Every generation has its gripes, but some of the complaints that come from Boomers leave younger people either confused, amused, or quietly rolling their eyes. It’s not that they’re always wrong — it’s that the context has shifted, and what once made sense now sounds completely out of touch. These are the kinds of remarks that get brought up with full seriousness, even though to younger ears, they sound more like a punchline than a point.
1. “No one wants to work anymore”
This one gets thrown around constantly, as if people are just sitting at home by choice while great jobs wait for them. What it usually ignores is that many younger workers are done accepting low pay, zero flexibility, and toxic work environments just to survive.
Work ethic hasn’t disappeared — expectations have changed. People still want to work, they just don’t want to suffer for it the way previous generations were forced to.
2. “Back in my day, we bought a house by 25”
Yes, and back in that day, houses cost less than what some people now pay for a parking space. This complaint usually skips right over the reality of stagnant wages, skyrocketing rent, and crushing student debt.
Younger generations aren’t irresponsible — they’re dealing with a totally different economic landscape. The problem isn’t laziness, it’s math.
3. “Why are young people always on their phones?”
Phones have become tools for communication, banking, scheduling, creativity, and even work — not just distractions. To younger people, this complaint sounds the same as being mad someone’s using a car instead of a horse.
It’s not about addiction, it’s about adaptation. Tech is a core part of modern life, and judging it without understanding how it works just makes the gap wider.
4. “They don’t teach cursive anymore — it’s a tragedy”
This is one of those statements that sounds meaningful until you ask, “When was the last time you actually needed cursive?” The world has moved on to typing, texting, and digital communication.
People still write — they just do it differently. Missing cursive is fair, but calling its absence a tragedy feels a bit dramatic when most communication today happens through screens.
5. “They just want everything handed to them”
This one assumes that asking for fair wages, work-life balance, or affordable housing is entitlement instead of survival. It’s not about getting things for free — it’s about not having to choose between rent and groceries every month.
When the system is rigged from the start, asking for equity isn’t laziness. It’s realism — and it sounds ridiculous to call that selfish when older generations benefited from systems that actually worked.
6. “Participation trophies ruined them”
Ironically, it was usually Boomers handing out those trophies in the first place — at sports days, school events, and award ceremonies. But now they blame the very thing they created for an entire generation’s problems.
Most young people don’t even care about participation trophies. They’re more focused on surviving jobs with no benefits and chasing housing they’ll probably never own. Blaming plastic medals for deeper issues doesn’t hold up.
7. “Nobody knows how to fix anything anymore”
While Boomers might have grown up changing oil and rewiring lamps, younger people grew up with technology that’s built to be replaced, not repaired. Most things aren’t fixable with a screwdriver anymore — they’re sealed, encrypted, or built for planned obsolescence.
Skills haven’t vanished — they’ve shifted. Younger generations are fixing software bugs and managing digital platforms instead of lawnmowers, and that still counts.
8. “They never look up from their screens”
Yes, people are often on their phones — but that’s where the world lives now. From work emails to family chats to creative hobbies, it all happens on a screen.
To younger generations, this sounds like someone getting mad at a book because it’s too absorbing. It’s not disconnection — it’s just a different kind of engagement.
9. “They don’t know how to talk to people anymore”
This gets said a lot, especially in relation to texting or social media. But many younger people are communicating constantly — just not always face to face.
It’s not that conversation is dying, it’s that it’s evolving. A group chat, a voice note, or a late-night meme exchange can be just as personal as a phone call ever was.
10. “Everyone’s offended by everything these days”
This usually comes up after someone says something offensive and gets called out for it. The idea is that sensitivity is the problem — not the actual harm caused by outdated or careless remarks.
Younger generations are more aware of the impact words can have. That’s not weakness — that’s growth. Wanting respect isn’t the same as being oversensitive.
11. “They think they’re too good for hard work”
This assumes that people who want better conditions or a healthier work-life balance are being arrogant. But many young workers are burning out in jobs that pay less, demand more, and offer no security.
Hard work hasn’t disappeared — it’s just less romanticised. People are starting to question whether sacrificing their health for a paycheck is something worth bragging about.
12. “They move back in with their parents because they’re spoiled”
What used to be a rare last resort has become a survival strategy for many — not because they’re lazy, but because rent is unmanageable, jobs are unstable, and living independently often isn’t realistic straight out of school.
This complaint skips over the economic context completely. Moving home doesn’t mean someone’s failed — it often means they’re making smart, strategic choices in a tough environment.
13. “They just need to stop complaining and get on with it”
This mindset was handed down like a badge of honour — suffer in silence, work through it, never speak up. But younger generations are starting to realise that silence doesn’t fix broken systems.
Speaking up isn’t weakness. It’s how things start to change. And for many, being told to “just deal with it” feels less like wisdom and more like a warning not to rock the boat that’s already sinking.
