topic Okay, Boomers in Community Chat

Okay, Boomers

Anonymous032819 — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 21:15:03 GMT

The thread title is said tongue-in-cheek.

From "Business Insider"

Baby boomers are the most sensitive generation, new study says — and it shows exactly what the world is getting wrong about millennials

Hillary Hoffower

Baby Boomers are more sensitive than milennials, , suggests a new study published in the Journal Psychology and Aging.

The study is the largest on narcissism to date and focuses on both generational and individual trends in narcissistic behaviors, unlike previous studies of its kind, reported Julia Naftulin for Business Insider.

These findings are the opposite of how the world typically views millennials: As special "snowflakes" who are sensitive, sheltered, and selfish.

Millennials are known for being "sensitive" but society may be applying the label to the wrong generation.

Turns out, older generations are more hypersensitive than younger generations, according to a new study published in the Journal Psychology and Aging. This suggests that millennials, those ages 23 to 38, are less hypersensitive than baby boomers, those ages 55 to 73 reported Julia Naftulin for Business Insider.

The researchers defined "hypersensitivity" as being unreceptive to others' feedback and lashing out at any criticism toward one's self, Naftulin wrote.

The study - the largest on narcissism to date - examined six previously collected data sets that included nearly 750 people ages 13 to 77 to better understand how narcissistic traits vary among generations, and how levels of narcissism change as people age. It examined both generational and individual trends in narcissistic behaviors, unlike previous studies on narcissism that focused only on one or the other, according to Naftulin.

Narcissistic personality disorder, according to Mayo Clinic, is a mental state that involves an inflated sense of self-importance, need for excessive attention and admiration, lack of empathy, and low self-esteem vulnerable to criticism. These traits exist on a spectrum and can exist even if the person doesn't have the disorder.

Researchers found that as individuals in the study aged, they became less sensitive, with hypersensitivity sharply declining at age 40. But when they looked at generation-specific trends, they found that younger generations are less sensitive than their parents.

Millennials have a reputation as "snowflakes"

The findings are the opposite of how the world views millennials.

In a 2017 interview with Forbes, generational expert Neil Howe said that news organizations often referred to millennials as "generation snowflake" - a disparaging term for being sheltered, politically correct, and sensitive.

While this stereotype has "kernels of truth," Howe said, the criticism paints a distorted picture. "To focus just on these traits in a negative way typically leads to associated claims about millennials that have no basis in fact," he said. "And it tempts us to overlook genuine millennial strengths that will likely hugely benefit our country in the years to come."

For example, millennials are earnest, positive, accepting of others, and optimistic, qualities that have greater influence in the long run, according to reporter Joel Stein. In a 2013 cover story for Time magazine, Stein explored the stereotype of millennials as lazy and entitled.

Baby boomers, he said, are known as the "Me Generation," but they produced millennials, the "Me Me Me Generation." However, he found that there's a much bigger picture beyond the stereotype.

"A generation's greatness," he wrote, is "determined by how they react to the challenges that befall them. And, just as important, by how we react to them."

Re: Okay, Boomers

2blonde — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 21:19:10 GMT

I don't see how narcissism and sensitivity are the same thing.

Re: Okay, Boomers

bathina — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 21:22:40 GMT

Im not surprised at this judging from folks I know my age and older and the folks I know in my daughter's generation.

Re: Okay, Boomers

Mominohio — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 21:25:21 GMT

@2blonde wrote:
I don't see how narcissism and sensitivity are the same thing.

Yes, first thing that came to my mind too.

Let's face it, every generation tells the one above them how badly they screwed it all up.

Their kids are coming, and they are going to be told the same thing.

It's the cycle of life.

Re: Okay, Boomers

Peaches McPhee — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 21:31:43 GMT

I think it would be great if we stopped putting labels and stereotypes on ourselves.

Re: Okay, Boomers

Porcelain — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 21:42:22 GMT

Most accusations are projection of some kind. Anything negative you say about someone else can probably be said about you, just in a different context. Everyone (including Millenials) can be hypersensitive about certain topics. The topics just differ from person to person. If you think you're immune from a certain negative label ever applying to you, you're probably just foolling yourself.

Re: Okay, Boomers

QVCkitty1 — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 21:43:47 GMT

Okay, is ok boomer always fair, no, but boomers ( I 'm one ) have always thought they were special. Sometimes Ok Boomer is fair, and I can take it. We can be incredibly mean and insensitive about the younger generation, so if they clap back, well , we should be able to handle it.

Re: Okay, Boomers

Oznell — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 22:53:56 GMT

From long experience, I find "studies" such as this to often be suspect. Often don't necessarily accept the premises of the people doing the "studying". Beyond a certain point, slicing and dicing people up into different generational, artificially warring "camps" is tiresome and not useful, I think.

Re: Okay, Boomers

bathina — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 23:07:06 GMT

Love how some of the commentary here validates the study. 🤣 Snowflakes indeed.

Re: Okay, Boomers

minkbunny — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 14:18:14 GMT

Well, after reading that article, I feel like lashing out at any criticism coming my way - but then I am 70 years old

Re: Okay, Boomers

wilma — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 00:15:51 GMT

Wish we would spend money on psychology studies that might really help those with serious mental health issues instead of this kind of “junk science”.

Re: Okay, Boomers

jeanlake — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 01:01:54 GMT

Agree with indoor kitty's viewpoint.

I'm a Boomer - youngest sibling in my family. There's a lot of Boomers in the world and we're used to being in control. It's hard for us to pass the baton to other generations (IMO).

Boomers - 1946 - 1964, or ages 55 - 73.

I've worked in education since I was 22 and have observed how generations below Boomers have been continuously judged by Boomers. According to too many of my Boomer cohorts - generations below us just fall short. Technological advances have increased so rapidly, I'm picking up hints of resentment and inferiority, from Boomers, regarding skill levels of younger generations.

I'm in my 60s and closest friends are mid 50s to early 70s. I tell hubs how shocked I am when I hear social table talk from some of our friends who have apparently removed their filters. This has been relatively new - as I don't remember their negativity and predudice comments when we were younger. I fear they're taking on a 'get off my lawn' attitude. If I hear it and gasp - our younger generations hear it and register comments and attitudes. And they write articles about it.

During the 2016 election, too many Boomer work cohorts couldn't use the slam word, 'snowflake' enough. These are graduate level Boomer faculty whose inferiority is showing and they have removed their filters.

I'm taking a different view than some on this post -- not at all interested in arguing.

Re: Okay, Boomers

QueenDanceALot — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 01:05:04 GMT

Oh, great, another thread to pit one generation against another.

Re: Okay, Boomers

Sooner — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 02:38:38 GMT

Well hooray for the Boomers who have always been in control! I sure wish that had worked out for me.

Somehow most have cared for children, many grandchildren and then their parents--should they outlive their parents.

Re: Okay, Boomers

Foxxee — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 19:36:08 GMT

I'm always suspicious of psychology studies such as this as having a hidden agenda. Propaganda, gaslighting, projection.

The labeling of sensitivity and narcissism in this piece fits the millennial generation to a T.

Re: Okay, Boomers

silkyk — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 14:09:27 GMT

If I get a OK Boomer you get an OK BUMMER! (definition of bummer per google...."a thing that is annoying or disappointing").

Re: Okay, Boomers

Love to Run — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 15:09:18 GMT

@Mominohio wrote:
@2blonde wrote:
I don't see how narcissism and sensitivity are the same thing.

Yes, first thing that came to my mind too.

Let's face it, every generation tells the one above them how badly they screwed it all up.

Their kids are coming, and they are going to be told the same thing.

It's the cycle of life.

And every generation bemoans the ills of the next one.

Re: Okay, Boomers

Imaoldhippie — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 15:59:00 GMT

IMO this is hogwash.

Re: Okay, Boomers

2blonde — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:18:56 GMT

IMO we should be working to bring people together, rather than increasing divisions by pointing out generalized differences between groups. Polarization breeds anger and resentment, and we have too much of that already.

Re: Okay, Boomers

bathina — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 17:26:43 GMT

Before I transitioned to remote work, I managed a department of 17. Most were millennial and some gen z. Understanding the differences in povs regarding work, work life balance, parenting, volunteerism, etc was critical in attracting and retaining good staff. Understanding the general values and work habits of those generations did not divide. It helped to unite. It helped to guide my ability to manage- understanding that volunteerism is important to those generations, for example, made me more flexible in staffing, allowing for my staff to volunteer their time during the workday.

There are reasons for these studies that have practical life applications and mocking the results just leaves you uninformed.