It’s the 21st century. Children are on Vine and high-schoolers are on Instagram. Twenty-somethings are using new technology to change the ways of the world. Through all of this, one generation has been especially vocal in their fight against this progress. That's right - I’m talking to you, Baby Boomers.
Obviously, I’d assume that most of you are content with the advances we have made as a society in the last thirty years. However, some of you choose to express your annoyance towards the youths of today loudly and frequently through Facebook. You seem to be young enough to be on social media, but old enough to openly disapprove of youth culture. A scroll through any trending headlines about the Kardashians or a rapper feud will reveal the long-winded rants of dozens of fifty-year-olds. Having an opinion is great, but not when it actively criticizes multiple generations that were in no way involved. “Kids these days” are not responsible for everything you don’t like.
On the other hand, there are plenty of people shaming and stereotyping older generations. When you type “why do baby boomers” into Google, it finishes the phrase with “hate technology.” Ageism in employment and social circles has become increasingly more severe. There is an obvious disadvantage to being older in the United States. Things are not all well for you, either.
What we all need to realize is that times have changed. Yes, the Millennials and Gen Z are flawed. We tend to be fairly dependent upon technology and disconnected from the world around us. But this is not a reason to criticize us at every opportunity. I’m sure you look back on your youth with a nostalgic bias, but, in reality, you just had different values. Older generations have always denounced those younger than them, including you. Technology has had, and will continue to have, an incredible influence on our society. My generation has never lived without it. All the “when I was your age” lectures are null and void because we were simply raised in different worlds. Your Woodstock is my Coachella and your Beatles might just be my One Direction.
So please, when you see me texting a friend, don’t scoff and mutter something under your breath about how hopeless we all are. If you hear me say “OMG,” please don’t automatically label me dumb. Just because we’ve been raised differently, doesn’t mean that we’re any less adept than you were at our age. Please, just give us and our technology a chance.
