10 timeless insights from boomers that resonate with younger generations in today's world

Boomer wisdom 

There is no denying that boomers today have opinions that significantly deviate from millennials and the subsequent generations. While many of their stances might be considered outdated, they do have valid points when it comes to certain things in life. Having gone through an age where things were more uncertain, their life experiences are different from what the younger generations are experiencing today. Reddit user, u/Poopooplatta69 asked the community what boomer opinions that they find relevant. Here are 10 of the best answers that they had to offer.

1. Oversharing on social media

People share way too much on social media. u/Anon_879.  I still maintain this is one of the reasons relationships are so hard now. I told my, now fiance, when we first got together that any of our problems would stay between us. No social media. No friends. If our problems can't be solved by us then we shouldn't be together. Not that couples therapy wouldn't help some, but they're professionals. Your friends and family are not. u/Abathur11235

2. Automated customer service calls 

I just want a real person on the telephone when I have to call a business. u/HotSpicedChai. And businesses tend to make the phone call experience as painful as possible so fewer people call them. Do you not understand, that I have no desire to call in the first place?! The only reason I'm calling is because there was literally no other option! Make a better website, where I can do the things I need to online without talking to a person, and I won't call! u/JoeyJoeJoeJrShab

3. Touchscreens in cars

Physical buttons to push, especially in cars, I hate touch screens. u/FunPills. Yes! Our younger car is a 2013 base model. The fanciest thing about it is a CD player. We will need to replace our 2008 car soon And I am dreading it. The new cars are just packed to the gills with touchscreens with the worst interfaces. Still confused about how using a cell phone is banned because “distraction = accident” but modern cars all have giant touchscreens that you need to click through multiple menus to select what you want. Complete bonkers. u/capngout 

4. Aversion to feature-heavy tech

I don't want the new shiny thing with thousands of useless functions, I don't want something that will be old in 3 years because of a lack of software updates or because the technology in that field is becoming better at lightning speed. I want something that just works and lasts a long time. I can understand you might want the best thing for work (like a powerful PC) but why would anyone want a smart fridge or toaster? u/forever-loading

5. Documenting everything 

People should chill with their phones during concerts. You paid tickets to watch the show, not to record the whole thing. u/WabbieSabbie. I was on vacation once, touring some famous castle or something. I noticed a very stereotypical-looking Japanese family there. The father had a brand-new high-tech camcorder. (Yeah, this was a while ago.) He was literally painting the walls with his camera, filming up and down, then progressing a bit farther right with each pass, so as to capture every possible detail. There is no possible way anybody ever watched any of that footage. Though I could imagine feeding it to an AI and using it to make a 3D reconstruction of the room, so I guess that's something. u/JoeyJoeJoeJrShab

6. Loud music everywhere

Turn your loud music down. Your music should not be shaking my car windows. I should not be able to hear your music inside my house. I should be able to talk to my friends inside this bar or restaurant without yelling. This brewery does not need a live band or DJ. Turn your loud music down. u/Wingdom. Thank you. My bedroom is on the top floor of my house, a decent distance away from the street, and my window is always closed with the blinds down. I can hear the lyrics of the cars that drive by and I can feel the bass. u/Ash_is_confused 

7. People lacking decency in public

People no longer know how to behave in public and it’s mostly technology’s fault. I grew up yielding to certain social contracts of how to behave in restaurants, gyms, theaters, etc. And it’s become infuriating to the point of outright avoidance in some cases. People talk too loudly, bury their heads in their devices, play music/videos out loud without headphones, or generally act like no one in their immediate area matters whatsoever. No one has any patience or consideration for anyone outside of their immediate sphere of importance. We are all just unwilling co-stars in the self-absorbed story of their lives. People ask why I haven’t been to a movie theater since the weekend that "Avengers: Endgame" came out. This is it. u/IFlySoloIFlySoHigh

8. Learn new languages when moving to another country

If you are moving to a new country, you should make an effort to learn the language. I don’t mean people need to give up their native language, but at least some basic phrases for interacting with people at stores, the doctor, schools, etc. I teach in an area with a huge non-English speaking population and it is shocking how many parents struggle to communicate with me. Of course, we have translators for meetings and things but in an emergency or if your child is sick you should be able to understand that they need to be picked up. u/jkw91 

9. Less concentration in younger generations

Concentration is getting worse. I tutor students and I notice a complete lack of concentration from people as little as 1 year younger than me. Also, everyone is very difficult and doesn’t participate even though they asked you for help. u/Booloodle. For sure, I know a teacher and he practically just put his head in his hands when the subject of the modern generation came up. He was just at a loss for words about the lack of discipline and focus. I know I certainly wasn't a model student so I can't say much but I think I was a rare exception back in my day. Plus being able to focus without a phone or music is something I'm able to do fairly well. u/__M-E-O-W__

10. Wireless technology

Dunno how common this is but, I hate wireless connections. I have horrible luck with them and prefer having the reliability of wires. u/luckytrap89. I will always have wired connections for everything that can handle it. I will only ever buy wired keyboards and mice for my system. All the devices in my house that have ethernet jack are wired. I ran 25' of cable up and over a doorframe to an adjacent room just so I wouldn't have to deal with a bad Wi-Fi connection. u/The_Pfaffinator