THREE KEY FACTS Millennials and Gen Z argue life is harder now, with Boomer men seen as particularly fortunate. Boomer men benefited from post-war economic growth, full employment, and affordable housing at a young age. Their financial advantages allow them to support younger generations entering the property market.
Millennials and Gen Z have long complained that life is harder now, but when it comes to 50% of one generation, they may be right. “OK, Boomer” has been the dismissive cry of Millennial and Gen Z prigs for a few years now. Even Gen Xers have begun to look down on their parents.
In particular, men of a certain age are getting used to being patronised by the ungrateful progeny who followed in their wake. But maybe – just maybe – Boomer men have brought a little of this on themselves and maybe they have been the luckiest 50% of the luckiest generation ever to have had their cake and eaten it. Broadly speaking, Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964 , though for our purposes we are talking about men born in the decade after the end of World War II.
And why just men? Well, when you look at the lives of Boomers, it’s the men who appear to have benefited most from the traditions they inherited from their fathers and the new freedoms their mothers and wives allowed them. Not that you’d know that from the amount of moaning on Facebook about self-service checkouts or the price of Eric Clapton merch and elasticated trousers..
