Why Gen Z’s 'ok boomer' retort–and the responses to it–are so powerful

This quote from the article exemplifies why this term is a problem:<p>&quot;If you have to say ‘the n-word’ you know it’s worse than ‘Boomer’, you moldy sentient banana.&quot;<p>As used in the context of the article, &quot;boomer&quot; is a clear cut case of othering, just like any of the more traditionally offensive terms used to other. No, I am not technically a &quot;baby boomer&quot;. I do however feel that ageist comments just like racist and sexist comments should be called out as inappropriate. Whatever the &quot;ist&quot; is that is the genesis of the label, it is irrelevant. I would rather not be called by some label used to other me with hostility and I am sure most would agree with that.<p>There are lots of terms tossed around today that are used with hostility that currently fly under the radar of what is unacceptable. Unfortunately, we have found a new one to use.

It&#x27;s a bit facile. The argument is basically &quot;if you&#x27;re offended by it, then you&#x27;re the kind of person it&#x27;s meant for&quot;.<p>Let&#x27;s just see how that would fly with &quot;ok bitch&quot;. Or &quot;ok [insert epithet of choice]&quot;, for that matter.

I must say, as the child of immigrants, I&#x27;m mystified at why &quot;They don’t get that Gen Z is going to be the first generation that has a lower quality of life than those prior.&quot; is seen as a valid complaint. Is it some kind of American-only thing?<p>The country of my forefathers had its cities leveled and millions of deaths in a war and, so those that survived it and the chaotic aftermath (which includes my parents) definitely had a lower quality of life than the preceding generation. And given the way the world is changing, the possibility of it happening again doesn&#x27;t seem so remote as it once did. I can&#x27;t recall ever having any certainty of the future being better than the past.

There is something ugly about automatic contempt of 74.1 million people.