Millennials Versus Boomers

From "OK Boomer" and Twitter's satiric #BoomerAdvice to books about the so-called "Me, Me, Me" generation and corporate training on "how to manage Millennial workers," today's public discourse is full of generational narratives, often framed as clashes between Baby Boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) and Millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996).

But are these antagonistic narratives just superficial banter, or are members of the two largest U.S. generations really in conflict? And if so, why? And what can we do about it? We explored these questions in three studies. Here's what we found!

Do Baby Boomers and Millennials Really Dislike Each Other?

We asked participants from both generations how they felt toward the four adult generations in the United States: Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and the Silent Generation. Across three studies, Millennial participants consistently reported liking Baby Boomers the least of all generations and identified them as most threatening to their own generation's interest.

Conversely, Baby Boomers liked Millennials the least and found them most threatening to their own interests. Thus, beyond the media frenzy, Millennials and Baby Boomers do seem to harbor mutual animosity.

Where Does This Mutual Animosity Come From?

Our data suggest that, although both generations see the other unfavorably, the nature of their concerns is distinct. Baby Boomers feel that Millennials threaten traditional American values. They believe that this younger generation's worldviews differ vastly from theirs, and that the spread of these views puts at risk the more traditional values Baby Boomers hold dear. This is what we call symbolic concerns.

On the other hand, our data suggest that Millennials feel that Baby Boomers hamper their life prospects. As this older generation lives longer, defers retirement, and retains powerful economic and political roles, Millennials fear that Baby Boomers are refusing to pass the baton, blocking Millennials' shot at power and wealth accumulation. These concerns are probably exacerbated by economic setbacks that have saddled Millennials with vast debts and rising expenses, hindering their ability to establish themselves and live as prosperously as previous generations at the same age. This is what we call realistic (as in, tangible) concerns.

Baby Boomers' symbolic concerns and Millennials' realistic concerns, in turn, drive each generation's animosity toward—and stereotyping of—the other generation.

What Can You Do About It?

First, keep in mind that, although generational narratives are widespread, they have little to no basis in science. That's right: There's no scientific evidence that Millennials are lazier or Baby Boomers more stubborn! After reviewing more than 30 years of academic research on the topic, the National Academies of Sciences have concluded that generational boundaries are arbitrary and that alleged generational differences—when not entirely made-up—reflect mostly situational and life stage differences, not specific personality traits shared by members of an entire generation. For instance, younger generations are not "living in their parent's basement" because they are lazy. They do so because they are staying in school longer, coping with rising student debt, marrying later, and facing a tougher housing market than prior generations at the same age.

So, if you are a Millennial (or Gen-Z), keep in mind that you will also be older one day. As we live longer, healthier lives, the need to prepare for lengthier post-retirement years will likely push you, too, to leave the workforce later than you might have otherwise. And if you are a Baby Boomer, don't forget that depictions of your generation's values when you were young were not much different from those of Millennials today. After all, the popular portrait of today's young as lazy, entitled, and brainwashed by social media is not far astray from the 1960s' caricature of young Boomers as indolent, weed-smoking hippies naïvely protesting the Vietnam war with peace and love signs instead of trying to find a job.

In fact, when our research participants learned that generational narratives about Millennials and Baby Boomers were unfounded and were reminded that they will be (or were) one day the other generation's age, both Millennials and Baby Boomers reported less fear and animosity toward members of the other generation.

This finding highlights an important lesson: Media professionals, corporate trainers, pollsters, consultants, and the public at large should carefully weigh the cost of promoting unfounded generational narratives. Wealth inequalities between younger and older adults have greatly increased, major societal issues divide generations (abortion, presidential elections), and important intergenerational challenges are arising (climate change, future insolvency of Social Security). In this context, promoting popular narratives that antagonize artificial generational groups creates an "us-versus-them" mentality that can undermine the intergenerational solidarity our increasingly age-diverse society desperately needs.

For Further Reading

Francioli, S. P., Danbold, F., & North, M. S. (2023). Millennials versus Boomers: An asymmetric pattern of realistic and symbolic threats drives intergenerational tensions in the United States. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672231164203

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2020). Are generational categories meaningful distinctions for workforce management? National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25796

Francioli, S. P., & North, M. S. (2021). Youngism: The content, causes, and consequences of prejudices toward younger adults. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001064

Stéphane P. Francioli is a postdoctoral researcher at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He studies age and gender inequalities in society and in the workplace.

Felix Danbold is an assistant professor at University College London School of Management. He studies resistance to growing diversity in society and organizations.

Michael S. North is an assistant professor of Management and Organizations at New York University Stern School of Business. He studies the challenges faced by an aging and increasingly multigenerational workforce.