People Raised In The 80s & 90s Are Finally Fed Up With 8 Things Older Generations Have Been Complaining About For Years
CarlosBarquero | Shutterstock As negative as complaining sounds, there’s actually something about it that can bring people together and make them feel understood.
The best example of this probably comes from different age groups always having something to say about what annoys them. While older generations have had longer to complain, that doesn’t mean 80s and 90s kids aren’t picking up on some of the things they can’t stand.
After hearing older generations complain for years, people raised in the 1980s and 1990s are finally fed up with these things too:
1. Being scammed constantly
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Young people used to get a good chuckle out of the way scammers always targeted boomers by claiming to be the IRS or their grandchild or a celebrity and somehow getting their life savings.
The tables have turned, though. About half of Americans think they get at least one message from a scammer each day, and they think AI is making it harder to determine what’s real and what’s fake, too. Now, everyone is forced to think twice before trusting someone.
2. Scanning a QR code when paper would be fine
Older folks probably never thought they'd see a day when people who grew up with the internet complained about using technology instead of old-fashioned paper, but it seems that time has finally come.
QR codes can be helpful, but they just seem unnecessary when you have to scan one to see a restaurant menu when you could just be handed a real menu. Experts have actually been surprised that QR codes haven’t become more popular, but that could just be a sign of how annoying they are.
3. Not being able to log in to their accounts
Millennials and even some Gen Zers may get a little too much credit for being tech-savvy when they actually face the same issues older people do. Most people have to write their passwords down so they remember them later and reset them pretty regularly.
Maybe it’s not a sign of their ineptitude, though. They may have grown up with a special skillset they learned from always having internet access, but that doesn’t mean they have superior memories. The “forgot password” button is there for a reason, even if people don’t want to use it.
4. Downloading an app for everything
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The way that older people questioned why they needed an app for absolutely everything, or even what an app is in the first place, used to be amusing. Now, '80s and '90s kids find themselves relating to their older counterparts.
It’s understandable when everyone is expected to download apps for their TV, their favorite restaurant, and even other apps. Businesses like apps because they’re easy to create, but they feel inconvenient to the people who have to use them and can put their privacy at risk, too, so the feeling isn’t mutual.
5. Falling for AI-generated content
Technically, older people haven’t really complained about AI content for years, but the battle over misinformation online is nothing new. It seemed like a joke to millennials when their parents and grandparents believed fake headlines that popped up in their social media feeds, but it’s not funny anymore.
People aren’t very good at differentiating images made by AI from ones made by humans, which makes it awkward when they share a meme or video that’s totally fake. Until there are better safeguards on AI, it seems like everyone might just have to put up with this, though.
6. Fixing their Bluetooth connection through guesswork
Pretty much all devices can connect over Bluetooth now, which is great when it actually works the way it’s supposed to. More often than not, something as simple as signal interference or old software can make a Bluetooth connection stop working when someone is in the middle of using it.
What makes this even more annoying is the fact that there isn’t really one sure way to fix it. There are just as many solutions to the problem as there are causes, which leaves everyone desperately searching for answers. Young people are more familiar with Bluetooth, but that doesn’t mean they never complain about it.
7. Using two-factor authentication
As if it wasn’t difficult enough for people to keep track of their passwords, that isn’t always enough these days. A lot of accounts require two-factor authentication when someone is trying to sign in now. It’s supposed to be much safer, but few people actually like it.
If you asked a boomer to complete two-factor authentication, they’d probably look at you like you were crazy. Young people have a better understanding of the how behind the new trend, but they’re equally confused about the why when it feels so inconvenient.
8. Learning how technology updates work
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No matter how old someone is, there are few things that can fill them with dread as quickly as picking up their phone in the morning and seeing a notification that it updated during the night.
Pretty much all technology has to update like this so that it remains easy and safe to use. It gives young people a taste of how their predecessors felt when all the new innovations they grew up with were dropped into their lives, so maybe it does serve a purpose.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
