Boomers Bust

Ryan Piehl
Aug 23, 2017 · 2 min read

I consistently find myself filling in for the vacuum of common sense that encompasses Facebook and popular media. It may be once a month or every few weeks, but having to re-educate my Boomer friends on the “hot news” that rolls up their feed is exhausting. Once upon a time it gave me a sense of smug satisfaction. I would swoop in, lay it out, and then flee to more productive pastures, basking in my enlightened glory.

But not these days.

These days it’s spilling out into my everyday life, rammed down my throat at a rate that makes me question (and then answer) how we got to where we are. I find the ultimate foundation of it lies somewhere between wanting to believe what they read and the old adage of “if it’s on the radio/TV/internet/(insert form of popular media here) it must be true”.

My biggest criticism is that it’s lazy. I mean, we have Google. Google is easy. Use Google.

It’s just far simpler to take everything you see at face value. We’ve been justly rewarded for that type of thought; Obesity, Climate Deniers, Tobacco related illnesses, Donald Trump.

I think that’s one of the few things that set us apart. We’ve grown up skeptical. The truths we were promised as adolescents were realized lies, and that has left a bitter taste. We’re a generation of knowledge seekers. Those who question institutional assertions and the way things “ought” to be.

I credit it to us growing up online, sifting through the bullshit. It’s given us a frame to work from and far more experience than the generations before us. We’re tapped into the global consciousness, and the global consciousness has trolls.

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