10 Common Sense Phrases Boomers Say Often That Gen Z Thinks Are Completely Outdated
fizkes | Shutterstock If you have a close-knit family, a multi-generational community, or consistent interactions in a workplace with people older or younger than you, you've already experienced this gap in language.
Even if certain words and phrases don't bother you directly, you sense that there's a disconnect between the way baby boomers express themselves and that of Gen Zers. There may even be common sense phrases boomers say often that Gen Z thinks are completely outdated. They think they're offensive, rude, and old-school, even if they feel like "common sense" for boomers. Of course, there's no "right" or "wrong," only unfamiliar.
Here are 10 common sense phrases boomers say often that Gen Z thinks are completely outdated
1. 'You'll understand when you're older'
Chokniti Studio | Shutterstock
A classic phrase that makes the hairs on a Gen Zer's arm stand straight up, "you'll understand when you're older" might feel like a solid piece of advice from a boomer who remembers what it was like to be young. But for Gen Zers, it often comes across as unnecessarily dismissive and condescending.
Every generation exists in its own unique time. Every individual, regardless of their age, has their own skills, mindsets, and experiences. To assume that only age brings wisdom, that others can't fathom or reach themselves, is part of what fuels the tension between these generations, especially in the chaos of everyday life.
2. 'Give me a shout'
Even if it doesn't have any particularly controversial roots or emotional ties to younger generations, "give me a shout" is still a phrase Gen Zers can't help but think of as outdated. Especially with an influx of so much random online slang and language, which tends to move and cycle faster with every passing day, they can't fathom a situation where they'd use this phrase, let alone understand what it means.
Of course, it's simply a way to remind someone to get in contact with you, even if the mode of communication looks a lot different for young people than it does for boomers today.
3. 'It is what it is'
Whether it's in the workplace or in their advocacy through personal causes, Gen Zers are considered "trailblazers" for a reason. Even if they disrupt the traditional norms and expectations that older generations have made peace with, they're not interested in stagnancy and accepting the status quo, especially when it actively harms them. That's why they're so frustrated by complacency in the form of phrases like "it is what it is" or "that's just how the world works."
If something doesn't work for them, whether it's "professional" dress codes at work or a gendered social norm in relationships, they're pushing back. Of course, that doesn't mean that baby boomers are any less interested in certain social justice causes or even personal growth in their own lives. They just have a different mindset and perspective on how they make those shifts happen.
4. 'Beauty is pain'
To justify chasing after unrealistic societal expectations and beauty standards, many people, especially women, adopt the "beauty is pain" mentality, even at their own expense. While there's nuance to women's relationship to beauty standards, especially around the need to be "attractive" to gain some kind of power or security in previous generations, justifying pain to get there is something that's been deconstructed by young people.
Even outside of beauty expectations, the "hustle culture" or "no pain, no gain" mentalities are actively challenged by young people, who are simultaneously breaking apart gender norms and workplace expectations. They're not interested in putting their well-being or boundaries on the line in favor of fitting into a certain mold, at least in the same ways their parents or grandparents felt pressured to.
While boomers' intentions are mostly good when it comes to phrases like this, they might learn something from the challenges Gen Z sparks around traditional norms like this one.
5. 'The early bird gets the worm'
Ground Picture | Shutterstock
While boomers often wake up early and attribute their success to early rising, a study from Sleep Medicine Clinics actually argues that it's more tied to their biological traits than their personality or routine. As people get older, they tire out early in the evenings and wake earlier in the morning. So, it's no surprise that young people, wired differently around sleep, are frustrated by ideas that claim they're less successful or disciplined solely because they go to bed later at night.
Alongside modern research that actually links "night owl" behaviors to better intelligence scores, now Gen Zers lingering awake until the early morning hours have somewhat of an excuse for pushing back against these completely outdated phrases.
6. 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks'
Despite being a core value of most baby boomers, the pursuit of knowledge often looks different than it does for their Gen Z counterparts. Especially when it comes to new technology, AI, and modern social norms crafted by individuals from a different time, they're likely to be mistrusting. So, there's likely an element of misunderstanding that comes from the boomer phrase "you can't teach an old dog new tricks."
Gen Zers hear that they're being "stagnant" or choosing to avoid uncomfortable things when, in reality, they're actually setting boundaries and avoiding things that don't directly add value to their lives right now.
7. 'Just walk it off'
Growing up in a home with boomers or raising kids with boomer grandparents, young people have regularly heard phrases like "just walk it off." While there's a line between centering someone's emotions, as "gentle parenting" styles often glamorize, and completely avoiding them, these kinds of phrases often trigger Gen Zers immediately.
Of course, they grew up in a culture where speaking about hurt, emotions, and mental health was far less stigmatized than it was for boomers. So, they think anything that urges them to suppress and ignore pain is outdated and controversial.
While resilience is essential for everyone, putting their needs on hold for the sake of "fitting in" or suppressing emotions isn't alluring for Gen Z. For example, they're pushing harder for work-life balance regulations than most other generations, largely because they're not interested in intentionally overworking themselves or glamorizing burnout for the sake of productivity.
8. 'Pull yourself up by your bootstraps'
For boomers, the American Dream was somewhat alive and well, or at least, still presented with a sense of hopeful optimism. However, for Gen Zers, presented with the accessibility of social media and the internet, they're entirely distrustful of the idea that "hard work" is the key to success in this country.
Of course, most people do have to work hard and persevere to be successful, but in the long game, not everyone who works hard and stays loyal to the corporate world will thrive, or even survive, at this point. So, it's not surprising that phrases like "pull yourself up by your bootstraps," created from the American Dream rhetoric generations ago, feel too old-school and outdated to motivate young people.
9. 'Back in my day'
Dmytro Zinkevych | Shutterstock
Every generation lived in a different socioeconomic and political climate. Each person lives in a different reality, even on a small-scale perspective. So, to assume that someone's age alone makes them worthy of giving unsolicited advice can be problematic, especially when it comes across as unwarranted and intrusive for young people.
Even when their intentions are good, phrases like "back in my day" can feel incredibly condescending when boomers are talking to young people. Boomers may not understand the unique circumstances or pressures young people face, and just because they remember how it felt to be young doesn't always mean they have the room to give advice.
Of course, wanting to help and offer advice obviously doesn't make someone a bad person, regardless of their age. But a little more care in language and intentionality would do every single generation good in our incredibly polarizing society.
10. 'Boys will be boys'
The "boys will be boys" mentality rarely does anyone any good. Not only does it justify misbehavior, but it also assumes that a lack of accountability for it should be inherently accepted around traditional forms of masculinity. While it might not be directly spoken, many people still follow this principle with the adult men in their lives.
So, it's no surprise that Gen Z, a generation incredibly committed to gender justice and inclusivity, is offended by this mentality, even when it's not spoken verbatim.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
