It sometimes seems that the older generation is trying to make things as complicated as possible on purpose! It’s not just their refusal to use technology and smart devices, although that’s super-strange. They seem to be tied to the past with no interest in coming on into the modern world!
Criticize Everyone Younger
Old people tend to believe they know best because they’re older. Yes, they’ve lived longer than the rest of us, and maybe with age comes wisdom. But the criticism doesn’t feel very constructive, and it makes a lot of old people come off as defensive about the lives they’ve already lived. Calm down, grama.
Writing Letters by Hand
If you got a birthday card from Grama every year with a crisp 20-dollar bill inside, you know exactly what we’re talking about. What old people don’t seem to understand is that writing in a card or a letter in cursive makes it impossible to read for younger people. Schools don’t even teach cursive anymore, and texts are so much faster!
Glamorize the Good Old Days
To hear someone born in 1950 tell it our world has gone to hell in a handbasket, and we should all try to get back to the good old days. Financial troubles, unequal human rights, and war… 2023 is calling to say it seems like we are living in those good old days. Maybe they weren’t so good after all, no?
Own Seven Pairs of Glasses
Between losing their eyesight and suffering from failing memory, older people seem to have a pair of convenience store reading glasses in every pocket, drawer, and glove compartment. That way, the odds of finding a pair when they need them are pretty high.
Using USPS
Even with the price of stamps going higher and higher, the elderly still want to mail letters and pay bills through the United States Postal Service. USPS is far more expensive than sending a text or an email. And it’s not called “snail mail” for nothing but old habits are hard to break and
Shopping Mail Catalogs
Related to using the postal service whenever possible, old people love to get catalogs in the mail, read every page, order by phone then wait a couple of weeks for their purchase to be delivered. Ugh, the carbon footprint alone! Of course, most people in the Boomer generation will swear there’s no such thing as climate change, so there is no reason to worry!
Landline Phone
You’ll never convince someone in their 50s or 60s that they no longer need a landline. Anyone with a Smartphone holds a super-powerful computer in their hands at all times. Truth be told, old folks like to talk to others on the phone. (Weird!) Plus, they can always find their landline because it’s attached to the wall. Then, they can use their landline phone to find their smartphone.
Rotary Phones
Millennials and Gen Zers have probably never used a rotary dial phone or a window crank to roll down the vehicle’s window. Both seem to take a lot of time and effort when Grama could simply tap ten digits and be done. But people from older generations still like to spin that dial around to dial up friends and family. It could simply be because it reminds them of their younger years.
Paying with Checks
Again, despite the environmental impact, the older generation insists on writing checks, putting them in an envelope, and buying a stamp to mail their checks wherever. It’s impossible to understand, but Boomers seem dead set against saving time and money and saving a tree.
Trips to the Bank
The majority of members of the Baby Boomer generation trust their banks completely. They still like to go to the physical buildings just to be sure everything is still there. Websites and banking apps are just “out there” and make old people feel their money can just float away. Also, going to the bank lets them have a conversation with the teller or fellow customers.
Calling Instead of Texting
This may be the biggest source of frustration between people who are older than 59 and those who are younger. Old folks love to get on the phone for a good long chat. Many people in their teens, 20s, and even 30s experience major anxiety about talking on the phone. Or, it just seems like a waste of time to talk on the phone when a quick text will do!
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