that life is not fair and you will struggle from the onset, your adulthood is going to suck when you find out that you were lied to and no one gives a shit about you. Gen Z'ers have seen through the bullshit a bit about how life really is. (Except for the PC shit, which is true of any generation at that age)

[hobbes2702 13453]

23 minutes ago, Parliament said:

Gen X'ers in their 20's were derided too.  Whiners wearing flannel listening to screeching music.  Our "generational movie" was Reality Bites.

And I've read the generation after Millennials aren't so bad?  they aren't burying themselves in debt and spend less time on social media.  

Yea I’ve never held any debt, of any kind, other than student loans. Millennials aren’t burying themselves in debt. We were forced to take on massive debt in order to do the same things generations before did.

[Anastasis 23717]

28 minutes ago, Captainant said:

Can we talk about how it's the parents of millennials - the boomers - who shoved participation trophies into their kids hands? Seems more like a failure of parenting than of character imo

I think that more research should be conducted on the relationship between the introduction of hormonal contraceptives and the psychological development of boomers, their mating decisions, and their resulting parenting style.  I am mostly serious. 

[Js1 87175]

17 minutes ago, Chuckie Finster said:

They spend less time on Facebook.  They absolutely do not spend less time on social media.  And most of them aren't even out of high school yet, how could they be in debt?

Well you see, whereas those lazy millenials were drinking beer at work and wearing Chuck Taylors for 20 hour workdays at shitty pay after going into debt in college, these newly ambitious, highly intelligent Gen Z-ers figured out how avoid debt by being in high school!

[TwiceHorn 32073]

9 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

I think that more research should be conducted on the relationship between the introduction of hormonal contraceptives and the psychological development of boomers, their mating decisions, and their resulting parenting style.  I am mostly serious. 

Well if you look at the pill as tightly intertwined with/enabling the sexual revolution, then I think you can find quite a bit of research on that topic.

If you mean what brain-addling effects did it have, then I dunno to the extent it isn't subsumed in the research above.

Edited January 25, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[USMCHorn 1369]

FYI:

In order to keep the Millennial generation analytically meaningful, and to begin looking at what might be unique about the next cohort, Pew Research Center decided a year ago to use 1996 as the last birth year for Millennials for our future work. Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 23 to 38 in 2019) is considered a Millennial, and anyone born from 1997 onward is part of a new generation.

[Js1 87175]

Just now, USMCHorn said:

FYI:

In order to keep the Millennial generation analytically meaningful, and to begin looking at what might be unique about the next cohort, Pew Research Center decided a year ago to use 1996 as the last birth year for Millennials for our future work. Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 23 to 38 in 2019) is considered a Millennial, and anyone born from 1997 onward is part of a new generation.

That's such a huge gap considering the world we live in.

The millennial born in 1981 was 20 when 9/11 happened.

The millennial born in 1988 was in 7th grade with 9/11 happened.

The millennial born in 1996 was 5 and probably doesn't even remember it.

[Continental Op 3934]

I think that more research should be conducted on the relationship between the introduction of hormonal contraceptives and the psychological development of boomers, their mating decisions, and their resulting parenting style.  I am mostly serious. 

Holy shit! Anastasis is Jordan Peterson.

[USMCHorn 1369]

1 minute ago, Js1 said:

That's such a huge gap considering the world we live in.

The millennial born in 1981 was 20 when 9/11 happened.

The millennial born in 1988 was in 7th grade with 9/11 happened.

The millennial born in 1996 was 5 and probably doesn't even remember it.

I think it's more or less associated with the technological leaps made within that time frame.

[Anastasis 23717]

1 minute ago, Js1 said:

That's such a huge gap considering the world we live in.

The millennial born in 1981 was 20 when 9/11 happened.

The millennial born in 1988 was in 7th grade with 9/11 happened.

The millennial born in 1996 was 5 and probably doesn't even remember it.

A similar breakdown around vietnam for the boomers. 

[happyfunball 481]

48 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

lol oatmeal's not a millennial?

self loathing one

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, USMCHorn said:

FYI:

In order to keep the Millennial generation analytically meaningful, and to begin looking at what might be unique about the next cohort, Pew Research Center decided a year ago to use 1996 as the last birth year for Millennials for our future work. Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 23 to 38 in 2019) is considered a Millennial, and anyone born from 1997 onward is part of a new generation.

So my kids bornin 93 and 98 are in 2 different generations because of some arbitrary hoo-haw say-so?

 

lolz.  This topic is interesting, but the labels are lazy( not necessarily by you, but by society in general.)

[Hate 20247]

10 hours ago, bolverk said:

I think what separates Gen X and the Boomers is the type and degree of fear that was instilled within us during our formative years. For the Boomers, it was the Cuban Missile Crisis, Blacks getting their rights, and being drafted for a stupid war. For Gen X, it was "The Day After", AIDS, and poisoned Tylenol.

 

I won't argue your other points, but this is a misnomer about the Vietnam War and it's veterans.  WWII veterans were much more likely to be drafted.  

• 25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees. (66% of U.S. armed forces members were drafted during WWII.

[Anastasis 23717]

13 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

If you mean what brain-addling effects did it have, then I dunno to the extent it isn't subsumed in the research above.

The hormonal contraceptives of the 60s and  70s contained much higher doses of "dirtier" estrogens and progestins. The acute and some long term psychological effects of these medications are generally understood.  The broader effects in the historical context of the Boomer generation less so.  

[Anastasis 23717]

2 minutes ago, Skinny Tie said:

College kids have more access to technology? Is there a club I’m unaware of? Please STFU you easily replaceable sales douche

[Js1 87175]

4 hours ago, slorch said:

I will ask technical questions from time to time.  College kids just have more access to the newest technology.  I'm leveraging a resource.  I will ask my own kids if they are around.

When shit hits the fan with respect to their jobs, those same employees will flood my phone or office for advice. It's a two way street...the way it should be.

Yep, this is fair.  I have people come to me for tech questions, am on the Tech Committee at my firm, was part of building and rolling out new software.

But sometimes when something comes up that is not tech-related, I reach out to the more experienced big dogs for help. 

Edited January 25, 2019 by Js1

[Anastasis 23717]

Just now, OatmealRaisinCookie said:

lol why are millennial's so...angry!

Long term epigenetic effects of supraphysiological estrogen exposure to their mothers. 

[Js1 87175]

2 minutes ago, OatmealRaisinCookie said:

lol why are millennial's so...angry! Take a deep breath and find some things to enjoy, even if they are weird like watching netflix's stranger things or whatever it is you do for fun.

Go gaslight someone else, you fucking bitch.

[Captainant 28519]

No idea why millenials are so angry, not like we're loaded down with an absurd level of debt that we were encouraged to take on by our parents, advisers, and society - while being blamed for the failure of american industry and society for not being able to spend enough money to keep the house of cards economy running. All while the personification of the caustic narcissism of the boomer generation is riding roughshod over the GOP and the constitution, while simultaneously the first "millennial" representatives are being targeted as whack jobs. No idea why millennials may be angry.

[Js1 87175]

Well mostly because our love of avocados has killed about 27 different dinosaur industries and also home ownership, apparently.

[David Dennison 19526]

2 minutes ago, Captainant said:

No idea why millenials are so angry, not like we're loaded down with an absurd level of debt that we were encouraged to take on by our parents, advisers, and society - while being blamed for the failure of american industry and society for not being able to spend enough money to keep the house of cards economy running. All while the personification of the caustic narcissism of the boomer generation is riding roughshod over the GOP and the constitution, while simultaneously the first "millennial" representatives are being targeted as whack jobs. No idea why millennials may be angry.

You should be angry. You've been lied to your entire lives. 

[Brisketexan 106876]

I don't think it's super-complicated, although sure there are plenty of layers.

The Boomers came of age when the country and its economy was an unprecedented wave heading towards shore.  They were perfectly positioned on surfboards their parents put right there, and they rode a wave like this to incredible opportunity and prosperity: cheap college, abundant well-paying jobs, etc.:

Now, that wave has crashed to shore.  And the Boomers are fighting tooth and nail to 1) keep that water from receding back into the ocean and feeding a new wave that the next line of surfers can ride, and 2) holding onto their surfboards with all they've got, because dammit, it's MINE.  I EARNED it.

I'm Gen X.  We're just generally ignored and fucked.  We got smashed and stepped on by the Boomers, and there we'll stay.  We're just doing our best to hold the line, what there is of it.

Millenials have processed and are dealing with the fact that the American Dream bullshit (the perfect wave) that the Boomers insisted was the way of the world was a lie -- and the Boomers are doing their damnedest to make it a lie.  And they're pissed about it.

Gen Z (my daughter is in this gen) say "fuck you all, we'll just make our own way."

[Goredho 17650]

Its simple, really.  Oklahoma sucks.  Boomer sooner sucks.  Ergo, baby boomers suck.

[Guest]

Yeah, desktop is easy AF.

Ipads and converting files and horseshit like that fucks me up fromtime to time..

I need shit to work, not a bunch of bells and whistles.

[Guest]

OMFG at the ‘American Dream is dead’ lamenting. 

[Brisketexan 106876]

3 minutes ago, slorch said:

OMFG at the ‘American Dream is dead’ lamenting. 

Well, when it's defined as "get a college degree, and you'll get a good job," with a dose of "everyone should buy a house, it's the sensible thing to do," along with "no need to go into crippling debt for the education or the house," then.....yeah, dude.  It ain't exactly rocket surgery.  This is the first generation NOT expected to do better than the previous one.  That's a big turnaround -- it is literally a 180 change in financial trajectory.  That's kind of a big deal, for all of us.

[Captainant 28519]

No no, being the first generation to be fucked over systemically by the previous one is just being a bunch of snowflakes. Just gotta bootstrap a little harder, right shitty cookie?

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Well, when it's defined as "get a college degree, and you'll get a good job," with a dose of "everyone should buy a house, it's the sensible thing to do," along with "no need to go into crippling debt for the education or the house," then.....yeah, dude.  It ain't exactly rocket surgery.  This is the first generation NOT expected to do better than the previous one.  That's a big turnaround -- it is literally a 180 change in financial trajectory.  That's kind of a big deal, for all of us.

everybody's fucked.  That's the spirit.  nobody should even want to live here.

Good gawd...this mentality.   If life doesn't fall in your lap, things are so fucking hard.

I fully expect both of my kids to make more than i did as adult, not that this is the only measure of success; but gotdam, sure seems like a shit-ton of the yutes have given up before they even got on the field, so to speak.  "They say we can't win, so why play?"

 

Fuck what "they" say...  that's as American as it gets.  Maybe that is dead though...

 

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Captainant said:

No no, being the first generation to be fucked over systemically by the previous one is just being a bunch of snowflakes. Just gotta bootstrap a little harder, right shitty cookie?

or never even try on a pair of boots.

Crumbs is fine with us.   Pass me another latte...

[Longhorn_Fan68 34103]

I think a big part of it was that they were always behind the pace of technology. They just got used to tv's and radios and shit and then the computer comes along and fucks up their world. The younger generation(s) were born with technology in their lap and grew up using it, adapting with it. Boomers were always a step behind. The world changed too quickly for them.