If someone is a frequent user of social media platforms and takes part in the trends, then they shouldn’t be a stranger to the prevalent “ok boomer” phenomena. This phrase has become a popular discourse topic between generations and is causing many people to take sides on the once comedic and lighthearted meme. Due to the significance many groups have attributed to this phrase, it is now rapidly shaping social politics.
The “ok boomer” trend can be traced back to a TikTok made in November of 2019. Since then, however, it has resurfaced on Twitter and news outlets as a topic of debate. With the hashtag going viral, it has given several young activists a newfound confidence to combat the ever-present baby boomers in world governments. Opinions on this trend have been split, with some arguing that the “ok boomer” movement marks the end of friendly relations between generations. Other media outlets have explained that this is just another version of the blame game. After many years of baby boomers blaming millennials and Generation Z (zoomers), the tables have turned — and the average boomer just doesn’t know how to react to this.
The frenzy over this hashtag has become widespread, and some adults have even compared the phrase to an extreme racial slur. This further demonizes the phrase and the young people who use it. However, comparing “ok boomer” to that of a slur reveals the underlying racism of the older generation. This became evident when conservative New York radio host Bob Lonsberry tweeted about how the “ok boomer” trend is the ageist equivalent to the N-word. Lonsberry’s argument makes it evident that those who are offended by this trend are scrambling to victimize themselves by attaching themselves to other oppressed groups. Society shouldn’t allow this, as it takes away the real negativity from the actual racial slurs that are hurting minorities. “Ok boomer” isn’t a racial slur, nor will it ever be. It is an exasperated, political outcry that the older generation can’t seem to handle.
It’s ironic how before this movement, it was always the older generation insulting millennials and zoomers. Millenials and zoomers have been constantly harassed by baby boomers for being lazy, entitled children for years now. However, now that the “ok boomer” trend is gaining momentum, suddenly older generations are at a loss for words. The “ok boomer” movement is a way for the younger generation of new political activists to show that they are tired of watching the world be ruined by old ideas. This has led people to believe that the world deserves new faces, fresh ideas and young energy. Young activists are tired of the slow process and never changing policies of the baby boomers, especially when it comes to social and environmental issues. The younger generation is here to prove the older generation wrong and show them that they have what it takes to make the world a better place in a changing society. zoomers and millennials aren’t lazy snowflakes; in fact, they’ve produced some of the greatest young activists thus far, such as Greta Thunberg.
Millennials and zoomers can influence the future of politics. They are more socially conscious and hold progressive ideas on topics such as climate change, a clear juxtaposition to their older counterparts. It’s time to turn a new leaf and ignore the idea of respecting your elders blindly. Although the “ok boomer” trend seems harsh, it’s a way for zoomers and millennials to show they are putting their foot down when it comes to issues of political discourse. They are not afraid of the backlash they receive and will do whatever they can to change the world they live in. They believe they are responsible for bearing the burden of climate change, and they urge their adult opponents to look at the world differently.
Older generations are constantly scolding the young for having silly, radical ideas, and “ok boomer” provides a way to shut them down and force them to listen. To the relief of the baby boomers, this trend isn’t enough to incite an intergenerational war, contrary to popular belief. However, it isn’t because zoomers are weak and scared of what’s to come — they simply don’t care about the older generation anymore and would rather turn their attention to the issues that their predecessors have failed to address. Instead of fighting with the ever bitter boomers, zoomers are determined to create the change they want to see in the world. Although the “ok boomer” trend may lose it’s trending spot on social media in a few weeks, the impact it has left will continue to influence society for years to come.
