Everyone knows that old person. It’s the youth’s grandparents that are stuck in the distant memory of the past. Or it’s the new working class’s bosses that don’t understand technology, even a little.
Those old people are being ignored on social media with the new saying “okay, boomer.” That phrase comes from a popular social media platform, TikTok, and is a reference to the name of the Baby Boomer generation.
The phrase “okay, boomer” is used when someone is preaching a mentality from the past. Teenagers now use this phrase as a popular way to disregard hate or backward thinking.
As a member of Gen Z, I am tired of always being ridiculed. I am tired of being told we don’t have a work ethic. And I am tired of hearing that we won’t make it anywhere in life because of our cell-phones.
I am tired of the older generations thinking they are the be-all and end-all. The most recent generation to be named started this trend without hate. It was started as a simple way to ignore the endless propaganda from people unable to adapt to this current world that was once their future.
This phrase symbolizes the mentality of “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

Many Baby Boomers compare this phrase to the n-word or other derogatory terms. It is not fair to think of these terms on the same level. The very nature of a derogatory term is that it is filled with hate, but “okay, boomer” tries to end the hate in a graceful manner. It avoids the need to carry on a conversation with someone that will go nowhere good.

There is a terrible mindset on Twitter and other social media platforms that feeds hate and torment. This mindset has members of all ages and backgrounds, but people are finally moving towards a change. 

Insert “okay, boomer” in place of an argument against an angry, homophobic man. Instead of screaming back at the racist comments from the lady that works at Walmart, this phrase will end a conversation that will end nowhere good. Use this phrase when your grandparents pressure you into “paying your dues” at a horrible job. 

If you can walk away without saying anything, that should be your main priority. But if you must say something to help your conscious, “okay, boomer” can be said to end a discussion.

“Okay, boomer” should not be used to mock or fuel the fire.