12 Soft Phrases Boomers Would Love To See Banned
Are these phrases annoying or just uncomfortable for older generations to hear?
Fizkes | Shutterstock.com Amid tension between generations like baby boomers and their younger counterparts, it's not uncommon for subtle things like a phrase in conversation or a work habit to become a hot topic of discussion. Every generation has their own language and slang, but at the end of the day, the cure for generational resentment is making each other feel heard — with open conversations and empathy that promote trust, connection, and respect.
However, there are certain soft phrases boomers would love to see banned in conversation that younger generations like Gen Z use frequently. Not only are they often misunderstood, they can feel confusing and disillusioning to baby boomers who aren't as comfortable with therapy speak and intentionally "soft" language in casual conversation.
Here are 12 soft phrases boomers would love to see banned
1. 'That's so toxic'
fizkes | Shutterstock
Many experts suggest that younger generations like Gen Z have sparked an "empathy revolution," more willing to open up vulnerable conversations and make an effort to truly express their feelings when connecting with others.
In exchanges with older generations, which were often individually and societally encouraged to keep their emotional struggles and vulnerability to themselves, language like "that's toxic" can feel misguided.
While there's certainly an argument behind the misguided usage of weaponized therapy speak in casual conversation, many of the soft phrases boomers would love to see banned walk a fine line between appropriate vulnerability, emotional expression, and misuse.
2. 'I'm triggered'
fizkes | Shutterstock
From a mental health perspective, "being triggered" when reminded of emotional distress or a traumatic event is a very valid and common experience that can evoke discomfort in very unsuspecting situations.
While there are certainly situations where a phrase like this is being used casually, especially for younger generations like Gen Z who have access to mental health lingo, it can often help us to contextualize traumatic experiences on a daily basis, whether it's coping with grief, anxiety, or even someone overstepping our boundaries.
For baby boomers, who grew up in a space where concealing mental health and their emotions was the norm, phrases like this can seem "dramatic" — even when they're being used to truly express a person's trauma. Especially when they're dealing with their own suppressed emotions and trauma, it can feel disillusioning to hear someone speaking through discomfort openly, whether they recognize it or not.
3. 'Protect your peace'
Ground Picture | Shutterstock
Setting boundaries and safeguarding your emotional well-being can look different for everyone, but oftentimes Gen Z uses phrases like this to motivate them into a healthier mindset. Protecting your peace is a million things — walking away from toxic relationships, choosing to forgo unhealthy conversations, and even taking wellness days at work.
For baby boomers who have been taught that endless hard work and a commitment to "hustle culture" is the only path toward success, it's not surprising that phrases like this — encapsulating the experience of softness, intentionality, and self-advocacy where they simply suppress and avoid — are some of the soft phrases boomers would love to see banned.
4. 'Safe space'
fizkes | Shutterstock
Considering Gen Z are more diverse than previous generations — ethnically, politically, and socially — it's not surprising that their lived experiences urge them to focus on equity and inclusion in their daily lives. Not only are they committed to carving out space for themselves in traditional institutions like the workplace, but they rely on "safe spaces" to find belonging, build community, and make connections with like-minded people who respect their opinions and identities.
For baby boomers, who either never needed a "safe space" to feel respected or weren't given the grace of receiving the community they needed growing up, watching younger generations prioritize this kind of belonging can spark feelings of resentment and frustration.
Even though "safe space" has become one of the soft phrases boomers would love to see banned, even older generations with power and influence can't take them away by ridiculing the language and community. They're a part of people, language, identity, and social ties.
5. 'Manifesting'
fizkes | Shutterstock
With more access to self-help content and habits on social media platforms and online, it's not surprising that many Gen Zers — who are also collectively less engaged with organized religion compared to baby boomers — have turned towards spiritual practices like manifestation to cope with their struggles, address their anxiety, and motivate themselves towards their goals.
Not only does manifestation help to bridge the gap between our daily experiences, consciousness, and aspirations, it can be a helpful coping mechanism for cerebral people who spend a lot of time anxiously envisioning their futures and holding themselves to unrealistic standards.
While it may seem silly, especially for baby boomers who don't know anything about manifestation or its practical use, the art of manifesting can be extremely helpful for struggling and lonely Gen Zers. It may be one of the soft phrases boomers would love to see banned, but regardless of the resentment towards the lingo, it will continue to serve and support people in their lives.
6. 'Cancel culture'
fizkes | Shutterstock
Considering Gen Z is much more socially engaged and conscious than past generations, investing a great deal of time and energy into advocating for social justice issues that resonate with their diverse generation, it's not surprising that they've simultaneously adopted phrases like "cancel culture" to hold others accountable.
According to a 2021 international study from the Lancet Planetary Health, nearly 80% of Gen Z is worried about the climate crisis, alongside other socioeconomic, race, gender, and workplace equity concerns. The sense of sadness, anxiety, and frustration they feel often extends towards others, feeling powerless in the face of older generations that don't recognize their struggles and anxieties about the future.
Certainly, there's situations where "being cancelled" for your values and routines isn't appropriate or making real change, but it can also be an effective vehicle for evoking change — urging other generations to take a step away from their daily responsibilities, focus on a larger cause, and be more intentional with their language.
7. 'I'm holding space'
Pormezz | Shutterstock
"Holding space" for yourself and other people in your life can look different for everyone, but it essentially encompasses the art of creating space to make someone feel more supported and comfortable expressing their emotions, seeking companionship, or resolving a problem.
Many people "hold space" for themselves as well, finding ways to advocate for their boundaries and express their emotions in tumultuous situations.
For baby boomers that have been urged to repress their emotions and avoid mental health struggles, both the practice and phrase of "holding space" can feel uncomfortable and frustrating. Not only does it feel incomprehensible to translate into a daily practice for many people, it can feel misguided and misunderstood when others find ways to incorporate the practice into their work or personal lives.
8. 'Emotional labor'
fizkes | Shutterstock
According to a 2021 study on mental health, compiled by the Oliver Wyman Forum, Gen Z is 83% more likely than past generations to report having anxiety and 86% more likely to report depressive symptoms.
While it's true there's a mental health and loneliness crisis affecting younger generations today at much higher rates with technology accessibility, social and financial struggles, and family divisions, they're also simply more communicative and open about mental health discussions and diagnoses.
Their openness to mental health and collective commitment to general well-being is where the phrase "emotional labor" originates — essentially, doing the work to set boundaries, protect your well-being, help other people, and leverage resources to best support your mental health.
For baby boomers that not only struggle to address but also communicate with others about their mental and emotional well-being, this phrase can be frustrating and disillusioning.
Only ever viewing "hard work" as an external behavior, in traditional spaces like the workplace, flipping the script and investing that energy into their own emotional state and relationships can feel unnecessary and scary.
9. 'Trauma dump'
PLotulitStocker | Shutterstock
While Gen Z is more likely to speak about their actual trauma in their conversations and relationships, the term "trauma dump" is typically used in a casual context, in ways that can sometimes feel inappropriate or uncomfortable for listeners.
When someone "trauma dumps" their experiences and emotions in conversation, it's typically without considering the other person's response, and sometimes, it's even used to emotionally manipulate someone into getting what they want.
Especially when they're only the receiving end of a "trauma dump," intended to evoke misguided feelings of sympathy or connection, it's not surprising that this term has become one of the soft phrases boomers would love to see banned.
10. 'Healing journey'
fizkes | Shutterstock
Embracing a "healing journey" is all about building resilience, advocating for yourself, and growing in the face of challenge. For some, it might look like embracing therapy and mental health resources. For others, it may be more about letting go of toxic relationships and people in their lives.
At the end of the day, Gen Z's adoption of a "healing era" or "healing journey" is all about looking inward and prioritizing themselves — something older generations may misguidedly label as "selfish" or "self-serving" — to ensure they're able to be present and fulfilled in their lives.
11. 'Inner child work'
Raushan_films | Shutterstock
Considering Gen Z lived through most of their adolescence or early adult years in the pandemic, many are reinventing trends like "their healing era" to reclaim that time — reconnecting with the innocence they were forced to give up amid a tumultuous global atmosphere.
For baby boomers that might have grown up fast, but still had time to relish in their adolescence, hearing phrases like this can feel unnecessarily soft and silly. Why would an adult want to revert to their childlike state of innocence?
However, there's research, like a health and well-being study from the International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, that suggests connecting and taking the time to understand your inner child can truly revolutionize your adult experience, helping you to address past experiences that make it difficult for you to feel heard, loved, and understood in your current life.
Despite not being a truly emotional and therapeutic practice for everyone, inner child work has been proven to support people in their lives, especially younger generations that are more prone to seek out mental health resources and care.
12. 'I'm adulting'
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A | Shutterstock
Surely, every young person or Gen Zer has used a phrase like this before to characterize their "adult" experiences — taking out the trash, going to the DMV, showing up for work, doing all the things that they never imagined would take up so much time and emotional energy.
While baby boomers have been "adulting" for decades at this point, many Gen Zers still feel like adolescents, navigating adulthood without the foundational years of growth that many had taken away from them amid the global pandemic.
It's lingo and slang phrases like this that Gen Z have adopted to feel a sense of belonging and shared experience with other people in their generation, but in the face of baby boomer attitudes, it seems soft and silly.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.