Millennials are killing napkins. Millennials are killing vacations. Millennials are killing cable TV. Millennials are killing marriage. Millennials are killing sex.

Every generation is blamed for the problems the economy faces, and none as much as millennials. The growing tension has led to extreme amounts of division, and mostly with baby boomers, those born between 1946 – 1964, and millennials, 1981 – 1996.

The new form of separation incorporates generation Z, born after 1996, is thanks to the popular meme, “Ok, boomer”. The aim is to poke fun at the extreme anger that baby boomers have expressed at the younger generations.

The trend started back in January of 2019, but it wasn’t until later in the year, in November, when its popularity increased. Famous newspapers such as The New York Times and The Guardian have gone on to publish articles about the new trend, which do not necessarily capture the feelings and thoughts of younger generations.

The meme seems to be most prominent around the holiday season since Thanksgiving and Christmas can be hard for some millennials and gen z kids who don’t see eye to eye with some of their older relatives.

Students like senior Aspen Aegerter see the meme at first glance as nothing to worry about. “I think it’s funny,” Aegerter said. “The people angry about it don’t have a sense of humor.”

For others, like senior Jayden Pene, it has become more than just a joke, but rather a confrontation to a generation that seems to be focused solely on bringing down millennials and generation z.

I believe ok boomer is a great thing,” said Pene. “I think we should start pointing out the misunderstandings that the older generation has about the younger. I feel like the older generations …have put this false expectations and placed these false hopes [on] younger generation that is just impossible to achieve.”

This refers to some of the disagreements about college tuitions and other important prices that have increased over the past few decades. As the economy recovers from their previous problems, millennials and generation z are left without a clue about what to do, which only adds to some of the complaining. More modern generations have begun to blame baby boomers for the problems going on.

“Older generations feels that we are entitled and that we are lazy and that we do not find our lives and we do not find our careers fast enough which is actually their fault because they have provided us with this society and economy that is unstable and untrustworthy,” said Pene.

For Aegerter, the problems come down to generational gaps.

“They lived their life completely different,” said Aegerter. “They always say “oh children have it so easy these days” but isn’t that the point? Isn’t that  what you’re supposed to do as a parent… make a child’s life easier? They grew up in a different generation where shit was completely different, they didn’t have what we have today, so a lot of stuff was harder for them. What do you expect us to do? Not use our phones? Even though it was invented to help us?”