The popular phrase “Ok, Boomer,” is now considered offensive, at least to the University of Miami.
Barbara Gutierrez, the university’s associate director of communications and public relations, recently published an article on the school’s website decrying the use of the phrase, saying it was “dismissive” and that “older folks” may see it as a “manifestation of polarization and intolerance for diverse views.” Gutierrez added that the remark is often used by “the younger generation” to show that their elders are “out of touch, technologically impaired, and politically old-fashioned.”
“Others blame it on pent up frustration by the newer generations who have inherited a planet plagued by the ravages of climate change, increasing student loan debt, and an economy that makes it difficult for them to lead independent lives,” Gutierrez wrote.
Campus Reform pointed out that “While Gutierrez presents viewpoints of students and professors who both find the phrase offensive and those who do not, the post makes clear that the post is ‘dismissive’ and meant to portray an entire generation as ‘out of touch,’ and ‘technologically impaired.’”
One student said that he doesn’t use the phrase “Ok, boomer,” but added that “A lot of older people are out of touch with a lot of topics.” Another student said, “There are some things older people need to change.”
One proud boomer told Gutierrez that he “attended college in the 1960s and had the experience, the honor, and the pleasure of coming of age in what was, without a doubt, the greatest era of consciousness-building in the American nation.”
“As a boomer, you experienced the world at war and at peace, the civil rights movement, and the many tumultuous social, political, and intellectual struggles around you every day,” he added.
Gutierrez also interviewed several more students on their attitudes toward boomers:
Boomers can relish their past activism but should realize that Generation Z and Millennials are navigating different lives, said some of the students interviewed. They should also realize that some traditionally held social norms are no longer relevant. For instance, most GenZs and Millennials believe in embracing different gender narratives, said Abigail Adeleke, a junior who is studying journalism and psychology.
“Many boomers say you have to wear a dress or earrings if you are a girl,” said Adeleke. “Well, our generation is more fluid than that.”
There are not, in fact, many boomers who say women must wear dresses or earrings.
In mid-November, Campus Reform reported that the University of Oklahoma’s student government would be ditching the words “Boomer” and “Sooner” in nicknames, mascots, and chants because the words are allegedly offensive to Native Americans.
“The decision to remove the ‘Sooner’ name from the Freshman Council comes shortly after the Undergraduate Student Congress passed a bill in early September to execute ‘Indigenous Land Acknowledgment,’ which includes a statement that OU students are ‘visitors on the land’ and thanks indigenous people for being generous with their land. The reading of this bill will occur before all SGA events,” Campus Reform reported.