We Got It Right?

Just when you thought Boomers were getting blamed for everything, it turns out some younger generations think we are on the right side of some issues/contemporary trends.

A Reddit user posed the question: What are some things that Boomers got right? The following is a sampling of the feedback received. It may give you hope that all is not lost, and that younger generations can see that we get some things right after all. So, winner, winner, chicken dinner for you!

App Exhaustion — Boomers are just tired of apps. Stop making us download an app and set up an account for everything. You’re just collecting our information.

Outdoor Kids Play — Make them go outside. Take them to a park. Let them stop using their thumbs for a while so they get some fresh air.

Overpriced Concerts — $125 for one seat! That can’t be right. There’s some crazy inflation at work there.

Phones at concerts — Take a few pictures of your favorite act but what’s the deal with trying to record the whole concert? You’re never going to watch it again and you’re annoying the people around you. QUIT IT!

Kids Online — Is it really a good idea to let young kids have unfettered access to what’s online? A lot of adults shouldn’t have access never mind 10 year olds.

Tablet Babysitters — Watching parents ignore their kids in a restaurant or public space while the kids overdose on their tablet games. Try paying attention to them and engaging them in conversation instead of using tech toys as your babysitter.

Face Tattoos — Do we even have to go there? What kind of person thinks that’s a good idea? Removable studs are one thing, but permanent tattoos? Sheesh!

Gender Reveals — Dumb, dumb, dumb. How did this stupid reason for friends and family to gather ever get started?

TV Volume Is Screwed UP — Everyone, young and old, agrees that the volume is really effed up. Music comes over too loud and when you scale it back then the dialogue is a whisper. With all the technology out there, can’t they do better?

Blinded by the Light — It’s not just the pre-cataract surgery crowd! Everyone complains that headlights are too bright and night driving can be dangerous. Once again, can’t the automotive engineers do any better?

This is by no means a complete list, but isn’t reassuring to know that it’s not just aging Boomers who think we’ve got some problems that need solutions.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.

Kindling

There are loads of issues that can divide millennials from boomers, but one of the most curious to me is printed books vs Kindle. For a generation that’s hardcore when it comes to being online, texting, Tweeting, etc., it comes as a surprise that so many of them seek the pleasure of reading a physical book – that is words printed on paper.

Some millennials explain this fixation with paper books as a means of snuggling up with a digital-detox tool. Okay. I find that strange but valid. Some millennials admit to making notes in the margins and/or folding corners of pages that they want to come back to (presumably they own the book rather than defiling a borrowed tome).

It’s hard for me to not sound like a cheerleader for Kindles (especially since the parent company involves/revolves around he whose name cannot be said out loud), but the darn things are just so convenient.

You can read in a darkened space (think bedroom or airplane) without disturbing your bed/seat mate. Along with that feature, you can go to dark mode so that the type appears as white on black, making it emit even less light while still being highly readable. When you close the cover, it saves your place. Conversely, when you reopen the cover, it takes you back to where you left off. Libraries have oodles (Merriam-Webster still indicates that is a real word, meaning a lot.) of Kindle books that you can download directly to your device – for free. Yes, the paper editions are free as well, but require you to drive/walk to the library to pick them up and take home.

Regular Kindle users will note here that I’ve saved the very best advantages for last. A Kindle allows you to change the size of the font. It sounds like such a small thing, but as our eyesight degrades, it’s a big deal that one can boost the font size. Not only can it be enlarged, one can also select what font you would like. As if that’s not enough, you can also alter the contrast to make the type darker black or the background a brighter white.

With the impending doom of artificial intelligence totally wrecking our lives, I think it’s comforting to know that the simple, modest Kindle does everything I need. Plus, now I can use my bookcase to store my collection of papier-mâché chickens.

Jay Harrison is a writer and creative consultant for DesignConcept. You can also visit his author page here. His newest mystery novel, Rio Puerco Demise is available on Amazon. His first mystery novel, Head Above Water, is also available on Amazon. But that’s not all. You can also purchase the Best of BoomSpeak on Amazon.