Generations

The Generation of Generations

The growing hostility among generations, especially toward Boomers, can feel confusing and disheartening.

I’m a Boomer and a parent of a Millennial. Like many families, we raised our child to respect others and care about the world around him.

First, this is not an attack on any generation, nor is it a defense of Boomers or a lecture about “kids these days.”

Instead, it is a call for unity in a confusing, fast-changing world, a reminder that, within every generation, most people share values rooted in respect, care, and responsibility.

My first recollection of there being a rift between us was at the beginning of the Pandemic, when a young woman, during an interview, said, and I am paraphrasing, “It’s an old people’s disease, I don’t care if they all just go ahead and die.”

Maybe she hates her parents and wishes they were not around. But I was still taken aback at her resentment. Apparently, she never considered that, if luck is on her side, she will live long enough to be an older person one day. Would she then want to be pigeonholed (an old Boomer characterization) and hated?

Generations Shouldn’t Fight Each Other

My intention here is to quietly push back against the habit of labeling entire generations as “the problem” and to offer this reflection as a bridge between parents, children, and grandchildren, encouraging understanding rather than division.

We live in a time when generations stand against one another: Boomers blamed for the past, Millennials criticized for the present, and Gen Z burdened with fixing the future. Somewhere along the way, understanding gave way to frustration.

For clarity, here are the commonly accepted age ranges:

• Baby Boomers (1946–1964)
• Gen X (1965–1980)
• Millennials / Gen Y (1981–1996)
• Gen Z (1997–2012)
• Gen Alpha (2013-2025)
• Gen Beta (2025)

The Boomer Generation

The word “Boomer” is now often used as an insult, a shortcut to dismiss an entire group of people. Some hate Boomers, for no other reason than, to them, the term is a curse word (think: “Okay, Boomer!”).

Generations Pass the Torch

Over time, the Boomer generation has naturally passed the baton to Millennials, as generations have always done. This transition isn’t a failure or a fault; it is a built-in tradition shaped by time, growth, and attrition.

Each generation steps forward as another steps back, not in competition but in continuity. With that handoff comes hope: hope that shared values endure, that fresh perspectives strengthen what came before, and that together we ensure the world remains cared for, guided, and renewed.

The truth is, we need one another.

Why Generations Need Each Other Now More Than Ever

When a person from one generation gets along with another, wisdom meets innovation, experience balances urgency, and history informs progress.

Strong families, workplaces, and communities thrive when each age group is seen not as a problem but as part of the solution.

When we remain divided, misunderstandings grow. Stereotypes dominate conversations. Blame replaces accountability. And real challenges, economic, social, and emotional, remain unresolved.

This world is complicated enough without turning on each other.

Millennial Responsibility, Gen Z Creativity, Gen X Resilience, and Boomer Experience all belong at the same table. The perfect future doesn’t require one generation to disappear; it requires all of us to listen, learn, and lead together.

Understanding isn’t weakness. It’s how we move forward.

The future doesn’t belong to one generation; it belongs to all of us. When we slow down, genuinely listen, and speak with empathy, we create space for healing and growth across age lines.

Let’s model the kind of intergenerational respect we want our children and grandchildren to inherit.

Generations Should Choose to be Connected

Connection is a choice. Let’s choose it together. Before reacting and judging, ask a question, and then listen to the answer before blaming a generation; remember, there is a human story behind every age group.

If we model respect across generations in our homes, online, and in our communities, we give the next generation permission to do the same. Start with one conversation and a moment of grace. The better option is to see each other as allies rather than adversaries.

Keep on reading.

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C. K. & Kat DeLeon

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