‘OK, Boomer’: Teens react online to lectures from older generations

HOUSTON - This man's speech is now a viral meme, to which teens everywhere are making videos in response.

The new phrase, "OK, Boomer", is so popular, it's now a song. 

If your reaction to it is, "That's rude! Grow up!", relax, it's meant to get older adults triggered. It's the online equivalent of an eye roll from teens who feel older generations just don't get it. 

Quick fact check: Gen Z and Millenials are two different groups. Millennials are in their late 20s to early 30s. Gen Z is made up of current teens and college kids born after 1996. So, leave Millenials out of it!

Gen Z has always had access to the internet. They know it well and they grew up connected to the world. Their future is forever tied to the internet. They don't take kindly to older people talking down at them about a tool that is the equivalent of their second language, a language that exact older generation is trying to learn. Even President Trump is using social media as his main soundstage. 

The nuance of the internet is often lost on older audiences and Gen Z knows that. They know that Boomers have been proven to be responsible for the bulk of political content and fake news that is shared online. Research published this year by the American Association for the Advancement of Science found during the last presidential election year, Facebook users 65 and older shared 7 times as many links to fake news sources as those under age 26, and more than twice as many as those ages 45-65. Pew Research published in October found Boomers represent only 8% of Twitters population, but are responsible for posting 33% of all tweets mentioning national politics.

Rather than add more divisiveness, Gen Z is letting it roll off their backs with a simple: "OK, Boomer".