Every generation has its quirks, but Baby Boomers brought us a very specific brand of ritual, rooted in postwar optimism, suburban sprawl, and a belief that if you just worked hard enough, life would be fair. For Boomers, being “practical” meant plastic-covered furniture, Costco-sized freezers, and paying for things with a check at the grocery store. For Millennials and Gen Z, that logic feels… quaint at best and deeply confusing at worst.
These habits aren’t just old-fashioned—they often reflect outdated values around money, labor, time, and identity. Younger generations, raised on a planet quite literally burning beneath their feet, see little charm in lawn maintenance or clingy 24/7 cable news. Here’s a breakdown of the Boomer behavior that younger folks are gently (and not-so-gently) leaving in the past.
1. Ironing Everything Like It’s Still 1957
To Boomers, a wrinkled shirt is a moral failing. Many of them grew up believing ironing was a non-negotiable adult skill—pressed pants meant you were respectable. But Gen Z and Millennials? They’ve never even owned an ironing board.
Modern wardrobes are built for stretch, flow, and machine-washable ease. We live in the era of wrinkle-release spray and fabric blends that laugh in the face of starch. If your linen shirt has a crease, it’s called “texture.”
2. Paying Bills With Paper Checks
Despite living in a world of Venmo, Zelle, and automatic payments, many Boomers still write physical checks and mail them in envelopes. The ritual is slow, time-consuming, and frankly unnecessary in a world where most people can tap their phone and be done in three seconds. To younger generations, it’s like watching someone use a telegraph in the age of Slack. As explained by Digital Check, the shift from paper checks to electronic check processing has significantly reduced environmental impact by cutting down carbon emissions associated with the traditional air and ground transportation networks used to exchange paper checks.
While there are concerns around digital security, most experts agree that physical mail isn’t exactly theft-proof either. And let’s not forget the environmental footprint of all that paper, postage, and printing. In a climate crisis, digital wins on every front.
3. Leaving Voicemails Instead Of Texting
Boomers love to leave a long, meandering voicemail—even when a simple “call me” text would suffice. Younger generations dread seeing that red notification dot like it’s a sign from the IRS. And let’s be honest—no one is checking their voicemail unless they’re already in a full-blown panic.
According to a 2025 study published in the International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, Millennials and Generation Z strongly prefer instant messaging and text-based communication for quick, informal exchanges, while older generations like Baby Boomers tend to favor phone calls and voicemails. Even major carriers and tech advisors have shifted away from voicemail dependence, noting that younger users increasingly prefer asynchronous, text-based communication. It’s not about disrespect—it’s about efficiency. If you want a quick reply, skip the voicemail and send a text.
4. Treating Their Lawn Like Their Baby
For Boomers, lawn perfection is practically patriotic. Weekly mowing, endless fertilizing, and watering schedules that rival NASA launch timelines—it’s an entire lifestyle. Meanwhile, younger generations are eyeing native plants and edible gardens instead of manicured sod.
Climate anxiety and water restrictions have made the “perfect lawn” look less aspirational and more wasteful. And with housing affordability in crisis, fewer people even have lawns to begin with. Grass? That’s a luxury, not a virtue. Research by the Walder Foundation, led by environmental scientists Rebecca Barak, PhD, and Liz Anna Kozik, PhD, challenges traditional lawn care practices and promotes sustainable alternatives that support biodiversity and environmental health.
5. Relentlessly Watching Cable News 24/7
Boomers love a news ticker and a yelling anchor. CNN, Fox, MSNBC—pick your channel, pick your echo chamber, and settle in. But to younger generations raised on social feeds and curated news digests, this habit looks more like emotional self-harm than staying informed. In a detailed report by Crowd React Media titled “State of TV News 2025,” it is highlighted that while cable news remains a stronghold for many, especially older viewers, younger audiences are increasingly turning to streaming platforms like YouTube for news consumption.
Research shows younger people prefer digital platforms where they can fact-check, scroll, and disengage as needed. Cable news doesn’t offer that—it loops trauma until your cortisol spikes. We’re not tuning out because we don’t care. We’re tuning out because we care too much.
6. Clinging To Paper Everything
Receipts, instruction manuals, file folders, printed directions from MapQuest—Boomers have a hard time letting go of paper. Millennials and Gen Z, on the other hand, prefer cloud storage, Google Docs, and searchable PDFs. The file cabinet is now your inbox.
It’s not that younger people don’t care about documentation—they just want it searchable and shareable. When you’ve grown up watching your parents lose warranties and insurance forms in “junk drawers,” digital feels like freedom. Paper hoarding is no longer a virtue—it’s a fire hazard.
7. Equating Homeownership With Success
For Boomers, buying a home was the ultimate marker of adulthood and stability. But younger generations, priced out of the market and saddled with student loans, see it differently. The dream isn’t dead—it’s just delayed or completely redesigned.
As noted by Marketplace, homeownership rates for younger generations like millennials and older Gen Z have stagnated in recent years due to high interest rates and housing costs, leading many to delay or reconsider buying a home. They want flexibility, not 30 years of debt and drywall. Homeownership isn’t irrelevant—it’s just not the only definition of “making it.”
8. Working Through Illness Like It’s a Badge Of Honor
Boomers wear their “I never took a sick day” streaks like Olympic medals. For them, working through a cold or the flu was seen as dedication. But in a post-COVID world, that logic now reads as irresponsible at best, and dangerous at worst.
Younger workers are pushing back on toxic productivity and redefining what professionalism actually means. Resting when you’re sick isn’t lazy—it’s respectful. The hustle doesn’t count if it gets everyone else sick in the process.
9. Sticking To The Same Hairstyle For 40 Years
There’s comfort in a signature look, but some Boomer cuts haven’t evolved since Reagan was in office. While younger generations are embracing experimentation, color shifts, and gender-fluid grooming, many Boomers cling to the same rigid aesthetic. It’s less style and more identity preservation.
Hair, like everything else, can be a form of reinvention. Gen Z in particular sees it as a canvas, not a commitment. The blowout-and-bangs combo from 1982? It’s due for retirement.
10. Sending Holiday Cards To People They Haven’t Spoken To In Years
Boomers love a glossy holiday card with matching sweaters and a brag-worthy newsletter. It’s sweet… but also a little performative. Younger people tend to prefer more genuine, low-effort connections over annual status updates.
Instead of mailed perfection, we’re leaning into DMs, funny memes, and quiet texts that say, thinking of you. Connection doesn’t have to be seasonal or staged. It just has to be real.
11. Taking Pride In Being “Bad At Technology”
“I don’t do computers.” “I let your mother handle that.” These humble-brag confessions from Boomers aren’t as charming as they once were. In a tech-driven world, basic digital fluency isn’t optional—it’s respectful.
Younger generations were forced to learn new platforms to work, date, bank, and connect. Refusing to learn isn’t quaint—it’s dismissive. It puts the burden on everyone else to do your digital labor for you.
12. Refusing Therapy But Loving Self-Help Books
Boomers are often skeptical of therapy, yet they’ll devour self-help bestsellers from the airport book rack. The contradiction? They’ll read about healing, but resist doing it out loud.
Younger generations are embracing therapy not as a weakness, but as maintenance. You don’t have to be in crisis to deserve support. And no, reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People does not replace actual emotional processing.
13. Keeping Fine China for “Special Occasions”
Many Boomers grew up with china cabinets full of delicate dishes that were off-limits. You could look, but not touch. The good plates were reserved for holidays, guests, or moments that rarely arrived.
Younger generations want beauty now. The idea of saving joy for later feels outdated. We’re not waiting for a reason to use the nice stuff—we are the reason.
