‘Ok Boomer’

The phrase ‘Ok Boomer’ has been spreading like wildfire a lot lately. To other generations – including Generation Z – the phrase seems totally harmless. But to baby boomers it’s a verbal middle finger that highlights the flippant attitudes and thoughtless dismissal of everything the boomers hold sacred. It incites an intergenerational firestorm, which to today’s teens who grew up on the internet, seems like a total snowflake move. But what does it really mean, and how do we feel about it?

According to ThoughtCo, Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. Many of our parents, and most grandparents fall into his generational category. Boomers are between  55 and 73 years old. 

Coming from a student, the “OK Boomer” trend started to “blow up” and really become something on the famous and well-known app: ‘Tik Tok’. It started off as a sound that  consists of the words “Ok Boomer” repeated over and over. Tik Tok users use this sound as a starting point and most of them tell stories over it.

Many EHS teachers have are aware of the controversy surrounding “OK Boomer” , and have their own opinions on the phrase.  

U.S. History teacher Jason Tharp, is __ years old and considers himself to be stuck in between generations. He truly does not care one bit about this term.

“The term itself doesn’t matter to me at all,” Thanrp said, ”I don’t think anyone should be offended by it, or to be upset about being called that.” 

On the other hand, Tharp understands the disconnect between generations, and how there is always some sort of rivalry.

“This always happens. There’s always a disconnect between younger generations and older generations,” Tharp said. “From that point [1950’s] on, it has just been that growing divide of the older generation saying that the younger generation is ‘ruining everything’, and the younger generation says ‘we know what we’re doing and we will fix it.’”

So who actually says it? Junior Caitlin Beets has a  ‘Ok Boomer’ sticker on her chromebook.

“It is 100% not a political thing,” Beets said, “I think it’s super funny…it is also just a slogan basically that I use for anytime some older than me says something really controversial or something that is super dated.” 

Beets believes the term isn’t disrespectful because of the backlash she and others in her generation (Generation Z) get.

“I don’t think it’s anymore direspectful that when the “boomer generations”  bash on us for being ‘stupid millennials,’” Beets said. “I think it shouldn’t be taken seriously, it is just a comeback that has no true meaning other than pointing out someone’s age.” 

No matter if you use the term or not, use it wisely. Whatever you say be OK with if someone dishes it right back. No pun intended.

“If I was a baby boomer and someone younger than me called me a boomer…I don’t think I’d be hateful about it.” Beets said. “I also would like to believe that I wouldn’t say the outlandish things some boomers say to get told [that].”