Sophia’s Soapbox: Is ‘OK Boomer’ really meant to be derogatory?

MEEKER | During the past weeks younger generations such as the Gen Zs (born between 1995 and 2015) and some Millennials (1980-1994) started using the phrase “OK, Boomer.” It started trending on social media and soon it wasn’t just the younger generations using the term.

People seem to have mixed emotions about it though, while some don’t really even know the meaning behind it, some thought it was offensive. The phrase has lots of different contexts, which makes it hard to determine if it actually is intended to be derogatory. When I asked what people my age thought about it, the overall consensus determined that’s not the case.

People use the Baby Boomer generation as the origin for the phrase. All of the decisions the Boomer generation (people born between 1946 and 1964) have made and continue to make affect my generation greatly. It’s also no secret that Gen Zs and Boomers don’t quite think the same. This seems to be the way that the kids are starting to poke a little fun at the Boomers, while also trying to get a point across. They use it as a way to fire back at the older generation for, as some put it, “Wrecking their futures,” with some of the policies and ignorance that goes on in today’s world. But what do kids actually think about the phrase?

Some of the kids that I talked to use it primarily as a joke that isn’t even aimed at the Boomer generation. Saying they just use it for fun to tease their friends, because it’s funny how two simple words can get someone so wound up. Others said that a lot of people don’t know the actual meaning behind it, and use how they see fit for them.

However, I talked to a few that said, “This is the way younger generations are saying that they’re tired of the Boomers’ actions,” saying, “It has basically become the digital equivalent of an eye roll,” with the contexts that it’s used in. While they use it as a way to fire back, most say that most of the time it’s a joke that they use to poke fun. It’s when older generations start getting angered with the phrase, that it starts to get its power. One person said, “It’s interesting how generations younger than the Boomers are the ‘snowflake’ generation, yet we say two words to poke at some of their wrongdoings and they lose it.”

If anything, “OK, Boomer’”has become a very good conversation starter. Whether it’s older generations trying to figure out why this started, or younger generations finding out what their friends think about it. It may not be a “power move” but, does hold some attitude of, “We’re done.” It has become a way for Gen Zs to portray that they are putting their foot down and demanding that they get listened to, because quite frankly every decision that the Boomers are making will affect my generation the most. So why shouldn’t we have a say in what’s going on around us?

By SOPHIA GOEDERT | Special to the Herald Times