ST. LOUIS — In the last few months, the “OK boomer” meme has gone global.
It’s become a rallying cry for younger generations fed up with baby boomers judging them.
But its more than just a meme. It has sparked generational debate.
5 On Your Side got a panel of boomers and millennials together to share their thoughts.
Before the boomers even spoke, the millennials were playing defense.
“Anything non-traditional comes off as you are doing something wrong,” said Chelsea Ruholl, a project manager at a video production company.
Kendra Elaine, a learning consultant at World Wide Technologies said “[Boomers] say we’re lazy because we hop from job to job but things are so different now. I can go on LinkedIn right now and see who is hiring, what they pay, and what the culture is. We don’t have to go door-to-door with our resume. Things are just different.”
Baby boomers shared their opinions next.
Connie Towers, a retired employee at Murphy Mechanical, said about millennials, “In Little Leagues, ‘Let’s not have a score, let’s give everyone a trophy.' So, they grow up and think they’re going to get a trophy for everything.”
His wife Janis Towers, a registered nurse, works with millennials during every shift. She said, “because they don’t have our values and work ethic we wonder if they have common sense.”
Both groups agreed when it comes to the generations working together, technology can cause a rift.
“I would like millennials to put their phone down and look me in the eye, and show me some respect,” Janis said.
Kendra argued that millennials are just trying to be efficient.
“We are trying to tie in technology or asking why we use a system that’s so outdated," she said. "That has been my biggest frustration I’ve noticed working with boomers.”
Some would argue that generational differences are one of the last frontiers where we think it’s OK to stereotype. That’s why some companies are offering generational training, seminars and discussions.
Desiree S. Coleman has participated in two generational differences training sessions working for a multinational corporation. But, she also conducts seminars on the subject outside of the office.
“Millennials came of age during the internet explosion,” she told a group of about a dozen trainees in downtown St. Louis.
The roundtable discussion was an effort to bridge the generational gap. They discussed ways boomers should mentor millennials but also how millennials can teach boomers as well.
They also talked about how corporations can effectively recruit younger generations.
“Is there a way to make charitable giving an option or is there a way to give volunteer hours. Those are things millennials value,” Coleman said.
