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9 Times Boomers Came To This Phone Store Employee With Absolutely Ridiculous Requests
Baby boomers — or just boomers — are people who were born between 1946 and 1964. Their generation makes up a substantial portion of the world's population, especially in developed nations. (According to the latest census report, it represented 73 million of the population in the United States in 2019.)
These folks have witnessed the expansion of radio and television, but when it comes to modern technology, their experiences are vastly different from younger generations. And a recent TikTok video by phone store employee and content creator Liv Gilmore vividly illustrates this point.
Image credits: livvy.gilmore
Reenacting the most memorable interactions she's had with her boomer clients, Liv highlighted that plenty of them struggle to navigate even basic device functions, such as adjusting the screen's brightness.
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Peggy McKeon 2 years ago
Ah, perhaps the headline should be Real Interactions with People from Red States.
Lester the Space Duck 2 years ago
Hate to spoil the party, but the majority of us willingly carry personal tracking/spy devices everywhere we go. 5G or not.
Josh Gilland 2 years ago
I love how people have nothing going up stairs. Phone tapping has been around for decades and it was Bush that really pushed again and now data collection is just a price you pay for living digitally connected. Will never who's in office. Also 95% are insufficient and boring so we aren't worth spying on, just our data which we free give by accepting technology.
Matt Smith 2 years ago
Can't remember the last time I've seen a phone with any kind of antenna...
Rahul Pawa 2 years ago
In case you're being serious....the antennas are internal on modern phones.
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Generational gaps can sometimes lead to extra work even when we're talking about colleagues. According to a survey of 1,000 Americans by software development company OSlash, while most computer and software issues can be resolved with a Google search, some still ask a younger coworker for help instead.
As a result, they end up helping again and again even when it's not in their job description or pay grade. And they're tired of doubling as tech support. The survey found that Gen Z spends an average of 8 hours per week helping older coworkers with tech, which equates to over $11,000 a year of wasted employer pay.
What's more, a quarter of Gen Z said it prevents them from getting their own work done. That's why they're so fed up with it. Plus, they reported that older coworkers hold up a quarter of their daily meetings with their tech issues, too.
Part of the problem is that not everyone is as tech-savvy as they claim to be when they apply for a position, OSlash found. 86 percent of American employees admitted to lying about their tech skills before being hired, most often about proficiency in database management, graphic design, and accounting software.
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One in five respondents even admitted to not knowing how to use Zoom before getting hired at their most recent company. Gen X and boomers were the most likely to lie about this. Additionally, over a quarter (27%) of boomers said they knew how to share their screen during a Zoom meeting, but didn’t.
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Weasel Wise 2 years ago
She should have referred him to call the Delta help desk or something, keep him busy.
Those who often needed assistance with tech said their main pain points were hardware issues, software malfunctions, and trouble with office tools like printers and scanners.
But then there's also social media. Most modern companies rely heavily on it—another area older workers may be less familiar with. Some of OSlash’s respondents reported spending over five hours per week helping others with social media issues.
While baby boomers continue to trail both Gen Xers and Millennials on most measures of technology adoption, technology adoption rates for this group have been growing rapidly in recent years. For example, boomers are now far more likely to own a smartphone than they were in 2011 (68% now vs. 25% then).
So even though Liv has had to deal with them, at least these folks are trying to get out of their comfort zone and adapt to the ever-changing world.
So far, Liv's video has been viewed over 9 million times, inspiring people to share similar experiences in the comments
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What do you think ?
Will Cable 2 years ago
Anyone else sick of the Gen x versus Gen Y versus Gen Z versus millennials versus Boomers?
Cara G 2 years ago
Yes. But when have you ever seen anything that mentions Gen X? It's always Boomers v Millennials, sailing right over 60+ million Gen Xers like we don't exist, which is the most Gen X thing possible.
Load More Replies...
Xxxx Xxxx 2 years ago
Would you publish the same post if it was a 'boomer' complaining about 'clueless' millennials? No you wouldn't because people would (rightly) think thai it was divisive and mean. Can you please stop with these horrible posts bashing older - or younger or any particular group of people.
Btsquestrian 2 years ago
Is there any possibility that it bothers you because the article pokes fun at behaviors that you might perhaps exhibit? I don't care if people make fun of my generation (GenX) because I know that I don't act like that.
Load More Replies...
GadgetGirl 2 years ago
Worked at a cell phone store once and had a customer insist his iPhone came with a cable that hooked it up directly to his PRINTER. And he'd lost this magical cable and knew we carried replacements. I had to get a manager so the customer could report me for hiding the cable from him. We sent him to the apple store.
Christos Arvanitis 2 years ago
Yeah, not sure why this has to be about boomers. I think that what we are dealing with are people who are either not too bright or not technically adept... I've seen people of all ages be pretty bad with technology.
Btsquestrian 2 years ago
All generations can lack experience with technology. My experience when I worked at a cell phone company call center is that it was the Boomers who tended to be the ones the most unreasonable and verbally vicious.
Load More Replies...
Aiden Brough 2 years ago
After purchasing a new phone I gave my old phone to my brother. He happily accepted it but asked "how do I enable buttons on the home screen?" Not using the stock software that comes witht he phone I have no idea so I said "ask your niece" (my daughter - who was sat next to him). Passing the phone, she did it in 5 seconds. "You see, young people know more than us oldies!" he proclaimed. My daughter looked at me and smiled. She looked at me and smiled as it was me who got her into all things tech. Not knowing isn't the problem. I find ignorance is...
Marcus Lynch 2 years ago
Worked with a person who was sending screenshots from her phone to her provider to get her phone replaced under warranty. Spent two weeks trying to get them to see the cracked screen. I'm sure the people on the other end of those messages were rolling.
Ace 2 years ago
Pure invention, all of them. Some of them like the microwave charging are urban myths that have been around for years.
Btsquestrian 2 years ago
I've worked at a cell phone call center. All of these stories are entirely plausible. As the saying goes, once you think you've idiot-proofed something, they build a better idiot. We had one customer (back when flip phones were popular) who complained that his phone kept shutting off. It turns out he thought that the PWR button meant "Push While Ringing."
Load More Replies...
Stacey Rae 2 years ago
Life is hard. Can we not uplift our fellow humans instead of putting them down?
Peggy McKeon 2 years ago
Funny interactions with "adults" who can't figure out how to use a copier.
Btsquestrian 2 years ago
I used to work at a cell phone company's call center. People of all ages can be clueless, but the members of the Baby Boomer generation tended to be the ones who would attack you verbally.
Renegade 2 years ago
I used to work in customer service and experienced being yelled at by all generations pretty equally.
Load More Replies... Tyranamar Seuss 2 years ago
You know what? I have no problem admitting younger generation is better with tech than I am. And I'm Gen X. So it's not like I'm hopeless. But sometimes we need a little help. Youngsters, be patient and teach us. Thank you!
Beruthiel45 2 years ago (edited)
I'm just tired of the hypocrisy. BP is on board with condemning racism, sexism, all the "isms" but old people are fair game. And also other generations actually, so I guess Ageism of any generation is fine and dandy. No it's not. Stop labelling people by when they were born and denigrating them for it. We're all just on different laps of our journey round the sun and dealing with each day as it comes, so leave us be and allow us the courtesy of trusting that we're doing our best and don't hate each other just because others are younger or older. I love my kids, my grandkids and my great grandkids, and I think they love me back. We're all on the same road just further along or following behind. Let us wave Hi at each other and help those stumbling, rather than kicking them when they're down. Be kind BP.
Anonymous 2 years ago
How soon you forget. It was Boomers who invented the Internet. Boomers who built the first spacecraft and traveled into space. They designed the first cellular phones, microwave ovens, digital cameras and so much technology you can't begin to imagine it. Sure, there were many of that generation that weren't exposed as much to technology or who were slow to adapt to changes. But disparaging an entire generation that accomplished so much is petty at best.
Beruthiel45 2 years ago
Reasonable, polite, and true, yet you were downvoted. I cancelled one. 🖖
Load More Replies...
Nikki Sevven 2 years ago
OTOH, my dad (Silent/Boomer cusp) had very few issues working either his phone or his computer. But my cousin (Boomer/GenX cusp) still has issues with the phone he's had for years now. He's gotten better; he used to ask me to print directions from my computer so he could drive across town to pick them up. He thought he'd blow through his data using Google Maps.
Apatheist Account2 2 years ago
Had a 30-year-old at work who'd been given a monitor and didn't know what the cable that came with it was called (VGA in case you're a millennial). Just bear in mind that Bill Gates is 67; and in a few years, there will be some new tech that YOUR generation doesn't understand. I've been a programmer since 1984, so I suspect I've got a better handle on technology than many younger people.
Jesus Ortiz 2 years ago
A year and a half ago my wife and I moved in with her mom. She's a boomer, disabled, a widow, and really unable to take care of the big house she lived in for 30 years, and raised her 4 kids in. Since moving in, we've been in the process of renovating, repairing, and replacing just about everything in her house, so she can sell it, and downsize to a retirement community. She has had some of these quips, and my wife and I (We're millenials) have had a tough time trying to get these lessons to stick into her head. Slowly but surely some have remained, but it's a slog.
Pheline 2 years ago
Boomers ended in either 1960 or 1961 with the largest cohort. I’m not sure why anyone ever believes Baby Boomers continue into the 60s when we’re young enough to be the children of the first Boomers. Finally enter Generation Jones. We’re the youngest siblings of the Boomers, born when our moms were burned out from staying home with 5 others. We were “latchkey” kids by virtue of the fact there we’re always older neighborhood kids around.
Stacey Rae 2 years ago
So... ageism is ok?? So.... then.... should one post racist and sexist and fat shaming posts too?
Michelle Lauer 2 years ago
CORRECTED TITLE: Real Interactions I've Had With Senior Citizens...
Btsquestrian 2 years ago
Your comment appears to equate the horrors of the Holocaust and the current wave of physically violent anti-Semitism with this article that pokes fun at cultural differences between generations. Please reflect on your comment.
Load More Replies... Will Cable 2 years ago
Anyone else sick of the Gen x versus Gen Y versus Gen Z versus millennials versus Boomers?
Cara G 2 years ago
Yes. But when have you ever seen anything that mentions Gen X? It's always Boomers v Millennials, sailing right over 60+ million Gen Xers like we don't exist, which is the most Gen X thing possible.
Load More Replies... Xxxx Xxxx 2 years ago
Would you publish the same post if it was a 'boomer' complaining about 'clueless' millennials? No you wouldn't because people would (rightly) think thai it was divisive and mean. Can you please stop with these horrible posts bashing older - or younger or any particular group of people.
Btsquestrian 2 years ago
Is there any possibility that it bothers you because the article pokes fun at behaviors that you might perhaps exhibit? I don't care if people make fun of my generation (GenX) because I know that I don't act like that.
Load More Replies... GadgetGirl 2 years ago
Worked at a cell phone store once and had a customer insist his iPhone came with a cable that hooked it up directly to his PRINTER. And he'd lost this magical cable and knew we carried replacements. I had to get a manager so the customer could report me for hiding the cable from him. We sent him to the apple store.
Christos Arvanitis 2 years ago
Yeah, not sure why this has to be about boomers. I think that what we are dealing with are people who are either not too bright or not technically adept... I've seen people of all ages be pretty bad with technology.
Btsquestrian 2 years ago
All generations can lack experience with technology. My experience when I worked at a cell phone company call center is that it was the Boomers who tended to be the ones the most unreasonable and verbally vicious.
Load More Replies... Aiden Brough 2 years ago
After purchasing a new phone I gave my old phone to my brother. He happily accepted it but asked "how do I enable buttons on the home screen?" Not using the stock software that comes witht he phone I have no idea so I said "ask your niece" (my daughter - who was sat next to him). Passing the phone, she did it in 5 seconds. "You see, young people know more than us oldies!" he proclaimed. My daughter looked at me and smiled. She looked at me and smiled as it was me who got her into all things tech. Not knowing isn't the problem. I find ignorance is...
Marcus Lynch 2 years ago
Worked with a person who was sending screenshots from her phone to her provider to get her phone replaced under warranty. Spent two weeks trying to get them to see the cracked screen. I'm sure the people on the other end of those messages were rolling.
Ace 2 years ago
Pure invention, all of them. Some of them like the microwave charging are urban myths that have been around for years.
Btsquestrian 2 years ago
I've worked at a cell phone call center. All of these stories are entirely plausible. As the saying goes, once you think you've idiot-proofed something, they build a better idiot. We had one customer (back when flip phones were popular) who complained that his phone kept shutting off. It turns out he thought that the PWR button meant "Push While Ringing."
Load More Replies... Stacey Rae 2 years ago
Life is hard. Can we not uplift our fellow humans instead of putting them down?
Peggy McKeon 2 years ago
Funny interactions with "adults" who can't figure out how to use a copier.
Btsquestrian 2 years ago
I used to work at a cell phone company's call center. People of all ages can be clueless, but the members of the Baby Boomer generation tended to be the ones who would attack you verbally.
Renegade 2 years ago
I used to work in customer service and experienced being yelled at by all generations pretty equally.
Load More Replies... Tyranamar Seuss 2 years ago
You know what? I have no problem admitting younger generation is better with tech than I am. And I'm Gen X. So it's not like I'm hopeless. But sometimes we need a little help. Youngsters, be patient and teach us. Thank you!
Beruthiel45 2 years ago (edited)
I'm just tired of the hypocrisy. BP is on board with condemning racism, sexism, all the "isms" but old people are fair game. And also other generations actually, so I guess Ageism of any generation is fine and dandy. No it's not. Stop labelling people by when they were born and denigrating them for it. We're all just on different laps of our journey round the sun and dealing with each day as it comes, so leave us be and allow us the courtesy of trusting that we're doing our best and don't hate each other just because others are younger or older. I love my kids, my grandkids and my great grandkids, and I think they love me back. We're all on the same road just further along or following behind. Let us wave Hi at each other and help those stumbling, rather than kicking them when they're down. Be kind BP.
Anonymous 2 years ago
How soon you forget. It was Boomers who invented the Internet. Boomers who built the first spacecraft and traveled into space. They designed the first cellular phones, microwave ovens, digital cameras and so much technology you can't begin to imagine it. Sure, there were many of that generation that weren't exposed as much to technology or who were slow to adapt to changes. But disparaging an entire generation that accomplished so much is petty at best.
Beruthiel45 2 years ago
Reasonable, polite, and true, yet you were downvoted. I cancelled one. 🖖
Load More Replies... Nikki Sevven 2 years ago
OTOH, my dad (Silent/Boomer cusp) had very few issues working either his phone or his computer. But my cousin (Boomer/GenX cusp) still has issues with the phone he's had for years now. He's gotten better; he used to ask me to print directions from my computer so he could drive across town to pick them up. He thought he'd blow through his data using Google Maps.
Apatheist Account2 2 years ago
Had a 30-year-old at work who'd been given a monitor and didn't know what the cable that came with it was called (VGA in case you're a millennial). Just bear in mind that Bill Gates is 67; and in a few years, there will be some new tech that YOUR generation doesn't understand. I've been a programmer since 1984, so I suspect I've got a better handle on technology than many younger people.
Jesus Ortiz 2 years ago
A year and a half ago my wife and I moved in with her mom. She's a boomer, disabled, a widow, and really unable to take care of the big house she lived in for 30 years, and raised her 4 kids in. Since moving in, we've been in the process of renovating, repairing, and replacing just about everything in her house, so she can sell it, and downsize to a retirement community. She has had some of these quips, and my wife and I (We're millenials) have had a tough time trying to get these lessons to stick into her head. Slowly but surely some have remained, but it's a slog.
Pheline 2 years ago
Boomers ended in either 1960 or 1961 with the largest cohort. I’m not sure why anyone ever believes Baby Boomers continue into the 60s when we’re young enough to be the children of the first Boomers. Finally enter Generation Jones. We’re the youngest siblings of the Boomers, born when our moms were burned out from staying home with 5 others. We were “latchkey” kids by virtue of the fact there we’re always older neighborhood kids around.
Stacey Rae 2 years ago
So... ageism is ok?? So.... then.... should one post racist and sexist and fat shaming posts too?
Michelle Lauer 2 years ago
CORRECTED TITLE: Real Interactions I've Had With Senior Citizens...
Btsquestrian 2 years ago
Your comment appears to equate the horrors of the Holocaust and the current wave of physically violent anti-Semitism with this article that pokes fun at cultural differences between generations. Please reflect on your comment.
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