Stop blaming Pensioners

Delila

I hate to hear the insulting use of the the word “Boomers”. Do none of these critics have ageing parents?

Apparently a Boomer is somebody born between 1945 and 1965 so I’m not one as I was born in 1943. Apparently I am part of ‘the silent generation’, who knew?

Dickens - I repeat, have never seen it or heard "OK boomer" used.

Maybe I've never heard it because I've never been dismissive of other "generations"?

I have looked it up now and it seems it is used as a retort to condescension and put-downs - such as those delivered by a "boomer"^ on tiktok in 2019.

It has roots in Redfit and 4chan

I just asked my husband and he hasn't come across it either.... I will listen out for it now.

Here it is on Wikipedia for anyone interested:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK_boomer

paddyann54

Not just male pensioners Jane43 I worked and paid NI for 51 years ALMOST 52 .with the age change to 67 I had 4 years more that weren't counted .We counted what I'd paid and lost and together it was @£52 OOO .I never took maternity leave or stayed at home with children ,I took mine to work with me,my daughter was just 8 days old when she was in her pram beside my desk .MY choice,we were self employed and if we didn't work we didn't eat .I have a friend who didn't pay NI ever but insists she WILL get a full State pension .I'm not sure that she will as they have private pensions but she wont believe me

Apologies, I didn’t consider that the pension age for women was gradually raised to match the age of men’s retirement age.

NotSpaghetti

Dickens - I repeat, have never seen it or heard "OK boomer" used.

Maybe I've never heard it because I've never been dismissive of other "generations"?

I have looked it up now and it seems it is used as a retort to condescension and put-downs - such as those delivered by a "boomer"^ on tiktok in 2019.

It has roots in Redfit and 4chan

I just asked my husband and he hasn't come across it either.... I will listen out for it now.

Here it is on Wikipedia for anyone interested:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK_boomer

I thought all the generations had names, my brother is an X, my daughter is a Millennial, and my son is a Z. These are the living generations:

Greatest Generation: Born 1901-1924
Silent Generation: Born 1925-1945
Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964
Generation X: Born 1965-1980
Millennials: Born 1981-1996
Generation Z: Born 1997-2012
Generation Alpha: Born 2013-2025

We do use them for chat groups here, I’m in ‘Three Boomers and an X’ for example. I’d never thought of Boomer being any more derogatory than any of the other generational group names.

Exactly Casdon - that's how I've seen "Boomer" used - and never "OK Boomer".

NotSpaghetti

Dickens - I repeat, have never seen it or heard "OK boomer" used.

Maybe I've never heard it because I've never been dismissive of other "generations"?

I have looked it up now and it seems it is used as a retort to condescension and put-downs - such as those delivered by a "boomer"^ on tiktok in 2019.

It has roots in Redfit and 4chan

I just asked my husband and he hasn't come across it either.... I will listen out for it now.

Here it is on Wikipedia for anyone interested:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK_boomer

I’m not dismissive of other generations either but I have heard Ok, Boomer. It’s used like ‘Karen’ as a way of saying that anything you say will be written off as you are irrelevant. It’s never been used to me, but if you spend any time online you will see it a lot. It is used all the time on Mumsnet, although I think it now sometimes gets deleted when used as an insult, but not until after a lot of complaints.

When we were working we pensioners paid the State pensions of the generation preceding us. Now the working population pay our State pensions. What the young should realise is that they will have their State pensions paid by the next generation of workers! (Most people seem to think they are drawing a State pension from a fund they built up throughout their working lives: that is simply not true).

I don’t think most people think that. Everyone I speak to knows how the system works. The problem is that there are more of us than there were older when we were young, and we live longer.

I doubt the complainers would prefer our life expectancies (and theirs with them) to decline though! Many people seem to have accepted that there will be no state pension in years to come though. They would be better off making it clear to governments that this would be entirely unacceptable, and fighting with us rather than against us.

Yes, “ok Boomer” is the phrase I was thinking of. It’s intended as an insult and a put-down, not in its original sense.

It’s par for the course though, haven’t you heard of Lazy and Entitled Millennials? Insulting other generations is the norm for whatever reason - and it happens on Gransnet too, not just on Mumsnet, how many times do you see on here ‘it was harder for us when we were young’?

I agree Doodledog, but someone has decided it’s a good idea to instead create a rift between the generations, and to that end has put it about that we, the older generation, are a huge burden on society and the cause of many of the country’s problems. This has been interpreted by some as our greed, and insatiable sense of entitlement.

It is true that we cost the country a lot, and that there are a lot of us, and that there needs to be change but, as you say, the generations would be better off working together towards change.

Doodledog

NotSpaghetti

Dickens - I repeat, have never seen it or heard "OK boomer" used.

Maybe I've never heard it because I've never been dismissive of other "generations"?

I have looked it up now and it seems it is used as a retort to condescension and put-downs - such as those delivered by a "boomer"^ on tiktok in 2019.

It has roots in Redfit and 4chan

I just asked my husband and he hasn't come across it either.... I will listen out for it now.

Here it is on Wikipedia for anyone interested:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK_boomer

I’m not dismissive of other generations either but I have heard Ok, Boomer. It’s used like ‘Karen’ as a way of saying that anything you say will be written off as you are irrelevant. It’s never been used to me, but if you spend any time online you will see it a lot. It is used all the time on Mumsnet, although I think it now sometimes gets deleted when used as an insult, but not until after a lot of complaints.

Thank you Doodledog.

If you frequent social media sites - it's there.

Maybe the novelty of the phrase is wearing off but a few years back when I was on SM sites - discussing politics - and my age was relevant to the discussion, I've had it said to me.

On Facebook, which I no longer bother with, I've had people inspect my profile and have been called "an old hag", "silly old cow", and various other charming 'epitaphs'... mostly when I've been critical of right-wing government machinations.

A man also called me "glass jaw" - he had an obsession about pensioners who he believed had robbed all the young of their futures. No idea what he meant and I didn't bother to find out. When hatred and bigotry is so strong, you cannot reason with it so I don't even try, the most I ever do is give an eye-roll emoji.

No doubt if people have not engaged much on SM sites they will not have come across the 'OK Boomer' meme.

That's it then Dickens I use Instagram for work and come here.

No Facebook for example and though I use Twitter/X I tend to read and not post there.

Well said … shilly-shally 👍

Agree absolutely. We worked hard for everything, and didn't buy anything until we had saved up for it. No credit cards in those days!

Casdon

It’s par for the course though, haven’t you heard of Lazy and Entitled Millennials? Insulting other generations is the norm for whatever reason - and it happens on Gransnet too, not just on Mumsnet, how many times do you see on here ‘it was harder for us when we were young’?

Of course I’ve heard it, but I don’t use it . In fact I defend younger generations on here (and elsewhere). I think they have a raw deal on the whole.

I also think that crass generalisations based on age are facile and divisive. They take no account of sex, class, health, geography, inheritance or all the other things that contribute to inequality. Generational differences exist, but it is the government who has built them into the divisive force they are now.

B9Exchange. Totally agree with your comments.

Doodledog

Casdon

It’s par for the course though, haven’t you heard of Lazy and Entitled Millennials? Insulting other generations is the norm for whatever reason - and it happens on Gransnet too, not just on Mumsnet, how many times do you see on here ‘it was harder for us when we were young’?

Of course I’ve heard it, but I don’t use it . In fact I defend younger generations on here (and elsewhere). I think they have a raw deal on the whole.

I also think that crass generalisations based on age are facile and divisive. They take no account of sex, class, health, geography, inheritance or all the other things that contribute to inequality. Generational differences exist, but it is the government who has built them into the divisive force they are now.

I agree, it annoys me when anybody makes sweeping generalisations about other groups of people whoever they are.

B9Exchange totally agree with your comments...

Perfectly said! Not retired yet (65) due to the change in pension age from.60 to 66 of which I was not informed!! Lots of health issues..maybe its because when I was a single parent (husband left and no maintain) I worked 3 jobs a week averaging 70 hours a week in order to ensure my children didn't suffer. Absolutely zero from gvt re childcare etc

Probably the same could be said about child benefit for the better off younger generation! The majority of us have done our 'bit', maternity benefit was only for 6 weeks and we didn't have any help with child care. I didn't retire until I was 70 having worked full time all my working life. Swings and round-abouts really.

I've always understood that it can be more expensive to administer a means tested benefit than to pay it to everybody. If pensioners are better off the Fuel Payment will be taxed in any case, at their highest tax rate.

Totally agree . We worked all our lives with no handouts and still paying tax in our 70s.

I hadn't come across "OK, Boomer", but I have been on MumsNet often enough to see Boomer regularly used there and almost exclusively as an insult, as part of a nasty, ageist and ignorant rant against 'old' people who they blame for every single thing in their life that isnt how they would like it to be.

In fact, it was so bad that it is a large part of the reason why I totally stopped using MumsNet.
The other reason was an equally unpleasant attitude to mothers-in-law. Half are berated for wanting to sometimes visit or help with their grandchildren, the other half for not doing those exact same things, though most appear to be despised just for existing. Maybe because many of them are boomers too?

Its a sad state of affairs that people can be so nasty. I have recently stopped working due to bullying (I have been ill and had to remain working from home which was not what my Company eventually wanted) and I can claim my state pension next March. My job role supported people to claim benefits etc and in some cases they were better off than I was on a full time wage. I also worked from 16 to 65 and even when my children were babies I had a job at weekends and also worked from home. All I had from the Government was Child benefit. Nothing else was available and there was certainly no help with mortgage payments etc. When I split from my husband I did get a small amount of Tax Credits which topped up my wages so for that I was grateful. I am told I am lucky that I do not have to work. Am I lucky that I had a serious illness which could have taken my life away? Am I lucky that my Mum died and left me a small amount of money which I am using til I get my pension? I suppose I could be as I am still here. It is hurtful no matter how it is said and yes these young people will be older one day and they may get the same comments directed at them. It would be so refreshing for people to stop 'having a go' and start being nicer,
Rant over.