11 Things Boomers Love That Are Going Extinct With Gen Z
No matter how popular anything may be, it only lasts as long as someone is interested in it.
Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock Every generation experiences shifting tides. The vast changes each era experiences have always been part of our cultural conversation. The conversation is getting louder as the divide between boomers and Gen Z keeps getting wider. For example, there are several things boomers love that are going extinct with Gen Z.
Boomers were born between 1946 to 1964, while Gen Z entered the world between 1997 and 2012. The 30+ year age gap between the youngest boomers and oldest Gen Zers is often viewed as significant. The stark differences in their values and income truly shows when you consider what they each love spending their time and hard earned money on.
Here are 11 things boomers love that are going extinct with Gen Z
1. Photo albums
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Photo albums are one thing boomers love that are going extinct with Gen Z. While Gen Z aims for innovation, boomers are steadfast traditionalists. They appreciate things with staying power, which is why they still put money, time, and attention into keeping photo albums.
They’re happy to pay for printed photos and physical photo albums, because it keeps their memories safe and easily accessible. Whenever they feel nostalgic, they can pull out an album and visit their past.
While boomers go for the analog experience, Gen Z would rather keep every photo they’ve ever taken on their phones and in cloud storage, wherever that actually is. They appreciate how easy it is to scroll through their digitally organized photo collections and share pictures with anyone they choose.
Looking at photos through a phone screen doesn’t quite carry the same emotional weight as turning the pages of a photo album, but both are valid ways to stay connected to the story of their lives.
2. Print newspapers
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Boomers love print newspapers, but they are going extinct with Gen Z. Boomers have embraced certain aspects of being chronically online, like the iPads they love so dearly. Yet their devotion to screens only goes so far. When it comes to the news, boomers put down their iPads and pick up an actual newspaper.
Reading the news in print is one boomer habit that’s actually great. There’s something to be said for having a steady morning routine to set the tone for the rest of the day. Boomers’ daily ritual of reading the paper and drinking coffee is a relaxed way to spend a morning.
For Gen Z, paying for a printed newspaper is as antiquated as commuting by horse-drawn carriage. They get their daily dose of news from their phones, and they wouldn’t have it any other way. Rolling out of bed and scrolling endlessly isn’t exactly a gentle entry point to the morning, but it’s what works for Gen Z. The devices people use to stay informed are less important than the act of expanding their knowledge.
3. Landline phones
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Boomers love having landline phones in their homes, but they are going extinct with Gen Z. The telephone revolutionized the way we communicate, ever since the 1940s, when placing a long-distance call became less expensive than sending a telegram. By the end of the 20th century, there were more than 150 million landline phones in the U.S.
By the time Gen Z was old enough to make phone calls, landlines were a relic of a long-forgotten past, along with saber-tooth tigers, Pluto as a planet, and fax machines.
While iPhone are now ubiquitous, many boomers still have landlines at home, more as a safety precaution than anything else. If there’s ever a global emergency that wipes out cell towers, boomers can call each other on their landlines and take pride in how prepared they were.
4. Wall calendars
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Wall calendars are something boomers love that are going extinct with Gen Z. It might be old-fashioned to hang up a paper calendar and pencil in appointments and important dates, but boomers prefer the tactile method over keeping a Google calendar.
Using wall calendars has its benefits: they let boomers map out their plans each month, so they can see all their obligations at once, plus, every page of a wall calendar has an artistic rendition of sailboats or mountain views or cats, depending on personal preference.
When it comes to keeping track of their lives, Gen Z stays true to their roots. They wouldn’t pay a penny for a calendar made of paper, not when there’s a miniature digital version of a calendar right there on their phones.
At the end of the day, methods of personal organization are personal. What works for one generation makes absolutely no logical sense to another, and that’s totally okay.
5. Fancy outfits
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Boomers love spending money on crisp, new clothes and fancy outfits, things going extinct with Gen Z. Boomers were raised watching JFK and Jackie O look prim, proper, and totally stunning in the White House. Boomers are keeping it classic and aging with style as Gen Z is walks a very different path.
Gen Z represents 40% of the total consumer base in the U.S., yet they aim their spending power away from the new, toward the old and pre-worn. Gen Z prioritizes the cost and quality of clothes, along with eco credentials and convenience. Almost 50% of Gen Z students would rather shop for vintage in an actual store than online, highlighting that they care as much about the experience of thrifting as much as the clothes.
Thrifting is essentially a treasure hunt. Gen Z values the process of sorting through clothes with built-in history to discover a fashion gem that no one else will have.
6. Gym memberships
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Gym memberships are something Boomers love that are going extinct with Gen Z. Gen Z are health-conscious, but paying to go to a gym is just one more extra expense they can’t afford. According to Consumer Affairs, Gen Z’s dollars don’t go nearly as far as the money boomers made when they were in their 20s. Gen Z has 86% less purchasing power than boomers had at the same stage of life.
While Gen Z is stuck in the vicious cycle where the current pay rate can’t keep up with the high cost of living, boomers are decades into their era of prosperity. They have more than enough money to pay for a gym membership, along with a trainer, color coordinated workout gear, and as many replenishing smoothies as they could ever want.
Gen Z understands the physical and mental health benefits of moving their bodies on a regular basis, but it’s something they do from home. They find free workout routines on YouTube and follow fitness influencers on TikTok. For Gen Z, taking a digital approach to working out makes exercise something they can access without spending money.
7. Cruises
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Something boomers love that is going extinct with Gen Z is cruises. Most boomers have reached retirement age, and while some are holding onto their jobs with a vice grip, others are tapping out of the workforce and traveling to their heart’s content.
The boomer approach to travel stands in stark contrast to how Gen Z wants to experience it. Boomers focus on comfort and convenience when they travel, and cruises have exactly those things. They’ll shell out serious money for premium experiences, like luxury cruises and all-inclusive tours.
Some people think being trapped on a boat for weeks on end is a living nightmare, but boomers love sailing the open seas, with the addition of an all-you-can-eat buffet and racketball courts, and really, to each their own.
Gen Z puts travel at the top of their lifetime to-do lists. The 2023 American Express Global Trends Travel Report noted that 84% of Gen Z said they would rather put money toward their dream trip than buy a new luxury item. They don’t want the ease or sense of routine that being on a cruise ship provides. Gen Z’s ideal travel plans center around having authentic yet affordable adventures.
As travel and hospitality analyst Lindsey Roeschke shared, Gen Z “want travel to be accessible and inclusive to all people, not just the highest-earning, most privileged consumers.”
8. Store-bought birthday, anniversary and other greeting cards
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Something boomers love that are going extinct with Gen Z wouldn’t is store-bought birthday, anniversary, and other greeting cards. In their minds, paper cards are a waste of money ruining the environment, plus they’re way too sentimental. For the special moments when texting won’t cut it, Gen Z still sticks to the digital realm. They’ll send their bestie a carefully-chosen GIF that represents how much their friendship means.
Spending money on greeting cards falls more in the “want” category than the “need” category, but boomers have enough wealth stored away that they can buy as many greeting cards as they want, forever and ever.
The value of a handwritten card has nothing to do with how much it costs. It’s the feeling of opening the mailbox and finding an actual letter inside. It’s the anticipation of opening the envelope, the warm glow that comes from reading the handwritten note.
Some traditions are worth keeping, and sending greeting cards in the mail might be one of them.
9. Vacation timeshares
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Timeshares are something boomers love that are going extinct with Gen Z. They were invented in 1963, as the expanding post-war economy led to the construction of condos and vacation homes. The timeshare industry hard launched by the 1970s, as developers split up unsold condos for weekly ownerships. By the end of that decade, the number of timeshare owners grew from 10,000 to 200,000.
Timeshares were seen as a way to make vacations more affordable, and boomers still believe that to be true. They think of timeshares as a stable investment, while stability isn’t exactly what Gen Z wants from their travel experience.
Gen Z is made up of students, recent graduates, and young adults starting their first jobs, which means they seek out ways to see the world on a budget. They want flexibility and freedom when they travel, which is why they’d rather pay to stay in an AirBnB with friends than commit to a timeshare.
10. Decorative figurines
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Boomers love decorative figurines, but they are going extinct with Gen Z. It’s safe to say that the boomer aesthetic isn’t one that younger generations wanted to carry on. Boomers love to fill their homes with cute, little figurines, like puppy dogs made of porcelain and bunnies kissing.
Their devotion to knick-knacks and tchotchkes goes hard. Some boomers have figurines on every surface, others keep their collections in glass display cases, the miniature preciousness presented for the world to see.
Gen Z’s design mindset is definitively minimalist. They want clean lines and clear surfaces. More than that, Gen Z can’t imagine spending the money they have on delicate trinkets that serve no purpose aside from being adorable statement pieces.
11. Cable TV
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Something boomers love that is going extinct with Gen Z is cable TV. Gen Z makes up 30% of the world population. They’re seen as the “first global generation,” as they’re the first ones without any knowledge of life before digital technology. Gen Z has instantaneous access to any form of media they want. While boomers keep up their steady diet of cable TV, Gen Z can’t imagine paying money for something so outdated.
Boomers continued commitment to cable TV isn’t surprising. Cable was born in 1948, just two years after the first boomers were born. By 1960, there were 800 cable systems across the U.S. The 1970s saw the introduction of national cable networks, like HBO, C-SPAN, and kid fan-favorite, Nickelodeon.
Back when boomers were young, cable TV was at the forefront of cutting-edge technology. Three decades later, Gen Z sees cable as antiquated and unnecessary, now that streaming services dominate.
Gone are the days of watching one episode of your favorite show and waiting an entire week for the next one to drop. Binge-watching has become America’s favorite pastime, highlighting how every iteration of technology influences everyday life.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a staff writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.