about this boomer thing

[Selene Gregoire]

8 hours ago, Amina Sopwith said:

I'm a very typical millennial. I'm in my 30s with a mortgage, child, partner, occasional lumbago and a shaky knowledge of the origins of a crap meme from a couple of years ago.

Confession time: in discussions, I have sometimes let it be known that I'm a millennial just to see if someone will take the bait. They always have. 

It was mighty tasty, too. 

[Theresa Tennyson]

17 minutes ago, Lindal Kidd said:

Um, no, that's not quite it, Theresa.  I take umbrage at a reply of "OK Boomer" not because it says I might be wrong but because it says "You are wrong simply because of who you are; I don't even need to consider or debate your point of view."

If someone lets you know they're a fool by behaving that way then you should be grateful.

Edited May 9, 2020 by Theresa Tennyson
Had more to say but thought better of it. In short - I already knew what a "Boomer" was in that context.

[Selene Gregoire]

Just finished page 2 but I wanted to say this. Fighting fire with fire only makes bigger fires. Answering insult (real or perceived) with insult only makes more insults. Answering violence with more violence only gets you more violence.

People of all ages don't always realize they are being condescending. I kind of like the way the Geico Cave Man handles condescension. He just lays it right out there, "How condescending."

 

Ever notice the guy in the background? First Nations. LOL

[Mollymews]

9 hours ago, Bitsy Buccaneer said:

Maybe you can help me on this question I'm struggling to understand: What's the point of the interaction supposed to be?

If it's to change attitudes, why use language which requires the recipient to understand this non-obvious redefinition of a word that already has a meaning? Do those who use this honestly think they're changing minds with it?

If it's to change behaviour without changing attitude, that's just a form of intimidation, or shouting over someone, bullying even. Which is one way of ending an argument and feeling like you've won. Is that the goal? Unfortunately bullying and intimidation become self-perpetuating cycles because they often do succeed in silencing the target.

Is it to nuture the sense of being in the know,  an insider taking a chunk out of a foolish, unknowledgeable outsider?

It certainly works for putting someone down. The dismissive, "you're not even worth talking to" tone shines through loud and clear, whether it's intended or not. And what of passersby who were born in that generation but haven't followed the whole exchange and just see the put down? That kind of thing can wear on a person, even if they're in the know enough to go through the mental process of seeing it as referring to someone else. We understand this with every day sexism and how word choice can demean and dismiss women. Why is it excused here?

I fail to see how redefining a word connected with an intrinsic identity (you can't change when you were born) to an insider meaning isn't problematic.

As for your advice, it doesn't work. Disagreeing, having a different point of view is enough to be dismissed with whatever terse put down someone's inclined to throw. In the end, it doesn't matter whether it's "deserved" or not, it will be used by those who'd rather assume you're wrong than consider a different point of view.

So as tidy as the redefinition sounds, I think it's quite a damaging mode of discourse.

 

there was a time when OK Boomer did mean something pointed. Now not so much due to use casualness which creeps in over time to most phrases

as Scylla mentioned, a time when it meant something pointed, was when Zoe Swarbrick, a Member of Parliament, was speaking in the House on the 2050 emissions reduction target date

part way into her speech to the House an older Opposition member interjected with "That's impossible". Chloe: "OK Boomer" and continued speaking. The Opposition member was rude and had scoffed dismissively, so she cut him. The House then listened to what Chloe was explaining from her pov for the remainder of her time without further interjection/disruption. Which is what members of parliament are supposed to do, listen

 

edit add

the interjection came when Chloe was speaking about the relative age of the House overall, that the current average was 49 years old. That in 2050 most of the current members would not be in the House. And that she herself would be 56 in 2050 should she still be in the House

Edited May 10, 2020 by Mollymews

[Mollymews]

<snip>

Edited May 10, 2020 by Mollymews

[Seicher Rae]

6 minutes ago, Mollymews said:

as Scylla mentioned, a time when it meant something pointed, was when Zoe Swarbrick, a Member of Parliament, was speaking in the House on the 2050 emissions reduction target date

Maybe it is different in Europe then, just to make things even more confusing. Here in the states it is the opposite. It started out a well-earned "eye roll" type response to an older person who was being rude and clueless. Now, here, it is much, much meaner.

[Mollymews]

3 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said:

Maybe it is different in Europe then, just to make things even more confusing. Here in the states it is the opposite. It started out a well-earned "eye roll" type response to an older person who was being rude and clueless. Now, here, it is much, much meaner.

is one of the things about language today. Meanings evolve quite quickly because the internet has enabled mass communication to happen rapidly without a pre-editing step

back in the day, changes to meanings happened at a slower pace.  Arbitrated by print, radio and television which was largely edited before the communications were sent out to the masses

[Kimmi Zehetbauer]

I remember a relative telling me when she looked at some new houses and asked if she bought one --- leave out the smart crap. The realtor lady said "Ok Boomer, some things can be changed in the building process, but these new houses are designed to be controlled from your phone."

She moved on....

[Lindal Kidd]

Heh.  I love my smart home features.  But your relative was probably smart to move on, and not only because of the idiotic put-down.  Any home that can be controlled from your phone can also be controlled by the Government, Google, Amazon, and terrorists.  Plus probably the rugrats who egged my cars last Halloween.

[Selene Gregoire]

4 hours ago, kali Wylder said:

But aren't all snowflakes special?  I thought the term originated from the fact that snowflakes are unique never exactly the same as any other snowflake.  Then I guess the right decided that the left were too attached to the idea that each individual is unique and that generalizing the right way was better.  But that's my own very reductionist generalization and so of course it's prolly wrong.

Um... Snowflakes Are Not as Unique as We Thought

[Seicher Rae]

Like our advances in science, for example genetics, our ability to have new technology has far surpassed our collective ability to use it wisely or well. In theory the smart home sounds wonderful, but in practice I don't think we are there yet to make it safe or private. I get a little concerned when my toaster can talk to my fridge and I know they can report back to the forces of KAOS in the furtherance of world domination. I'm not a Luddite, though I play one at the theatre (not on tv, cuz that's technology). But breaches in security and privacy are still pretty common and I just don't think we've figured out how to combine everything. Plus people are still using 1234 as their security codes (and not just Boomers, ok?).

And yeah, any business person who replies to anything or anyone with OKBoomer should be immediately suspect and dumped for someone with a little more awareness.

Edited May 10, 2020 by Seicher Rae
ahahaha to correct breeches vs breaches

[Lyssa Greymoon]

21 minutes ago, Lindal Kidd said:

Heh.  I love my smart home features.  But your relative was probably smart to move on, and not only because of the idiotic put-down.  Any home that can be controlled from your phone can also be controlled by the Government, Google, Amazon, and terrorists.  Plus probably the rugrats who egged my cars last Halloween.

 

[Seicher Rae]

Not to mention all of those technology gone awry stories on Black Mirror!

[Ardy Lay]

Which is better for the forum?

https://i.imgur.com/ixiIVlh.mp4

https://imgur.com/gallery/CW0emXz

Edited May 10, 2020 by Ardy Lay

[Ceka Cianci]

I don't know what's what or who is who or what means what,especially since lockdown..

I just know I like the song..

 

[Maryanne Solo]

10 hours ago, Mollymews said:

is one of the things about language today. Meanings evolve quite quickly because the internet has enabled mass communication to happen rapidly without a pre-editing step

back in the day, changes to meanings happened at a slower pace.  Arbitrated by print, radio and television which was largely edited before the communications were sent out to the masses

Meanings today change even faster than those who need to learn how to spell correctly the most, -> don't.  😹 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Maryanne Solo

[Ceka Cianci]

I think a lot of the people walking around every day on the street, don't use their internet mouth's as much as  people think they do..

 

[Luna Bliss]

1 hour ago, Ceka Cianci said:

I think a lot of the people walking around every day on the street, don't use their internet mouth's as much as  people think they do..

How are you viewing the difference between an internet mouth and a real life mouth?

[Ceka Cianci]

47 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

How are you viewing the difference between an internet mouth and a real life mouth?

There are a lot of things that many  people will say to others on the internet that they wouldn't think of walking up and saying standing in front of them..

Like the one post in here where someone said a realtor called someone a Boomer..

how many realtors do you think are going to generalize their potential customer with some slang like that?

walk up to a total stranger and call them a snow flake and see where it gets you..hehehehe

[Ceka Cianci]

Wow ,this one guy is spamming the heck out of threads and making spam threads..

 

ETA: Oh they got him pretty quick..Good Job Mods

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Ceka Cianci

[Luna Bliss]

46 minutes ago, Ceka Cianci said:

1 hour ago, Luna Bliss said:

How are you viewing the difference between an internet mouth and a real life mouth?

There are a lot of things that many  people will say to others on the internet that they wouldn't think of walking up and saying standing in front of them..

Ahh I see what you mean, yeah some can be as obnoxious as they want to be without facing any consequence, like a punch in the face.

Given our discussion, I wondered if you also meant people in RL might not use words like 'mansplaining' , 'manspreading', or Social Justice Warriors.  I often ponder how much of internet discussions, especially Twitter and the like, translates to RL. I suppose it depends on which RL people one is relating to at any given time.

Edited May 10, 2020 by Luna Bliss

[LittleMe Jewell]

23 hours ago, Luna Bliss said:

It really seems to depend on the person as to their ability to transfer empathy. More concrete types or personalities feel more of a need to have the exact same experience to understand another's experience, whereas more poetic types can transfer feelings of empathy more easily.

 

I think it is more based on the empathy receiver - or possibly a combination.  I have attempted to express empathy to others based on very, very similar experiences.  Sometimes others understand that my experiences are not identical and are okay with that.  Whereas with other folks, I have been flat out told that if my experience is not identical, then I do not have any clue at all as to how they feel and should not assume any different.  Or maybe it is really more a matter of what the experience is. 

[Extrude Ragu]

Reads this thread

Ok Boomers.

 

Jk ❤

[Ceka Cianci]

33 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

Ahh I see what you mean, yeah some can be as obnoxious as they want to be without facing any consequence, like a punch in the face.

Given our discussion, I wondered if you also meant people in RL might not use words like 'mansplaining' , 'manspreading', or Social Justice Warriors.  I often ponder how much of internet discussions, especially Twitter and the like, translates to RL. I suppose it depends on which RL people you're relating to.

I never hear those terms unless it's on the internet..

Even with people that use say,facebook and see the people every day, things they say on there will be different from RL interaction with each other..

I don't use facebook or anything like that..But people will show me what others say while on there..But when they get around each other it's like night and day difference..hehehehe

 

I think that whole, being in your house and not around people has a lot to do with it..

That whole being able to be in ***** slap range has a lot being more respectful.. hehehehe

If I'm doing business with anyone and they call me anything other than by my name or mam or the number I've picked from the number picker, and instead decide to use some generalization like sweets or babe or whatever the new thing is going around or anything like that..

They find out real fast how wrong that road was to take.. I don't play with people when it comes to business..so they best address me like we are doing business..

I've dealt with my share of sleazy sales people and they get no room with me at all..not for a heart beat..

 

 

ETA: Sorry,I get a little carried away when I start thinking about sleazy sales people..

I may have went a little bit into vent mode..hehehe

Sometimes I forget to try and keep those kinds of thinks a little more in check..

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Ceka Cianci

[Luna Bliss]

31 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

23 hours ago, Luna Bliss said:

It really seems to depend on the person as to their ability to transfer empathy. More concrete types or personalities feel more of a need to have the exact same experience to understand another's experience, whereas more poetic types can transfer feelings of empathy more easily.

 

I think it is more based on the empathy receiver - or possibly a combination.  I have attempted to express empathy to others based on very, very similar experiences.  Sometimes others understand that my experiences are not identical and are okay with that.  Whereas with other folks, I have been flat out told that if my experience is not identical, then I do not have any clue at all as to how they feel and should not assume any different.  Or maybe it is really more a matter of what the experience is. 

The statement of mine you quoted really only applies to the situation we were discussing at the time, and not to the new scenario you're describing now (which is interesting in its own right).

The original scenario was looking at a situation from more of an objective view (could we reasonably expect a Millennial to understand how a Boomer feels when discriminated against due to age even though they have not been on the 'aged' side of this equation). I'd say a person with a more fluid sense of identity, more imaginative (poetic), could do so more easily than one who thinks in concrete terms. You have to be able to imagine, to find the common ground (which in this case is being discriminated against due to age whether older or younger), and those who think more concretely are less likely to be able to do so -- frequently only experiencing a situation brings the awareness to them.

Now what you're describing -- how we show empathy to someone in pain -- that can indeed be a minefield. I've found it best just to say "I'm sorry you're having to go through that" as opposed to initially relating their pain to something I've gone through in an attempt to help them not feel so alone. When attempting to tell them my story they might instead think I'm entering into some 'pain competition' or trying to shut them up, or over-intellectualizing a process that is really not a head thing (it's a heart thing) before they've had a chance to know and express how they feel. At a later time though,after they've had the chance to express their feelings, I might tell them I went through something similar.