Millennials Expose the Worst Baby Boomer Advice: Tales from the Generational Divide
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Millennials, it’s no secret that generational differences often lead to diverse perspectives and contrasting advice. One such clash of ideologies can be found between the Baby Boomers and Millennials. With the digital age transforming the world, the younger generation has encountered a plethora of well-meaning yet sometimes questionable advice from their Baby Boomer counterparts. From career choices to financial decisions, there seems to be no shortage of unsolicited wisdom. So, in the spirit of shared experiences and good-natured humor, we turn to you, Millennials of Reddit, to share the worst “Baby Boomer advice/wisdom” you’ve ever received. Get ready for some eye-rolling and facepalming as we dive into the world of well-intentioned but misguided counsel.
Career Choices
To begin, a user replied, “I was getting my master’s degree, and we had a guest lecturer come in. He had been CEO of a small company for many years. He basically told us that he stumbled into the job right out of college because he didn’t know what to do and gave it a shot. They gave him the assistant CEO position because he had been the assistant manager at a movie theater for a summer. And then, 2 years later, he became the CEO. He was basically telling this entire class of people getting their advanced degrees in the hopes of getting his position that he got his job on a whim 30 years ago.”
Another said, “My friend’s dad got a fantastic job right out of college (with an unrelated bachelor’s degree) by LITERALLY GOING INTO A RANDOM BANK DOWNTOWN AND REFUSING TO LEAVE UNTIL THEY GAVE HIM A JOB. Can you even imagine? Can you??“
Homeownership
One user said, “You know, your generation doesn’t understand that you have to buy a house as young as possible to pay it off quickly.” No, old man, we get it. We’re broke as f****k making 1/3 of what you do in the same workplace.”
A second user replied, “First thing you should do is always buy a house. Houses are not the surefire, idiot-proof investment machine they used to be in decades past.”
Financial Planning
A funny comment was, “Babies just need love, not money.”Sorry, Mom, no grandkids until I have a job with a decent paycheck and less student debt.”
Work-Life Balance
A Redditor wrote, “Don’t take a job unless it gives 4 weeks vacation out of the year” because that’s what someone can get fresh from college.”
Technology Usage
One popular comment was, “When I was in high school looking for a job, my grandmother told me to just go to places and fill out applications; she told me it was useless using the Internet to look for a job. This was in 2008, and every place I checked for a job had an Internet-based application.”
Higher Education
One user commented, “Just go to college even if you don’t know what you want to do.”
Another user replied, “Get at least a master’s degree so you can be successful. Sure, a degree helps, but coming out of school with a massive amount of debt is not the greatest thing to do. My parents owned a home when they were 25 and 23. They didn’t have to worry about having 40k in student loans. The kicker? I work for my parents, and they decide my salary. They know dang well I can barely afford rent, much less a house. Also, my degree has nothing to do with my job, but I had to have it.”
Entrepreneurship
A Redditor commented, “I founded a startup. Went to a successful business person for some advice, and he suggested changing our company name to something that starts with an ‘A’ so it appears at the beginning of the phone book. The 90-minute meeting and that’s the advice we got. ..”
Mental Health
One Redditor said, “Go outside, get some fresh air! Laugh and smile more, you’ll be fine” From a family member. 4 years of therapy in, and I still struggle daily.”
Relationships
A user replied, “I was once told by a baby boomer “If you want a man to stay with you, you’ll have to pop out a baby” (or words of that effect). I told her straight up, “Any man who would stay for our baby, but not for just me, isn’t a man who I’d want staying in the first place.” For fu**** sake, is it really that unusual for me to want to be loved for who I am and not for my ability to procreate? Why would I want to stay with anyone who sees me as nothing but a human incubator?”
Another user added, “My girlfriend was instructed by her Grandmother to “always make a boy pay you before having s****x with him.”
Banks and Money
A user said, “Trust the banks” Republicans are trying to deregulate banks to let them use customer funds to speculate on the stock market…Which was a major cause of the great depression.”
Generational Work Dynamics
One Redditor said, “My boss recently told me my generation was entitled and began quoting various articles on how we all think we’re special and exempt from criticism, etc. AS I was shoveling a dead rat out of the doorway.”
Another Redditor added, “You don’t deserve to make a livable wage at Mcdonald’s. Get a real job,” Followed by: “What, are you too good to work at Mcdonald’s? Grow up and stop being entitled and do what you gotta do.”
Financial Stability
A user replied, “If you wait until you can afford to have a baby, then you’ll never have one! Well, we have one, and we’re going hugely into debt for daycare. It’s $1200 per month PER CHILD.”
Social Issues
One outlandish comment was, “Dad told me when I was young that interracial relationships would never work. He said that “there’s a reason the blackbirds are with blackbirds and the red birds are with the red birds. It’s just nature.” I’ve been with my ethnically different girlfriend for a long time now. Probably the best person I’ve ever met.”
Another comment was, “Marry your own people out of culture and god…Little did they know I was a Muslim turned Atheist and hated how the women in my country were treated as housewives instead of actual people.”
Home and Auto Maintenance
An interesting comment was, “Buy a house so you can refinance it and make some money.” From my aunt with a serious shopping addiction who’s refinanced her house 3 times and is in serious debt.”
Personal Growth
Finally, a Redditor replied, “Talking to my dad recently, he was going on about “participation trophies.” When I pointed out that we wouldn’t have received said participation trophies had his generation not invented them, his response was: “Yep, that’s another problem with your generation. Always blaming your faults on other people.”
Source: Reddit
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