Lately, I've questioned why the media seems to promote a war between Millennials and Baby Boomers. In fact, my Millennial mentee (or mentor, depending on the day), and I have started an ongoing Substack discussion on this topic.
I recently read another article upholding this myth called “20 Things Baby Boomers Still Do But Sound Completely Stupid to Millennials.” Allow me to address a few things the author lists as proposed topics of contention.
Having a Landline – Most Millennials likely don’t have a landline. And I'm equally sure many Boomers have abandoned theirs as well. I, for various reasons, still have mine. I haven’t wholly adopted only using a cell phone. My landline number has been the same for the past nineteen years, so all of my associates, whether or not we’ve recently been in contact, know how to find me. My girlfriend’s nephew posted his grandma has had her number for 43 years. He always knows how to get in touch with her. Besides number longevity, landlines are inexpensive and offer extended reliability during cell tower outages.
Postmarked Correspondence – From what I’ve seen, everyone, regardless of age, enjoys receiving handwritten notes and letters. While they express the personal touch one doesn’t necessarily experience from an email, I must admit one downfall – snail mail sometimes gets lost.
At a workshop I attended earlier this year, the facilitator asked participants to write and mail a note to someone based on the prompt she provided. I asked my someone, Pamela, if I should send a picture of my note. She replied she enjoyed getting personal correspondence and suggested I just put it in the mail. Unfortunately, she never received it. So, to this day, she has no inkling of my thoughts during that exercise. And I do not have a strong recollection of what I wrote to paraphrase meaningfully. We laughed, hoping that, by chance, it will turn up someday.
Online Banking – 1) Writing Checks vs. Paying Bills Online: Since we live in a world that delights in convenience, I certainly understand appreciating online banking; however, this controversial issue makes me think of a remark my sister made several years ago. She said she always feels a sense of pride when she signs a check, knowing her signature represents rightful and complete payment. Similar to the satisfaction that accompanies fulfilling a contract. And like an online bank account, you can keep a cash register for easy access that lists dates and amounts of all the checks you’ve written.
2) In-Person Bank Visits: Although banks, mine in particular, are doing everything they can to discourage in-person banking, they still find it necessary to accommodate clients who want to conduct business at brick-and-mortar sites. While I’m sure these clients realize this activity will probably soon become a thing of the past, many will continue visiting their bank until they are no longer able to do so. For now, we still have the option.
I still write checks and I prefer the sense of security in-person banking offers. But that’s me. My Millennial friends gladly cash the checks I send them. They may choose to take a picture and send it to their bank by phone. The point is the transaction takes place. So what’s the big deal? Everyone is happy.
Returning to my original point about causing conflict between generations, I must admit I have no argument with the article itself. As I continued reading, I realized the author’s intent was not to discredit either Boomers’ or Millennials’ personal choices. She was simply presenting each generation’s viewpoint.
My bone of contention is the article’s title. ‘Stupid’? Really? More and more, it seems authors are encouraged to promote their work by focusing on controversy. The preferred way to secure media attention required for publication is to open with adversarial titles.
Although discussing a different topic, Kate Lindsay’s article about Millennial memes addresses this type of forced controversy nicely. She says:
“It’s easy to say it’s our own fault for pioneering these tropes and buzzwords in the first place, but these things didn’t start in some kind of millennial company all-hands…The issue is when capitalism—specifically, brands and public figures—try to brazenly profit off of these things… What we get are lazy, empty invocations of the lowest common denominators of our culture, pitched to a person who doesn’t really exist.”
I love her point about pitching to non-existent people. Compromise is an integral part of many authors’ discussions about the differences between Millennials and Boomers. So there is really little need for the supposed generational crisis promoted by the media. Like my father used to say – “Whatever sweets you so.”
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