1. Road Tripping Through Nebraska
Boomers loved the freedom of the open road, even if that road was a long, flat stretch through Nebraska. There’s something undeniably American about grain silos, endless sky, and stopping at a Sinclair station for beef jerky, Maxine Carter-Lome of The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles shares. To them, the monotony was meditative. It was less about the destination and more about the journey — and maybe listening to AM radio the whole way.
Gen Z, on the other hand, needs Wi-Fi, playlists, and at least one iced coffee per 100 miles. A Nebraska road trip without service or scenery changes every 10 minutes feels like a glitch in the simulation. There’s an appreciation for quiet landscapes, sure, but only if there’s some weird roadside attraction or TikTok-worthy pit stop involved. Otherwise, it just feels like you’re being haunted by the ghost of Manifest Destiny.
2. Chain Restaurants as a Night Out
For Boomers, places like Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and Applebee’s were a Friday night reward, according to Colleen McKeegan of The Cut. It was where you’d go after a high school football game or for a low-stakes anniversary dinner. The idea of bottomless breadsticks and a laminated menu just felt comforting. But to Gen Z, these places often feel uncanny — like they’re trapped in a time loop of early 2000s décor and waitstaff trying too hard to upsell mozzarella sticks.
Gen Z tends to gravitate toward small, locally owned spots, pop-ups, and restaurants with a story or “vibe.” Places that embrace plant-based options, Instagrammable interiors, or niche fusion menus feel more authentic. Applebee’s, meanwhile, feels like corporate America trying to be your friend — which, to Gen Z, is sus. The nostalgia is there, but it’s paired with a kind of capitalist cringe.
3. Calling People on the Phone (Without Warning)
Boomers would call their friends, kids, or even their co-workers without any kind of heads-up. It wasn’t just accepted — it was expected. A ringing landline meant connection, community, and maybe a 40-minute recap of “Wheel of Fortune.” For Gen Z, a phone call without a text first is practically an act of war.
Anxiety spikes the minute the screen lights up with “Incoming Call,” especially if it’s from someone not in your inner circle, Heather Kelly of The Washington Post explains. Texting is not only more efficient; it gives people time to think and reply on their terms. The idea of just “chatting” for an hour feels intrusive unless you’re incredibly close. If you’re in Gen Z and your phone rings unexpectedly, your first thought is probably, “Did someone die?”
4. Vacationing in West Virginia for the Scenery
Boomers often vacationed in places like West Virginia for nature, cabins, and the slower pace — think driving through the Alleghenies with a cassette mix and no cell signal. To them, it was an escape from the hustle of city life and a return to American simplicity. They loved the Blue Ridge Mountains, long drives, and maybe some coal mine tour action. It was peaceful, no-frills, and kind of a flex.
To Gen Z, the same trip can feel a little… tense. Nature is still cool, sure, but there’s an undercurrent of unease about some rural areas — especially if you’re queer, a person of color, or just visibly different. Add in the economic hardships still visible in many parts of the state, and suddenly that tranquil getaway feels layered. What Boomers saw as rustic, Gen Z might experience as “vibes and potential side quests in generational trauma.”
5. Tupperware Parties
Tupperware parties were social events in the Boomer era — a place to network, gossip, and buy plastic that could withstand nuclear war, Sarah Hucal of DW explains. These parties blurred the line between social gathering and MLM sales pitch, and somehow, everyone was okay with it. People would bring dips, show off the burping lid seal, and make installment payments on a 36-piece modular set. It was capitalism wrapped in hors d’oeuvres.
Gen Z looks back on this and sees emotional manipulation in a pastel kitchen. The idea of convincing your friends to buy overpriced containers — so you can earn a chance to buy even more containers — feels predatory. If you said you were hosting a “party” now and then brought out a catalog, you’d probably lose followers and friends. It’s retro, but not in a cute way — more in a “why were we doing this?” kind of way.
6. Watching the 6 O’Clock News Together
Boomers had appointment viewing — you sat down at 6 p.m., often with dinner on a tray table, to watch the evening news. Walter Cronkite wasn’t just a news anchor; he was America’s dad. It created a shared reality, even if that reality was filtered through the lens of Cold War fear and rising crime stats. Families bonded over sensational headlines and weather updates.
For Gen Z, news comes in bite-sized formats: TikToks, tweets, podcasts, and maybe a YouTube recap by someone named something like “NewsBeard.” They’re skeptical of network anchors and tend to consume multiple sources — often with wildly different angles — before forming an opinion. Watching the nightly news feels like LARPing as your grandparents. It’s not that they don’t care; it’s that the medium doesn’t meet them where they are.
7. Arizona Retirement Dreams
Boomers practically made retiring to Arizona a genre. They flocked to gated communities in Scottsdale and Mesa for the dry heat, low taxes, and golf course culture. They embraced HOA rules, early bird specials, and patio furniture that matched their beige stucco homes. It was supposed to be the dream: sun, serenity, and security.
Gen Z looks at this and wonders how they’ll ever afford to retire at all. Arizona now symbolizes climate anxiety (record-breaking heat waves), water scarcity, and a suburban sprawl that’s not exactly bike-friendly. Plus, the politics and generational divides in some of these areas can feel straight-up hostile. What Boomers saw as paradise, Gen Z sees as a cautionary tale in climate change and overdevelopment.
8. The Sears Catalog
The Sears catalog was the original Pinterest board for Boomers — toys, tools, dresses, even house plans — all in one thick, glossy book. It came in the mail, and you’d dog-ear the pages before making your wish list. It was aspirational but accessible, promising that middle-class comfort was just a phone call and shipping delay away. You could literally order a house.
Gen Z sees this now and thinks, “This was basically Amazon on paper… but slower.” There’s a certain analog charm to it, but also a weird weight — the whole thing smells like the 20th century trying to sell you stability. Gen Z grew up during the collapse of retail giants like Sears, so the nostalgia hits different. It’s not just vibes — it’s a paper trail of a crumbling American Dream.
9. Maine Cabin Vacations
Boomers idealized places like Maine for the “get away from it all” experience. A little cabin by a lake, some lobster rolls, and a canoe — that was their version of self-care. They wanted the sound of loons, the crackle of a fire, and maybe a Stephen King paperback for good measure. It was wholesome, quiet, and incredibly white.
Gen Z might still like the aesthetic, but they come with questions — is this AirBnB on Wabanaki land? Is that cabin Wi-Fi stable enough for remote work? And who’s paying $500 a night to sleep in a yurt with composting toilets? The vibe is there, but so is a creeping awareness of historical erasure, gentrification, and eco-guilt.
10. Denim Everything
Boomers were here for full-denim fits: jeans, jackets, shirts — Canadian tuxedos all day. Levi’s were a status symbol, and acid wash was a rebellion. If you wore a denim vest over a denim jumpsuit, you were basically royalty at the PTA. The sturdiness of denim represented durability, practicality, and working-class pride.
Gen Z has revived denim, but in a chaotic, ironic way — think patchwork, gender-fluid cuts, or upcycled pieces that make a statement. Wearing head-to-toe denim today is less about blending in and more about standing out. They’re not buying five pairs of Levi’s at JCPenney; they’re thrifting one pair from 1994 with strategically placed distressing. The vibe has flipped from practicality to performance art.
11. Smoking Indoors (and Thinking It Was Classy)
Boomers grew up in a world where you could light up in restaurants, airplanes, hospitals — even maternity wards, no joke. Smoking wasn’t just normalized, it was marketed as sophisticated. Movie stars did it, your boss did it, and there were literal ashtrays built into every piece of furniture and every car. If you didn’t smoke, you were the weird one.
Gen Z sees this and immediately thinks: asthma, cancer, and stale curtains. The idea of lighting a cigarette indoors today feels like something out of a dystopian period drama. Even vaping gets the side-eye in most indoor spaces. The aesthetic might have some retro appeal in TikTok edits, but the reality? It smells like trauma and secondhand regret.
12. Fixing Things Yourself (Because You Had To)
Boomers prided themselves on DIY — fixing a washing machine, changing the oil, or building a shed from a $4 blueprint they picked up at the hardware store. There was pride in self-sufficiency and knowing how to do things without YouTube tutorials. Manuals were kept in drawers like sacred texts. And if you couldn’t fix it? You knew a guy who could.
Gen Z would love to have those skills, but they grew up in a world of proprietary tech and glued-shut iPhones. “Right to repair” isn’t just a movement — it’s a cry for help. Many household items today aren’t designed to be fixed; they’re designed to be replaced. The Boomer sense of empowerment around tools and know-how now feels like a lost superpower — one that got outsourced to Geek Squad and Amazon warranties.
13. Paper Maps and Getting Lost (For Fun?)
Boomers were navigators in a pre-GPS world, folding and unfolding giant maps in the front seat while arguing over where to turn. Getting lost was part of the adventure — you stopped at a gas station, asked for directions, maybe ended up discovering a weird diner that wasn’t in any brochure. It wasn’t efficient, but it was kind of romantic. You had to be present and observant, not just follow a blue line on a screen.
Gen Z doesn’t go anywhere without Google Maps, and if there’s no signal, mild panic ensues. The idea of “getting lost” doesn’t feel fun — it feels like a horror movie setup. Why would you wander around Nebraska hoping for a diner when Yelp can tell you what has four stars and oat milk? Boomers might call that spontaneity; Gen Z calls it a lack of planning and a safety risk.
14. Credit Cards = Freedom (Until the Bill Came)
For Boomers, credit cards felt like a gateway to middle-class legitimacy. You had “buying power,” even if it was borrowed — and store cards from Sears, JCPenney, and Macy’s were practically a rite of passage. Carrying a little debt was seen as normal, manageable, and even smart. The American Dream wasn’t complete unless you owed someone money.
To Gen Z, credit cards feel more like a trap than a tool. With rising interest rates, student loans, and a cost of living that’s outpacing wages, that “freedom” now comes with a looming sense of dread. Buy now, pay later? That’s not empowerment — that’s a future panic attack waiting to happen. It’s not that Gen Z doesn’t use credit; it’s that they’re using it with one eye twitching and a personal finance podcast playing in the background.
