The Baby Boomers, born approximately from 1946 through 1964, were a huge growing population post World War II. They had many different experiences growing up compared to what children in today’s society are going through. There are many things about the Baby Boomers that some of today’s generations would not be able to handle.
Lack of Car Safety Measures
Many Boomer children rode unrestrained in cars. Standing in the front seat was utterly ordinary. Riding in the back of a pickup truck is a fond childhood memory for many of the Boomer generation. Riding in the back seat without seat belts wasn’t only average. It was a rite of passage! The same children who rode without seat belts in the back seat of their parents’ cars grew up to become the parents who let their kids ride the same way because ‘we all did with no problems.’
Playing Out Unsupervised
Boomers spent hours playing outside unsupervised. They roamed their neighborhoods, parks, and forests without the safety worries that plague today’s parents. Helicopter parenting and fear of abduction weren’t shared.
Physical Discipline for Correction
Boomers experienced parents and teachers who used physical discipline for correction. Spankings were a routine consequence in many families, and schools used other physical forms of punishment like paddling. To be fair, that was then, this is now. Most parents and teachers do not physically discipline children, and physical discipline has been ruled illegal in most states as inappropriate discipline.
Smoking Was Acceptable Anywhere
Boomers grew up in a time when smoking was prevalent and accepted. For example, many were exposed to secondhand smoke in homes, restaurants, and public places packed with cigarette-smoking adults—no one spoke out against these practices. Today, smoking is highly regulated, and public awareness campaigns spotlight both the dangers of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.
Limited Understanding of Mental Health
One of the characteristics of the workplace is that the old boomers have a limited understanding and awareness of mental health and emotional well-being among children. The modern world has become aware of conditions like anxiety, depression, and ADHD. However, as millennials interact with their predecessors, it is apparent that these are terms that could be non-existent for the old generation. For us, anxiety may just mean excitement, while a mental ailment like ADHD would be unheard of.
Racial and Gender Stereotypes
Racial and gender stereotypes for baby boomers were much greater than what they are for Generation X and Z. People back in the past were taught that there was a certain way women and men should act and how they should be. All races and genders are treated like equals, which is what differentiates a baby boomer from a baby boomer.
Lacking Inclusive Technology and Data
Limited exposure to technology and the Internet was in existence. In contrast to contemporary kids who have smartphones, tablets, and the Internet at their fingertips from the tender age, this was different for boomers. The amount of information available to them needed to be increased, with books, encyclopedias, and print-centered media as their primary sources of data and entertainment.
Unsafe Toys
Since the baby boom, unsafe toys and play environments are the second way our society has changed. We have grown up with toys and games that would be recalled in a second if they were made today. Many of the old board games are still being sold today, though. A lot of the toys played with had no safety features.
Environmental Awareness and Conservation
Raised in a time of rapid industrial growth and declining environmental conditions, baby boomers are the age group that helped shape today’s environmental awareness. They grew up in an age of heavy pollution, often seeing the environmental damage before them. Most baby boomers were not raised with environmental conservation as a household priority. While eco-friendly practices were not a priority during their time, baby boomers were taught to be conservative and not wasteful. Today, the environment is one of the top priorities for most people, with 3 out of 4 wanting to help work the environment or through other means.
Fast Food Was Popular
Boomers came up at a time when fast food and processed foods were becoming popular, which means that their diets weren’t getting the variety and nutrition that they should have had, which resulted in obesity, which could lead to all kinds of other health concerns. Today, this is changing since many people are starting to understand the importance of a nutritious diet and the consequences of obesity.
Child Abuse and Neglect Wasn’t Spoken Of
Child abuse and neglect were rarely reported or spoken about in the boomer era. Physical, Emotional, and sexual abuse of children were sometimes ignored and known as family problems. Today, there are laws about reporting child abuse. Children and adults are more educated in recognizing the symptoms or signs of child abuse, and adults can help their children go through when they are affected.
Gender Roles
Baby Boomers grew up in an era when traditional gender roles were the norm. Men were to be what the media wanted. Men were usually more demanding and assertive and had a much wider variety of clothing. Women were supposed to be the exact opposite of men. Women were generally nurturing and much more submissive than their counterparts. Nonconformity was often shown much resistance or even some ridicule.
Bullying and Peer Pressure
Another harmful experience that goes along with childhood is bullying and peer pressure. A negative factor to this is that the issue of bullying was not taken seriously, especially over social media. Many assume that this is just something kids will grow out of or change their minds about, even if it means changing their personalities when they grow up. This is not always the case, though. As we can see today, bullying is one of the most significant issues in America. Fights are not just physical anymore. They are now verbal because of all of the cyberbullying.
Boomers’ Spiritual Upbringing
Many boomers were raised in traditional religious households, which demanded their kids attend church, practice the customs, and behave according to a code of precepts. Today, more religions have more diversity of belief and practice, unlike ever before. A growing group of people don’t like religion but still consider themselves spiritual, and in Western society, there’s more respect and tolerance for what other people believe in.
18 Banks With the Worst Reputations in America
From high overdraft charges and refusal to breathe time to pay bills, most of us occasionally have gripes with our bank. However, when it comes to customer service rating and public perception, these 18 banks stand out as being the most hated in America:
18 Banks With the Worst Reputations in America
21 American Norms That Make the World Go ‘Huh?
We’re venturing into the diverse landscape of American quirks that make outsiders go, “Wait, what?” From the red cup phenomenon to the maze of tipping etiquette, the U.S. has its own set of head-scratchers that might leave our international pals raising an eyebrow or two.
