scorecardresearch
Monday, March 18, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomeOpinionPoVCOVID-19 a 'boomer remover' — Why millennials are angry and done with...

COVID-19 a ‘boomer remover’ — Why millennials are angry and done with older generation

‘OK Boomer’ and ‘Uncle, please sit’ are popular catchphrases to signal an enough-is-enough attitude toward older generations.

Follow Us :
Text Size:

As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, the words ‘Boomer Remover’ featured prominently in Twitter trends the past couple of days. It is, of course, a mean yet on-point joke about how the majority of the COVID-19 pandemic’s death toll are the elderly.

What is the reason for this pushback and anger against Boomers across the world, and in particular, against uncles in India? ‘OK Boomer’ and ‘Uncle, please sit’ are now popular catchphrases to signal that young people have had enough of the policies and politics that have got us to this point. Boomers have handed younger generations a broken economy, an ailing planet, and nuclear weapons – but won’t stop with the lectures.

And as many pointed out, the Boomers’ response to the admittedly off-colour joke has been far more proactive than their response to all the actual problems for which younger generations blame them: their political choices that have now led to lack of jobs for the current generations around the world and their inability to buy a house, a growing climate crisis, rising depression and anxiety among young people, poor healthcare facilities, rampant gun violence in schools and even their ostrich-like response to coronavirus. Many Boomer-run offices can easily allow employees to work from home in the gig economy until this pandemic is over, but they simply won’t.

Young people are now telling them that their time, more specifically, the time of their ideas, is over, and they should stop trying to run the world.

But first, who exactly is a Boomer? Technically, Baby Boomers are the post- World War II generation, born between 1946 to 1964 and named for its contribution to baby-making and regenerating a world that was ravaged by war. The generation was defined by post-war hope, stability, and conspicuous-consumption prosperity. But today, it has come to mean business-as-usual status quoists.


Also read: Uncle, please sit. Jaggi Vasudev needs to shut up on things he has no clue about


Don’t dismiss young people, Boomers 

The use of the term as a pejorative, though, has less to do with age and more to do with a certain mindset that most people above a certain age are unwilling to change. The typical Boomer, for example, is generally dismissive of anyone under the age of 40 as a clueless and entitled “millennial”. Never mind the fact that a millennial is technically someone born anywhere between the early 1980s and the mid-90s, after which come at least two more generations. But then, since when does a Boomer, especially a man, care about that? To him, everyone and everything that came after him is young, naïve, not as good. All he has to do is wave his hand dismissively at you when you argue, and lecture you about how the world works because he knows best. Been there, ruined that.

Young people respond to this dismissiveness in the way they know best — through memes, like Ok Boomer, which mimics that same dismissiveness and throws it right back at the Boomer. It calls out the older generation’s unwillingness to see that the world has changed and that not all the old rules still apply. Because of Boomers’ lifestyle and political cjoices, young people are now saddled with a job and real-estate market they didn’t ask for, with a dying planet and an authoritarian rightward political swing. They are simply doing their best to salvage what they can. Be it on the streets, through Instagram fund-raisers for the bushfires in Australia, organising donation drives of sanitary pads, food and medicines to areas in Delhi affected by communal riots, or fighting to save trees, glaciers, birds and polar bears, they are doing their best. They are tired of the Boomers standing in the way. Yes, creating prosperity mattered to the Boomers, but the young insist on sustainable prosperity and if the Boomers can’t find it in them to support these efforts, they could at least not actively diss them.


Also read: Don’t hate millennials for not buying cars. They will be driving India’s economy soon


Why are Boomers so dismissive?

Boomers diss these efforts because they’re afraid of them. They diss them because they’re afraid of their own growing irrelevance. When Greta Thunberg repeatedly thundered “How dare you?” at world leaders, what irked many Boomers was that she was reminding them to think beyond themselves, to think about future generations. Most world leaders are from the Boomer generation, both in terms of age and mindset, and they will soon be irrelevant and eventually, gone, a fact they hate to be reminded of. But their children and grandchildren will be left behind, picking up the pieces of the world they ruined because of their denial of change and crisis, their ostrich-like unwillingness to engage with a new world because it terrifies them. That’s why Boomers hate Greta Thunberg.

Closer home, in India, when finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman blamed “millennials” for the automobile industry slowdown, it once again threw into stark relief that the Boomers just don’t get it. Young people are blamed for everything from an economic downturn to the breakdown of marriage (an institution that needs a massive overhaul anyway). The young and their new ideas are even being blamed for the rise of the Right-Wing around the world. Frankly, the backlash against this blame was a long time coming.

And now that coronavirus has reared its ugly head, we are once again seeing the generational rift between Boomers and “millennials”. It’s no secret that COVID-19 most likely moved from bats to pangolins to humans. And why are bats coming closer and closer to human habitation? Because of deforestation. Something that young people around the world have rallied against, in climate strikes that Boomers dissed “as useless millennial activism.”

So, when young people call the pandemic a Boomer Remover, is it unkind? Of course. Is it on point? Yes.

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

307 COMMENTS

  1. It’s fine, nobody really cares what people from India have to say. That country is a cesspit of morons who can’t even figure out sanitation, the economy or how to run a country successfully. Even though the British literally showed them everything about how to run a government and military, how to wash their asses after they poo, how to treat other humans with dignity, how to fight crime and that it’s important to stop drinking piss/shit/corpse water no, even after all that they were still too stupid to remember anything they were taught and have lurched from disaster to scandal to outright failure to stop an invasion by the Chinese army. Good thing they took pity on your ragtag band of bearded, towel headed I’mnotasoldierbutIdressupasoneforparades or you wouldn’t be sitting there spouting nonsense about rainbows and farting unicorns today. Absolutely ridiculous to think you can be taken seriously talking about fighting climate change and pollution from what is literally the dirtiest, shittiest country on the planet.
    PS: Not a boomer, just someone who is familiar with the facts about India.

  2. What a wholesome comment section. Just people banding together and singing kumbaya because they realize generations nor dates define anyone. Keep up the good work going against what mass media wants you to do and not allow petty differences to divide us all. Sincerely, a millennial that lives like a boomer and mostly hangs with Xers.

  3. Millennials and Gen Z hate Boomers and vice versa for a simple reason: THEY’RE THE SAME. Overly entitled, ineffectual, self-absorbed. People hate seeing their reflection.

    Gen X is embarrassed for all of you.

      • Thanks! I’m not a “grandpa”, but I’ll be smart enough to leave before the worst times come… Chemistry is my friend!
        Bye kiddo! Have a good time with pandemics, global heathing, pollution, overpopulation, lack of resources and human decay. 😆

        • Good, hurry the fuck up and shuffle off this mortal coil then. You’re a waste of fucking oxygen who insists on being part of the problem and the world will be better when you’re gone.

          • @KissMyAss. Do you know me? Do you know my gender? Do you know how hold I am? Do you know anything about my life? Do you know anything about my opinions? Let me guess… no and you don’t even care? Wow, you’re so edgy and original, lol. Farewell my little naive troll, me and my fellas will always <3 you ! 🤣

  4. Good story. So in the pandemic there has been a lot of people would rather be unemployed than work at a hospital. My wife just graduated college and has been trained by some of the younger staff at a local hospital. People her age. She’s patient access. So she schedules appointments and ensures insurance is correct. Entry level office work. Well her co-worker who is boomer felt she was slacking and started timing her rather than focus on her own work.

    After she exceeded her expected time limit she started whining behind her telling her to wrap the phone call. You can see the obvious problem. The scheduling requires that patients locate their insurance card and go through a questionnaire.

    I told her go to it to Mary Ellen and have hang up on the patient because she exceeded her expected time limit.

    The stupidity is overwhelming.

  5. I lost my mother and my brother because of Coronavirus. My brother was young and didn’t have health problems.
    You should apologise.

  6. You, stupid “journalist”, and whoever made this retarded meme, deserve to lose someone dear because of the “boomer remover”!

    • My dad died due to covid but I agree with the post. My mom is one of the boomers that this articles was talking about.

      Sorry not sorry for u stupid snowflake 🤪

      • You agree with this article, but you call other people snowflakes (and without knowing their age, lol)… Ok millennial, you won the Coherence Award, but be aware that YOU are the snowflake here 🤪

      • People like Nicolet and some other commenters here are living depression triggers. Their existence is surely a problem for someone else.

  7. Age is irrelevant. The world needs real Women and real Men, not useless females like this one. But there are way more females and males than men and women, that’s why humanity is doomed. Bigot boomers and whiny millennials are at the top… of the bottom.

  8. No, smart and informed people that don’t drink the kool-aid dislike Greta Thunberg, and the weasels that use her to push their own agenda. She’s a useful idjot, and a hypocrite. Younger generations rarely know recent history. Ha, they barely know what happened a month ago. They’re too busy getting their social fix. How can they have any understanding of the real world when they barely leave the house, and most of their knowledge of current events is through a screen, pre-filtered by an algorithm, and customized specifically to the viewer. They’re myopic self important digital whorz being pimped out by their technocratic overlords. Maybe they deserve the dystopian future they’re so desperately demanding.

  9. No, smart and informed people that don’t drink the kool-aid hate Greta Thunberg, and the weasels that use her to push their own agenda. She’s a useful id1ot, and a hypocrite. Younger generations rarely know recent history. Ha, they barely know what happened a month ago. They’re too busy getting their social fix. How can you have any understanding of the real world when you barely leave the house, and most of your knowledge of current events is through a screen that is filtered through an algorithm catered specifically to you. They’re myopic self important digital whorz being pimped out by their technocratic overlords. Maybe they deserve the dystopian future they so eagerly demand.

  10. No, smart and informed people that don’t drink the kool-aid hate Greta Thunberg, and the weasels that use her to push their own agenda. She’s a useful idiot, and a hypocrite. Younger generations rarely know recent history. Shit, they barely know what happened a month ago. They’re too busy getting their social fix. How can you have any real world experience when you barely leave the house, and most of you knowledge of current events is through a screen that is filtered through an algorithm catered specifically to you. They’re moyopic self important digital whores being pimped out by their technocrat overlords. Maybe they deserve the dystopian future they so eagerly demand.

  11. Zoomers are just like Boomers: Close-minded and arrogant
    I wonder where they got those traits from?? It’s like they inherited those traits, from Boomers… Because that’s actually the parents of Zoomers
    Gee who would have thought? lol

    • Actually, Zoomers’ parents are Gen-Xers, but I agree with you.
      These snowflakes are exactly reacting like SOME boomers want them to, in order to dismiss them easily . Naive, gullible and whiny millennials like this internet-brainwashed chick are very easy to manipulate. Wealthy and powerful people are just toying with them, but if (and when) millennials will realize it, it’ll be too late.
      But don’t worry, boomers will end soon… like the rest of mankind. No more probs for anyone! ^_^
      We are all puppets, all of us.

  12. This article is disgusting. What is it with this current generation that has absolutely no respect at all for their elders? Boomers and their children, Gen X failed by pushing this tree huggin bullshit that turned into this equality nonsense we have today. Victimhood was promoted instead of hard work and delayed gratification. Now we have a nation full of entitled crybabies that wish harm upon the very generation that raised them. Completely brainwashed fools thanks to the terrible education system we have in place today. What more should we expect from a nation of morons who’s children’s greatest asperations is to become a fucking youtube star.

    Boomers and Gen X did fail, they raised the very turds that we have to endure today that are entitled beyond belief and incapable at all of taking personal responsibility.

    • you obviously are a baby boomer or older because you don’t agree with any thing and your attitude lines up with the boomer generation

      • I hope you’re being sarcastic.
        If not well, go back to school and try to learn spelling and punctuation before trying to argue with adults, kiddo. And you should try to be less predictable, naive and boring, and to think with your own mind: otherwise, nobody will never care about you and your useless web-brainwashed “opinions”.

        • > I hope you’re being sarcastic.
          If not well, go back to school and try to learn spelling and punctuation before trying to argue with adults, kiddo. And you should try to be less predictable, naive and boring, and to think with your own mind: otherwise, nobody will never care about you and your useless web-brainwashed “opinions”.

          Looks like somebody is triggered.

          • Looks like somebody who loves lakes is (like Samira Sood and many of the commenters) a shallow kid who hasn’t suffered enough in their life, doesn’t know that Coronavirus could kill anyone regardless of their age and health, and that some people have lost someone dear to them because of this pandemic. 🙂

    • you obviously are a baby boomer or older because you don’t agree with any thing and your attitude lines up with the boomer generation

        • The stupid ass boomers don’t know how to turn on the computer or cooking at home the boomer are so overweight and big fat drunks millennials are way smarter and the older people don’t like changing time to dies and let’s the younger people take over!

          • You’re only here only because of boomers, they made the Internet and you’ll be totally lost without it lol. Farewell baby hooman, and remember that there’s a thing called “punctuation” 😋

  13. The only thing to regret about Covid-19 is that is by far too weak a virus. What we need is a much stronger variant, aimed at ridding this planet once and for all from all the old dregs that have been living beyond their natural lifespan for the past 25 years courtesy of modern medicine, which is the reason for all the economic, unemployment and social problems faced by western civilization today.

    There are FAR too many people on this planet at this point at 7.5 Billion and rising, which as we know is also the primary cause for the progressing ruin of our ecosystem, and a big chunk of that is old people dragging themselves onwards beyond reasonable ages and dragging our whole civilization down with them. Super-Covid-20 immediately, please!!!

    • So you are in favour of generational genocide? Not directly of course but it would be convenient if as you say a virulent virus solved your problem.Hitler and his SS had definite ideas about how to deal with undesirable people.If you ask the jewish people they can tell you all about progroms persecutions and the Final Solution.The question you should ask yourself is : who else will be “in the way” after the “old dregs” are no longer in the way.

    • “The only thing to regret about Covid-19 is that is by far too weak a virus. What we need is a much stronger variant, aimed at ridding this planet once and for all from all the old dregs that have been living beyond their natural lifespan for the past 25 years courtesy of modern medicine, which is the reason for all the economic, unemployment and social problems faced by western civilization today.
      There are FAR too many people on this planet at this point at 7.5 Billion and rising, which as we know is also the primary cause for the progressing ruin of our ecosystem, and a big chunk of that is old people dragging themselves onwards beyond reasonable ages and dragging our whole civilization down with them. Super-Covid-20 immediately, please!!!”
      Said the Snowflake before falling ill (or before one of his beloved ones fell ill) because of the virus he invoked. 🙂
      Not that I disagree with you actually, but I don’t want a potentially lethal virus on my way, so shut up. Humanity must not end before me, lol.

    • Actually Truth as you like to call yourself, there have for many years and counting, been a large number of people calling out for the legalisation of euthanasia so that those of us who have to live an suffer in extreme pain can end our lives without having to resort to the kind of means which might fail and leave us in a vegetative state kept alive on a machine. Many people try to kill themselves and some misguided do gooder comes along and puts them in the hands of the NHS who then force that person back to life. All generations blame the one before for the world’s problems. They fail to take a longer look at history (as the Chinese do, which is why they respect their elders), to see that each generation is merely a product of its parents. So your desperation to kill off your elders is new, and if you one day find yourself facing the challenges of old age , your chidren and any other young people around will be baying for your blood.

    • I take it you are a boomer to ask something like this. As a Millennial who was raised by A silent generation WW2 veteran. He taught me something very well. “Your parents generation is an extremely selfish people and we failed with them. As they become older they are going to expect respect. And this will be the biggest lesson they will learn Age does not grant respect. Respect is earned.” Its funny this is exactly how boomers aka the ME generation treated the silent generation when they became old.”

    • If my death meant saving the entire planet…saving the future of the children, animals, and basically all life on Earth…I would love to die a rich, white privileged 70 year old women, with honour and pride from covid 19.
      We are not eternal.
      We need to make way for the new.
      As old trees rot and decompose, so do people.
      Think about all the Billions of murders you have committed as Boomers to live. How many future lives you destroy, are destroying?
      You are creating a future of endless suffering
      Murder of animals, of environments, of community and of the futures of our children.
      But killing off Boomers for the survival of ALL life on Earth??? horrifying to them?
      Im horrified of them!
      Boomers who daily clear cut rainforests, murdering thousands of species at a time, destroying oceans, killing for profits.
      Hunt and poach all of our lives.
      They do indeed have greedy, evil, pre meditated intentions to kill the entire planet as they go.
      Boomers this is your Karma. Take the pill. Please do us a favour. You destroyed our entire planet, that took billions of years to create! A cosmic miracle. Earth. Its so unique, one of a kind in our galaxy. A divine and spiritually magical place. No one should be in ownership of a planet.
      This place is sacred.
      All of us are in jeopardy because you continue to live.
      The Earth does not deserve to die because you were born.
      The world belongs to the future. Not the past.
      You destroy it.
      Now the Universe, it found a way to fight back against your wrath.
      Your killing spree of life. Your carnage of this world for your personal gains.
      Death in the exchange for death. Seems fair.
      In a court of law most murderers are sentenced to death, or lifetime in prison.
      Serve you sentence with grace Boomers. It should have been worse. If you take care of your immune system there is no need to fear a virus.
      Boomers your already sick and dying.
      Concede.
      Our future on this planet means you gotta go. When you get a cock roach infestation. You call the exterminators.
      Please exit gracefully, think of the millions innocent children, women who have died for your useless wars and religions. Scarified life for you to keep living. Millions who are killed in poverty as you stay rich.
      This time your war is on yourself.

      • Because all millennials are innocent and pure, right? And all boomers (including your parents, my dear) are evil, racist, filthy rich murderers, right? Lol, the stupid naivety of you “woke” snowflakes never fails in entertaining me and my fellow ones. Please go on, cute puppets, we love this comment section!

      • Ok, Disposable Human Material, but don’t think to be better than others. You hate rich boomers just because they’re rich while you’re not… Mankind is evil and so are you, sweetie. 😀

      • Do you have a brain? If that is supposed to be a poem it shows you have zero talent . it is not the older generation who have destroyed the oceans with plastic, it is you. You with your smartphone, your anti bacterial snowflake handwash everywhere, your plastic shampoo, plastic bottled water, plastic everything, And now your stupid plastic muzzles destroying the oceans. You do everything on screen, more plastic. You are plastic. Even your views are plastic and rigid. I am a boomer believe it or not who fought all my life for animal rights, for the planet for the environment. I was a member of the Ecology Party before it became the Green Party. People of my generation used bars of soap. We drank water from the tap, not from plastic bottles. We cooked meals, didn’t rely on plastic convenient food and we repaired things instead of throwing them away like you convenience freaks who cannot even wire a plug. It is you, and peopel like you, who are destroying the planet. It is not one age group. It is a mindset . And your mindset stinks. You deserve nothing. Go run and put your muzzle on, you sure as hell need one.

  14. Nice, very informative, Thanks for sharing with us how to get child custody, lost love back with black magic more info templeofanswer@hotmail . co . uk

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular