Say what you will about the boomer generation — but even as a millennial myself, I can admit: They might just be right about a thing or two. Redditor u/Poopooplatta69 asked, "What is your 'boomer' opinion?" — and here's some of what people said.
1. "People share way too much on social media. You don’t need to record every second of your life. Live in the moment every once in a while."
2. "Screw touchscreens. I want physical buttons...especially in the car when I don’t want to take my eyes off the road. Physical buttons are more accessible for people with disabilities, and they’re just generally more satisfying to push."
3. "TV is getting too dark and too quiet. I swear we have to turn the volume up twice as loud as we have it to watch Yellowstone. You better believe the commercials have plenty of volume, though..."
4. "I hate going to concerts and seeing everyone with their phones up, video-recording the whole thing. What's the point in paying for a concert ticket if you're not going to dance or actually enjoy it?"
5. "I will never own an e-reader. I understand why it’s convenient to have because you can carry a bunch of books with you at all times, but nothing compares to a real paper book. I especially love secondhand books because they’re pre-loved and you can tell someone really enjoyed the book if it’s a little bent and beat up. It makes me want to read it more."
6. "I like being able to read articles online without being asked to enter an email, create an account, give my phone number, etc."
7. "I just want to speak to a real person on the telephone when I have to call a business."
8. "Paying good money for a product that doesn't do the thing it says on the box until you install their bullshit app on your phone. This makes me want to start a fight."
9. "Music in bars is too loud! I want to find just one bar where I can talk to my friends without screaming."
10. "You should really put your phone down when you're out to eat with people. Maybe it's because I grew up with that rule, but I know when I'm getting lunch with a friend or something, I find it incredibly irritating when they're on their phone."
11. "I like CDs better than digital music. I just think they sound better, and they’re way easier to play in my car than having to screw around with an aux cord or bluetooth connection."
12. "Automated menus on customer service lines are the worst. My doctor's office has an automated menu for scheduling appointments, which is fine and dandy except for the fact that it has four layers of automation before you get to speak to an actual person, and if you press the number you want too soon, it will restart the whole menu. Sometimes, once you're finally getting through to a real number, the phone rings for 45 seconds before automatically disconnecting, at which point you have to go through the menu all over again. Screw automated menus."
13. "Paper menus are far superior to QR codes. Half of the time, the menu won't even load. Good god."
14. "Tell me, why would anyone really want a smart fridge or toaster? I don't want the new, shiny thing. I want something that works and lasts a long time."
15. "Young children are genuinely spending way too much time on tablets and other devices."
16. "Children are being brainwashed by TikTok and Instagram in the sense that they can't focus on anything for more than a few seconds at a time. And I feel that social media is making them majorly desensitized to things."
17. "It's sad to me that many people don't have friendships with or even know their neighbors these days."
18. "People should be wary of posting photos of their kids on social media. I find it really disturbing that nowadays, there are photos of kids on social media quite literally while they're still in the womb."
19. "Just because you can contact me immediately by phone and text doesn’t mean I should be expected to respond right away and be constantly accessible. I miss the days when you just turned on the answering machine and lived your life."
20. "Using apps for everything is annoying. I just went to Disney World, and I couldn’t do anything (including eat) unless I used the app."
21. "Picking out a video at the store was better than looking through Netflix for something to watch."
22. "Kids need to be raised to be as self-reliant as possible. They should learn all household chores to the best of their ability — including yard work, cooking, use of power tools, and car maintenance."
23. "Five-year-olds do not need smartphones."
24. "Instant communication at work. You can Slack me, email me, call me, text me after hours, and I will respond at 8 a.m....when I log in. Thirty years ago, we did not have access to our employees after hours. And now that we do, it should not be expected."
25. "Quit being so loud when you're in public. Be respectful of others around you. Don't talk loudly on your phone or play games with the sound on. Don't use speakerphone. Don't play music without earbuds. Don't blast your music in a vehicle if you are in a residential area. If you want to listen to loud music, invest in headphones."
26. "I don’t understand the core benefit of 'read' or 'seen' in messaging apps. Fundamentally, it just seems to create an unhealthy scenario that puts pressure on the receiver and unhealthy expectations from the texted."
What's a boomer or "old-timey" opinion that you strongly agree with? Tell us in the comments.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.