Baby Boomers Blame Millennials For Everything, But Here's 11 Things They Destroyed
Who fired the first insult? The "War of the Words" seems to be endless between generations, and there is no rivalry quite like millennials and baby boomers.
Columbia Pictures Television
I think it's okay to use a critical eye on our history as a people to examine moments that have had long-lasting effects on our society, and how we can avoid making those mistakes (maybe even correct them). Time for some research!
AMC Networks
Baby boomers claim the younger generations ruin everything, but here are 11 things baby boomers have actually ruined:
1.Our economy.
Enough time has passed, and we can take a look at the numbers and say "trickle-down economics" destroyed the middle class. This keeping-the-rich-in-mind concept basically emptied the middle class as the US knew it. How people actually bought the concept that rich people filling their pockets more would result in them sprinkling money down on everyone else, I don't know.
2.They made cuts to education that would benefit younger generations in their adult years.
Ever wonder why it seems like younger generations are flying by the seat of their pants when it comes to basic adult living? The baby boomer generation made cuts to important classes like Home Economics and other resourceful teachings that show kids at a young age how to face life after school.
So, when being an adult is hard, just remember key programs (that they took advantage of when present) were slashed because they deemed the spending unnecessary for educating our future generations.
3.The shift away from entry-level jobs to unpaid internships.
Tah-tah salary!
Jobs were a-plenty for baby boomers. As time passed, they took control of the job market and pushed away entry-level jobs in the '80s to bring in younger job seekers as unpaid workers. This has forced many young people and adults that switch careers to sacrifice their potential salary in order to work for experience. That sounds like the norm now, but remember, baby boomers were allowed to pocket money during their time in entry-level positions, thus giving them a financial head-start in higher-paying careers.
4.Choosing colorblindness over dealing with racism directly has contributed to ignoring discrimination.
Miramax Films
Take Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Dream" speech. We regurgitate one line about "all men being created equal" and ignore the rest of his speech undressing white supremacy. The problem with this way of thinking, among other reasons, is that it chooses to dwarf any gripes people of color have with any ill-treatment toward them.
A reaction like "all lives matter" in response to "Black lives matter" shows ignorance when these issues have been spoken out about publicly for decades, but it's believed to be "more equal" to ignore those issues. It's a generational baton handed down by the boomer generation and continues to be passed down.
5.The housing market has become a white whale for younger generations wishing to become home buyers.
Baby boomers bought homes at an average of $82,800. Millennials in their 30s paid an average of $313,000 in 2019. That's a 393% increase. That's an impossible hill to climb for something so essential for working families and individuals.
Good luck buying a house today. Baby boomers have more real estate wealth than any generation. And think about it, how many of those homeowners will simply pass it down to their family? Those houses may never see the market.
6.What, you want increases in your salary? Nah. $7.25 is where it's at!
Disney
The federal minimum wage nationwide is still at $7.25 an hour (although many states have bumped that number up). Decades in control of the job market, baby boomers decided it was more important to pocket the money than to increase the pay of their workers. Millennials make 20% less than baby boomers did, despite 40% of them having a Bachelor's degree.
Speaking of keeping too much for yourself...
7.Taking too many slices of the pie from Social Security.
Disney
The pure quantity of baby boomers may result in the depletion of Social Security. Some predict retiree benefits will be drained by 2034, and one of the only ways to save it: bumping up the retirement age in order to ease the system back to health.
In other words, hope you like working, millennials!
8.College's unaffordability has every student in debt for simply chasing a higher education.
Looks like baby boomers took Pink Floyd's lyrics "we don't need no education" too literally. Higher education was never meant to be higher tuition. Due to the recession in 2001, by 2008, states around the country saw tuition increases as high as 50%.
Now, millions of graduates are in severe loan debt from astronomically high (and unfair) tuition numbers.
9.Food regulations were slashed because of the boom of supermarkets.
In 1938, the Food Safety Enhancement Act was the first food safety legislation of the new century. Cheaper affordable foods would lead to decreases in food regulations, and more foods packed with chemicals would hit market shelves. This has set the trend for food regulations, and now, any regulations slow down the supply chain because we're in so deep because of years of carelessness.
The Food Safety Modernization Act is the most recent attempt to prevent people from ending up in hospitals due to foods bought at stores.
10.Irreversible damage to the environment has screwed future generations long after they are dead.
It's harsh but true: Boomers are the type of people who don't wipe down the gym equipment after use because it's not their problem anymore. It might be a tough pill to swallow for baby boomers, but your great-grandkids need to use this planet after you. The failure to take climate change seriously has resulted in irreversible damage to the planet — effects that will be catastrophic down the road.
But baby boomers won't be around, so it won't be their problem. A common theme for this list. So...
11.Their own generation's reputation.
The pioneers who contributed great things from the baby boomer generation will get overshadowed by their pure (and very public) disdain for the younger generations. The generation that gave us amazing technological advancements, protested wars, and many other great things ahead of their time, may be remembered as the generation that constantly dunked on younger people. And now, the great irony is that younger generations blame baby boomers for everything.
