Only Baby Boomers Like These 7 Things

There's a huge generational gap between the Baby Boomers and other generations, which can be seen in what they like and appreciate. Other generations, especially Gen Z, look at the baby boomers in bewilderment, wondering why they behave the way they do.

Well, they are not to blame. Those born before the dawn of information technology are bound to see the world from a different perspective from the Google generation. 

In this list, we look at seven things cherished by only the boomers—things the younger folks find boring and sometimes unreasonable.

1. Unpaid Internship

It's surprising how someone could think up such a thing as an unpaid internship. How do they expect interns to pay their bills and take care of themselves? Could it be that the older generation thinks all interns still feed off their parents and have little or no needs of their own?

Some employees argue that the reason most people aren't paid during internships is that they are learning things that are more valuable than money. While this may sound true, it's more important to teach interns that in the real world, service is exchanged for money and nothing goes for nothing. 

2. Cheques

Though bank cheques have been laid to rest by credit and debit cards, it's a huge surprise to see most baby boomers still clinging to their cheques as though it is some prized possession. 

Modern means of cash transfers and other transactions are far easier to use than cheques and this is why the younger generations don't fall for them. They expect boomers to upgrade and learn to let go of these papers because no young person would cherish the idea of getting an inheritance through an outdated cheque.

3. Home Phones

The emergence of smartphones eradicated landlines, but it looks like boomers missed the funerals. Gone are the days when having a phone connected to a line on the wall was the in thing. 

Now, it's much more convenient because you can have your device in your pocket and use it anywhere and at any time. This is why Gen Zs are so much in love with the latest technology. Yet, one still cannot understand why boomers are yet to catch up with such a handy and profitable device as the cell phone.

4. Phone Books

Years ago, having a phone book meant that you had people’s contacts and can reach out to them at any time. One disadvantage of the phone book, however, is that it had to be updated every time as there were always new phone numbers added and inactive ones to be deleted.

The invention of mobile devices has made phone books obsolete. You can now save as many numbers as possible on your device and carry them around with you. If you need to reach out to a business or a particular individual, you can reach them through their websites or social media contacts.

5. Encyclopedias

In their day, boomers trusted the encyclopedia as the most important source of knowledge and exposure and it sat conspicuously in every living room. Well, that's all in the past now because the invention of search engines with their ever-evolving algorithms has placed unlimited knowledge at everybody's fingertips.

No single encyclopedia today can contain all the information that can be found online. As a result, having an encyclopedia in this age is unnecessary unless one loves to collect artifacts or is a technophobe. 

6. Bar Soap

Baby boomers love bar soaps, forgetting that they pick up dirt when we try to clean our bodies with them. They are also a chore to use as they'll need to be applied over and over again when used for washing clothes or dishes. If you drop them while in the shower, chances are that you'll injure yourself because they can cause you to slip.

Liquid soaps are far better. They get washed away with the water, carrying the dirt with them. Still, boomers are so used to bar soaps that it looks like nothing else can ever replace them.

7. Records

You can't separate a baby boomer from their record player and cassettes, can you? This household gadget reminds us of the era when grandpa and grandma would sit by the fireside, rocking themselves to the rhythm of some old-school music.

Though they've got some good sound quality, the records take up space, are fragile, and require regular cleaning and servicing. The advent of the mp3 and online music streaming services has done a lot to take care of these drawbacks but the oldies still won't budge. 

We can’t blame baby boomers. Those born before the dawn of information technology are bound to see things from a different perspective from the Google generation. Perhaps, they still see the world in black and white.