Being labelled... #okboomer #okpreboomer

War by the Pre-Boomers.
Image source: Wikipedia.

So - the Baby Boomers (those, including me, born between 1946 and 1964) are getting it in the neck about climate change and all sorts of other stuff. Some boomers are getting offended by this (not me!), and yet another generation war is underway - a new hashtag (#okboomer) is in use as a weapon.

First - what does the #okboomer hashtag mean? According to Wikipedia:

"OK Boomer" is a catchphrase and internet meme that gained popularity throughout 2019, used to dismiss or mock attitudes stereotypically attributed to the baby boomer generation. It is considered by some to be highly ageist.

The phrase "OK Boomer" is a retort used as a "simple summarisation of collective exhaustion" and "to shut down outdated opinions from boomers". The retort is used to dismiss or mock perceived narrow-minded, old-fashioned, judgemental, or condescending attitudes of older people, particularly baby boomers.

So do we boomers deserve any criticism for fecking up the planet and or are we a generation of oldies that just don't get it? Hasn't there always been a generation war? What will the young people in 50-60 years time think of today's Millennials and Centennials? 

If you think we boomers suck, then think again. The pre-boomer generation fought World War II in which an estimated 73,000,000 people died (figure from Wikipedia) - now that sucks! Their parents fought The Great War - over 30,000,000 dead. That sucks too - I wonder if the #okpreboomer hash tag might trend?

My message to today's young generation is to keep up the fight against climate change and poverty, and to fight for equality and fairness for all. It is not ageist to call us out when it is clear that we did not do right by the planet - use whatever hash tag you want to highlight your just causes. The Boomer generation are slowly retiring, and your turn to rule the world will come soon - I hope you don't let future generations down. World leaders like Leo Varadkar (40), Emmanuel Macron (41), and Justin Trudeau (47) are way younger than me (60) - the torch is slowly passing. We are still stuck with some oldies like Donald Trump (73), Angela Merkel (65), Vladimir Putin (67), and even Boris Johnson (55) - but they will all leave the world stage soon. 

I won't be around to see it, but I hope that you can handle the #okmillenial and #okcentennial hashtags when they come out in years to come!