You don’t need gray hair or a landline to be giving major Boomer energy. Sometimes it’s in the way you text. Sometimes it’s in the way you view work, technology, or just how you sit at a restaurant. You might technically be Gen Z or a late Millennial, but habits don’t always follow birth years. And if you’ve ever been called “old school” or felt like your vibe didn’t match your age, this might explain why. These 13 habits scream “Boomer”—whether you mean them to or not.
1. Double Spacing After A Period
If you’re still putting two spaces after a period, you’re not just dating yourself—you’re flashing back to the typewriter era. Research by Jeniffer Gonzalez on Cult of Pedagogy shows that it’s a habit that made sense when characters were monospaced, but now it’s an aesthetic faux pas. It quietly signals you learned to type in a pre-digital world.
Even if you’re under 40, this tiny typing quirk screams “Boomer keyboard energy.” One space is the new grammar flex. Keep it sleek or risk sounding like someone’s annoying old retired uncle.
2. Leaving Voicemails That Could’ve Been Texts
Voicemails are practically extinct unless you’re confirming a doctor’s appointment—or a Boomer. If you call someone just to say, “Call me back,” you’re broadcasting an outdated idea of communication. Most younger people panic at the sound of an unexpected voicemail.
This habit isn’t just inefficient—it feels intrusive in a world of instant messaging. If you’re under 60 and still using voicemail for casual updates, your generational cover is blown. Master the art of a quick text.
3. Posting Long Facebook Rants
According to Mashable, one of the clearest signs of “Boomer vibes” on Facebook is the use of long, colorful status updates where users loudly post about life events, complaints, or nostalgic reflections, often with a tone that blames younger generations or romanticizes the past. Not only do you look at little unhinged, your opinions are subjective and not always based on fact.
You don’t need grandkids to sound like someone’s cranky grandparent. Just sprinkle in a little “back in my day,” and you’re there. Maybe stick to posting happy images of your life, after all social media is rife with conspiracy theories and fake news.
4. Using Ellipses… Like This… Constantly…
If your texts are filled with dramatic ellipses, you might think you’re being thoughtful or suspenseful. But to most younger people, it reads like passive-aggressive tension. This writing style belongs to forwarded email chains and vague-text energy.
It subtly signals you’re not fluent in digital tone. And in 2025, tone is everything.Let the ellipses go and stick to a period. Period.
5. Paying Bills By Mailing A Check
If you still balance a checkbook and physically mail payments, you’re keeping the postal service—and your inner Boomer—alive. Digital natives live on autopay and apps. Checks? That’s from another timeline.As reported by GWI, while stereotypes suggest older generations lack technological confidence, baby boomers are increasingly tech-savvy and active on social media, particularly on Facebook.
Many baby boomers have positive attitudes toward social media, with 83.9% reporting that it improves their lives.And in the era of digital banking and crypto, no one really needs to send a check in the snail mail, which could get lost. Level up your online banking game.
6. Calling It “The” TikTok Or “The” Instagram
Adding “the” before app names is peak Boomer behavior. “Did you see that on *the* TikTok?” immediately adds 20 years to your age. It subtly suggests you’re an outsider peeking into the digital world instead of living in it. Gen Z isn’t on “the” anything. They’re just on TikTok.
So remember it’s Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Learn the lingo so you don’t accidentally date yourself. Or worse, look like a social media novice.
7. Sending Chain Emails (Or Worse, Forwarding Them)
If your inbox is full of “FW: FW: FW: You won’t believe this,” you’re operating from a 2004 playbook. A study by Omnisend highlights that email marketing has evolved significantly, with modern users being far less susceptible to outdated tactics like chain emails and fear-based forwards, which are often associated with older internet habits and are largely ignored by younger audiences.
This habit screams AOL dial-up energy. And not in a charming way. It can also come off as aggressive, blowing up people’s inboxes with fake news or spam. Don’t be too trigger happy.
8. Talking Loudly On Speakerphone In Public
Boomer energy thrives in speakerphone conversations on trains, waiting rooms, or checkout lines. It’s not just annoying—it reveals a generational blind spot around personal space. Younger generations live in earbuds and texting; public calls feel invasive. Respect boundaries and people’s right to peace.
If you’re sharing every detail of your dental appointment with the entire Starbucks, you’re definitely giving “dad in a recliner” energy. People don’t want to know, or hear and it can feel rude and intrusive. Get off speakerphone unless you’re sitting in your living room.
9. Thinking A Suit Equals Success
Believing that dressing “professionally” always means suits, ties, and heels is a holdover from a different era. Younger generations are redefining authority through creativity, comfort, and personal style. Rigid dress codes? That’s so Boomer. And corporate, especially in a remote working era.
Success today looks like sneakers and soft power. The suit doesn’t make the leader anymore—the mindset does.Dress for your style and to always look polished and professional.
10. Calling People Instead Of Texting First
Randomly calling someone without warning is the modern equivalent of showing up unannounced. Younger generations view unscheduled calls as intrusive, even anxiety-inducing. If your first move is dialing, not texting, you’re living in a pre-smartphone headspace.
It’s not just what you say—it’s how you initiate the interaction that gives you away.People are busy and it’s polite to give a heads up or schedule a time to talk. Be modern and respectful.
11. Using Emojis That Are Technically Retired
If your emoji rotation includes the crying-laughing face, the thumbs up, or the, you’re living in emoji nostalgia. Gen Z has unofficially retired these and moved on to ironic or minimalist options. Even emoji use now has generational nuance.
You might be trying to sound friendly, but your icons are reading as…parental.And the last thing you want to do is send the wrong emojis. Like texts they can be taken the wrong way.
12. Telling Long, Linear Stories With No Point
Boomer storytelling is a journey—with side plots, background details, and unnecessary exposition. Younger people crave brevity, rhythm, and relevance. If you find yourself losing your audience halfway through a tale about your neighbor’s dog, it’s time for a refresh.
This isn’t about age—it’s about tempo. Keep it punchy or risk the dreaded polite smile. People are also time poor and in today’s fast paced era, need you to get to the point.
13. Over-Emphasizing “Real World” Experience
The phrase “real world” is often used to invalidate newer perspectives. “Wait until you get into the *real* world” implies that younger people’s lives don’t count yet. It’s dismissive, dated, and unmistakably Boomer. We are in the “real world” even if it seems like a bold new world to you.
You might think you’re offering wisdom. But it often lands as condescending—and a little out of touch. Accept that life and attitudes move on and that maybe you aren’t always right.
