Intergenerational Slagging Matches
Not Just Ridiculous, But Ill-Informed and Pernicious
Introduction:
Generational criticism has been a fixture of human history, with older generations lamenting the perceived shortcomings of the young and younger generations blaming their elders for the problems they inherit. These criticisms, often rooted in anecdote and bias, overlook the complexities of historical context and personal experience. As a leading-edge baby boomer born in 1946, I’ve witnessed this dynamic play out repeatedly—both participating in and being the target of such critiques. Reflecting on my own experiences, I’ve come to see how these judgments, while common, are often ill-informed, unfair, and ultimately harmful to understanding and cooperation across age groups.
Author's Preface
I was in a restaurant with friends the other day, and at the end of the meal, after having paid the server, my friend commented on how competent were the younger generation. And I thought, my gosh, that's not typical, because it has been a tendency, and I'm guilty of this, to criticize younger generations for perceived faults without strong evidence. It's all anecdote. And yet here is my friend saying how solid they were. I was prompted to reflect on that and think I probably have a lot of prejudices against the younger generation that are unjustified. So I thought about it again today and decided it was worth a short essay on the topic of intergenerational evaluation and why it sucks.
I'm an old guy. I was born in 1946, the leading edge of the boomer generation. So I've seen a lot, and it was only last year that I actually finished raising my youngest child. So I've seen a lot of change over the years, and I've also dealt with a lot of examples of the younger generation, their friends. So I might have some basis of comparison, despite being an old fogey, as I've been told before, not understanding things. Well, that's undoubtedly true, because fashion has changed, language has changed, interests change, views of the world change. So yeah, I'm out of it in some ways, but I still have one foot in it, I guess, metaphorically, whatever that means.
Introduction: The Endless Cycle of Intergenerational Criticism
Generational criticism is as old as human history. Older cohorts frequently view younger ones as irresponsible, entitled, or lacking in moral character, while younger generations often respond by blaming their elders for creating societal problems and failing to address them. These attitudes persist despite little evidence to justify them.
As someone born in 1946, the first wave of the baby boomers, I’ve seen this cycle repeat itself. In my own life, I’ve criticized younger generations for behaviors and attitudes that seemed foreign to me. Yet, I’ve also read younger people blaming my generation for the world’s problems. In my mid-30s, I remember reading a column in a local paper where some young punk criticized the “blue rinse set”—a jab at older people. At the time, I dismissed him as poorly raised, but looking back, I realize my own criticisms of the younger generation have often been equally shallow.
This essay is an attempt to unpack some of these criticisms, where they come from, and why they persist.
Discussion: Patterns of Criticism and Misunderstanding
1. The Myth of Boomer Privilege
A common narrative is that baby boomers had it easy—that we walked into high-paying jobs, bought cheap homes, and lived lives of unearned privilege. This story, however, ignores the struggles many of us faced.
I grew up in a family that, by Canadian standards, was fairly poor. My father was often unemployed, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. It wasn’t until my mid-teens that we could afford any luxuries. Many of my peers experienced similar hardships.
Even later in life, despite having a university education, I faced periods of unemployment. It took years to achieve financial stability, and even then, it was far from guaranteed. While some boomers did prosper, the idea that we all lived charmed lives is not grounded in fact.
2. Media Portrayals and False Impressions
Part of the misunderstanding about boomers may come from how families were portrayed in the media. Shows like Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best created an image of financial stability and familial harmony that rarely reflected reality.
My family, like many others, was nothing like the Cleavers. My father’s employment was inconsistent, and money was often tight. Yet these shows created a cultural memory that younger generations may mistake for historical fact. The reality was often much tougher than the idyllic portrayals suggested.
3. Older Generations Criticizing the Young: A Long Tradition
Criticism of younger generations is not unique to boomers. It has been a recurring theme throughout history. Socrates is famously quoted as complaining about the youth of Athens, and the pattern has repeated ever since.
I’ve participated in this myself. It’s easy to make snap judgments about younger people, especially when their habits, language, and values differ from what we grew up with. But when I step back, I see that these criticisms are often baseless and rooted more in cultural change than any real decline in character.
For example, I recently witnessed a younger server handle a busy restaurant with efficiency and professionalism. It struck me how quick we are to generalize based on isolated examples of bad behavior while ignoring positive ones.
4. The Fallacy of Generational Blame
Younger generations often blame boomers for today’s problems—whether economic instability, housing costs, or political failures. It’s true that older generations have historically held power, but blaming entire age groups ignores the role of systemic forces.
Take war as an example. Wars are not caused by one generation; they result from a complex web of political, economic, and cultural pressures. Yet, they often define the experiences of specific age groups. Boomers grew up in the shadow of World War II, and many of our fathers returned from war with little education or training, leaving families to struggle.
Younger generations, in turn, have faced their own challenges—wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism, and geopolitical instability. Blaming boomers for these conflicts is no more logical than blaming earlier generations for the world wars. War reflects broader systems of power, not the actions of ordinary individuals.
5. Biases and Anecdotal Thinking
Much of this criticism—whether by older people against the young or vice versa—is based on anecdotal evidence. Older generations might focus on examples of young people glued to their phones, while younger people highlight stories of wealthy boomers hoarding resources.
These biases reinforce stereotypes and create divisions rather than fostering understanding. Cognitive habits like confirmation bias—seeking out evidence that supports what we already believe—make it difficult to break out of these patterns.
Summary: Breaking the Cycle of Slagging Matches
Intergenerational criticism is not new—it has been around for millennia and will likely persist into the future. Older generations accuse the young of irresponsibility and moral decline, while younger generations blame their elders for creating the problems they inherit.
The truth, however, is far more complex. No generation is monolithic. While some boomers achieved financial stability, many struggled with poverty and unemployment. Similarly, while some younger people may seem entitled, many face economic challenges and uncertainties older generations never experienced.
War, poverty, and economic instability are not the products of any single generation—they arise from systems and decisions that span time and place. Blaming one another obscures these larger forces and makes meaningful change harder to achieve.
Reflecting on my own experiences, I see how easy it is to slip into criticism and how difficult it is to step back and question those assumptions. Instead of perpetuating these divisions, we’d do better to focus on understanding one another and working toward solutions that address the challenges we all face.
And for those who don’t know, “slag” means to criticize—something we might all do a little less of.