Everyone Says Baby Boomers Grew Up in a Better World. I Think the Real Difference Was Something Else.
I've been seeing a lot of discussions about how different younger generations are from Baby Boomers. Usually it turns into an argument about who had it harder or who had it better. But I think there's something people overlook.
Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s meant learning certain things without anyone actually teaching them to you.
Here's what I mean. If you wanted something, you waited for it. Sometimes months. If something broke, you tried fixing it before buying another one. If you were bored, your parents told you to go outside. And if you left the house, nobody expected to know exactly where you were every five minutes.
And here's something I find interesting. Baby Boomers went from rotary phones and typewriters to smartphones, online banking, and artificial intelligence, all within one lifetime. Yet somehow they're often portrayed as the generation that can't adapt to change.
But I think the biggest difference comes later in life. When you're young, you spend so much time trying to earn more, buy more, and impress people. By the time you're 65 or 70, you might realize that having more time, fewer obligations, and a few good people around you matters far more than most of the things you spent decades chasing.
Of course, not every Boomer had the same childhood, and I'm not suggesting everything was better back then. There were plenty of things that weren't. But I do think growing up in a world without instant everything gave people a different perspective.
I put together a video exploring seven of these things, with a bit of humor along the way, if anyone's interested:
7 Things Baby Boomers Know That Younger Generations Don't
For those who grew up in the 1950s, 60s, or even 70s, what's one thing you learned growing up that you think younger generations don't really experience anymore?