Generational divides have always existed; there is a vast chasm between what opposing age groups understand modern trends to mean. A 2019 RAND Corporation survey of almost a thousand U.S. adults age 55 and older, by contrast, found that 74 % said they were “very concerned” about the prevalence of false information on the internet. Public figures or media outlets online posted content that seemed dubious to most people. Still, Gen Z embraced those traits as the front lines of their identity.
And it goes far broader than technology, from spending habits to social behaviors. But it turns out that boomers are right a lot of the time, just around three years late when they call a trend dead because their skepticism is well-founded, and trends do fizzle as quickly as they catch on. This data proves that boomers were right about these modern fads from the start.
Filming everything for social media
Your grandmother rolls her eyes when you pull out your phone to document your avocado toast, and the numbers back up her concern. According to SQ Magazine, the average Gen Z user spends 95 minutes a day on TikTok alone, much of that time dedicated to creating content rather than just consuming it.
And some of these things were intuitive to boomers who knew that even as a moment becomes history, it still matters so much.
Overpriced specialty coffee
When boomers saw $7 lattes taking over, they cried “unsustainable!” and the math backs them up. Financial experts point out that premium coffee spending, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.4%, contributes to the growing savings gap between generations.
A $6 daily coffee adds up to $2,190 a year, money that could go toward an emergency fund or retirement. The coffee shop visit has become more about status than just a caffeine fix. The sort of lifestyle inflation boomer worrying they said would lead to financial issues.
Influencer culture and parasocial relationships
Boomers immediately questioned why strangers on the internet deserved such devoted followings, and psychology backed them up. GoDaddy surveys demonstrate that Gen Z, in particular, is more likely to trust influencer recommendations over expert advice despite influencers typically not having the formal qualifications or accountability structures of many other trusted sources.
The followers who forge real friendships are not the only target of a research team, which found that these parasocial relationships may generate “artificial intimacy” that can hinder genuine connections with people.
Constant phone upgrades
Boomers have long seen all this annual smartphone release nonsense as nothing more than a marketing gimmick. Yet, the average smartphone prices have climbed above $1,000.Smartphone users only leverage their devices at a basic level.
Boomers, known for using their phones until they completely break down, have saved thousands of dollars while still enjoying the same essential functionality.
Short-form video addiction
When the Tik Tok boom grew to an immense size, some boomers expressed anxiety that it would turn into an attention-deficit quirk of the population, and excellent neuroscience research confirms they were far from wrong on several levels. Gen Z’s new attention span is 8 seconds, a number significantly lower than previous generations, at least in part thanks to TikTok’s algorithm.
Some scientists refer to this as “dopamine dysregulation,” a condition that trains the mind to require constant entertainment, which the average TikTok user indulges in by watching over 200 different videos every day. What boomers predicted would be low-engagement and partially academic but highly addictive, short-form video has delivered exabytes of it.
Extreme maternity fashion trends
Boomers thought wearing crop tops while pregnant and other daring maternity fashion choices were merely attention-seeking. To an extent, they were right. A 2025 report by Accio revealed a surge in spending on maternity fashion, primarily driven by the desire to wear outfits once or twice for public display.
Some medical professionals have reported that specific fashionable maternity wear options are uncomfortable and not as functional for the active support needed throughout pregnancy. This argues against Millennials’ expectation of fashion perfection after pregnancy, and Boomers now appear impressively sensible by comparison, opting for good old practicality, respecting mother and child health over photo-ops.
Cosmetic surgery normalization
As boomers began to see young adults with lip fillers and other cosmetic procedures that once cost thousands of dollars, they immediately knew what was coming. The cosmetic treatment of persons under 30 has increased by more than twice the rate seen in 2010, much of it carried out by practitioners without the training to do so and with little oversight.
The number of ER trips related to complications from cosmetic procedures has tripled, and “botched” procedures have patients dishing out an extra $50,000 for a corrective surgery on average.
Vaping as a “safe” alternative
Baby Boomers, subject to decades of cigarette marketing, saw right through the promises vaping made for health long before medical research spectacularly confirmed their skepticism. The CDC reported a total of 2,800 vaping-related lung injuries and 68 deaths, with many victims under 35. Vaping addiction rates among teenagers exceed traditional cigarette addiction from previous generations
. While boomers’ automatic aversion to the idea of “harmless smoking” was a function of their time, it turns out they were right on the money with these warnings. Each new study indicates that vaping holds just as many or more health risks than those posed by traditional tobacco products.
Digital communication replacing conversation
When boomers heard about ghosting and other digital communication patterns, it was like a dagger in their hearts. Still, research on relationships has proven them right. Ghosting, a practice that was called “the ultimate silent treatment,” was the most common tactic of ending a relationship among 18- to 29-year-olds, and has been used before by almost every one of those surveyed under age.
Old-fashioned boomers who still believe in having a proper phone call or even meeting someone face-to-face, as opposed to hiding behind technology like the rest of us.
Elaborate gender reveal parties
Boomers were accurate in their immediate reaction that the explosion of expensive, over-the-top gender reveal parties was too much too soon; it turns out they are not entirely justified in thinking how high this trend will go. These parties now cost an average of $500, with some reaching $10,000 to $15,000, especially when professional videography, custom décor, and pyrotechnics are involved, according to the event planning industry
More concerning, gender reveal stunts have caused 17 deaths and dozens of injuries. Americans have died, and dozens more have been injured in such stunts since the first viral reveal took place in 2008. The psychological pressure to create viral-worthy reveals has escalated what was once a simple announcement into a competitive spectacle
Collecting decorative items never used
Boomers saw this as familiar: those beautiful plates, mugs, and home decor. Their guess was folks buying attractive dishes, mugs, and home decor that sit unused, which is functionally identical to their grandma’s china cabinet syndrome, just in a shinier box. That leads to what economists have identified as “aspirational waste”
Two-thirds of the decorative home items we buy remain unused six months later, putting them on par with clothing waste. In the average American home, there are $7,000 worth of unused decorative items with zero practical use and max Instagram potential. Some of this resistance has been due to minimalism movements that have emerged in response to our culture of consumption, where minimalists experienced drastic changes in financial and mental health.
Furniture trends over function
Prioritizing style over substance. The average life span of trendy furniture has shortened from 15 years to 3-5 years because social media fuels perpetual redecorating. Home of Cozy has many sofas that look good on Instagram, but few provide the lumbar support required for proper posture, especially if you deal with back pain.
Now, the boomers’ affection for sturdy and comfortable furnishings suddenly looks both environmentally and financially wiser than replaceable ephemera.
Digital pet obsessions
Virtual pets and digital companions seemed like cheap imitations of real social interaction, a conclusion research now confirms. Sure, some will say that having digital pets can ease the absence of a real one, but you truly do fail to learn to give and take which real pet ownership entails a bond.
The 1990s Tamagotchi craze was over just as quickly for some kids, who say they felt pressure around caring for their needy virtual pet around the clock. These modern-day digital pet apps are no different: some users similarly claim to feel guilty or pressured rather than simply being loved unconditionally as with a real live pet.
Women’s hair styles that change too quickly
Boomers saw flashy, new hair trends as frivolous, and hair salon data demonstrates their inherent lack of dignity. PureWow reports that women spend $877 per year on their hair, compared to $592 for men, with the majority of this difference attributed to updates rather than maintenance.
Some are spending as much as $2,000 a year on it, but that’s at the higher end of the spectrum. Driven by this demand to keep up, appearance anxiety -also known as underwear salesman syndrome has risen sharply, while classic clothes offer values of consistency and confidence. The Boomers’ love for these flattering styles is looking like proper self-care in comparison to the regular hair damage needed for transient trends.
Car decoration accessories
Boomers who recoiled at the sight of stick-on car eyelashes and other vehicle decorations weren’t wrong to sense a lack of dignity, especially when considering the impact on future resale value.
The vast majority of cars have their decorations taken down every 2 years, most often due to damage and wear, particularly involving adhesive or embarrassment. The boomers’ willingness to keep a car looking nice by simply keeping it clean and maintained often proves to be smarter, both aesthetically and financially.
Subscription box overload
Boomers saw the rise of subscription boxes, and these boxes for every product category struck them as expensive and wasteful. A study by ZDNet found that the average household spends $273 per month on subscription services. This can include subscriptions such as streaming services, meal kits, beauty boxes, and more.
Additionally, these boxes produce 500% more waste than conventional shopping, which is also harmful to the environment. Now, having things replaced more regularly gives the impression of a boomer-style, buy-buy mentality, when in reality, they only bought what they needed.
Cancel culture phenomenon
Boomers who valued due process and proportionate results were alarmed by the emergence of public flailing in the social media environment. The rise of this trend has led to a large body of psychological literature supporting boomer apprehensions about its consequences. According to Supporting Your Journey, folks who tend to appear to be cancel culture participants suffer from social anxiety, emotional fatigue, and constantly scanning for discrepancies to be used against them.
Internet records are forever, though, which means individuals who have been canceled pay for much longer and face far worse consequences than most traditional forms of social accountability.
Key takeaway
One fascinating aspect of the pattern emerging from these trends is its relationship with generational wisdom: boomers were naturally skeptical, having seen this cycle before with varying wrappings. This resistance was not as much about a refusal to advance as it was acknowledgment that catchy new marketing solutions often just repurposed old problems. Repeatedly, numerous boomers worry about sustainability and cost-effectiveness, and the long-term impacts of widespread societal trends are well-founded.
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Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
16 Grocery Staples to Stock Up On Before Prices Spike Again
16 Grocery Staples to Stock Up On Before Prices Spike Again
I was in the grocery store the other day, and it hit me—I’m buying the exact same things I always do, but my bill just keeps getting higher. Like, I swear I just blinked, and suddenly eggs are a luxury item. What’s going on?
Inflation, supply-chain delays, and erratic weather conditions have modestly (or, let’s face it, dramatically) pushed the prices of staples ever higher. The USDA reports that food prices climbed an additional 2.9% year over year in May 2025—and that’s after the inflation storm of 2022–2023.
So, if you’ve got room in a pantry, freezer, or even a couple of extra shelves, now might be a good moment to stock up on these staple groceries—before the prices rise later.
6 Gas Station Chains With Food So Good It’s Worth Driving Out Of Your Way For
6 Gas Station Chains With Food So Good It’s Worth Driving Out Of Your Way For
We scoured the Internet to see what people had to say about gas station food. If you think the only things available are wrinkled hot dogs of indeterminate age and day-glow slushies, we’ve got great, tasty news for you. Whether it ends up being part of a regular routine or your only resource on a long car trip, we have the food info you need.
Let’s look at 6 gas stations that folks can’t get enough of and see what they have for you to eat.
