11 Admirable Values Boomers Want To Pass Down That Gen Z Could Really Benefit From
We have a lot to learn from each other.
Ground Picture | Shutterstock While there's certainly resentment and tension toward baby boomers, especially from younger generations like Gen Z actively working to overturn and challenge traditional societal stereotypes and expectations, they have a number of values and priorities that everyone could learn from. With a sleuth of life experiences and teaching moments to pull from, many baby boomers are radically underestimated when it comes to passing on knowledge, giving advice, and imparting wisdom on society at large.
From their personal relationships, to the workplace, and even moments of personal growth, there are many admirable values boomers want to pass down that Gen Z could really benefit from. While they'll surely evolve uniquely in practice for younger generations, the foundation of these values is simple — care for yourself, care for your family, and prioritize embracing the little things in life.
Here are 11 admirable values boomers want to pass down that Gen Z could really benefit from
1. Small favors
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According to research investigated by the University of Missouri, there are a number of reasons why our communities have grown less "neighborly": loneliness, busyness, isolation, and an all-consuming focus on entertainment and distraction.
While baby boomers grew up in small communities with neighbors who prioritized checking in, getting to know each other, looking out in the other's interests, and participating in small favors, millennials and Gen Z only know what they've experienced in the last decade of their lives — isolating themselves, avoiding in-person interactions, and letting their chronic stress and resentment plague these relationships.
This dichotomy of experience is exactly why "neighborliness" and small favors are some of the admirable values boomers want to pass down that Gen Z could really benefit from. Young people are already experiencing loneliness at some of the greatest rates we've seen — they could use the innate sense of belonging and community a commitment to small favors brings.
2. Spending less time online
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Gen Z grew up almost exclusively online, so it's no surprise that they've found ways to make connections, build communities, and cultivate their identities amid the digital landscape. From making new friends, to staying worldly connected, and even participating in communities with shared passions and interests, Gen Z spends a lot of their time on social media, plugged into what's going on behind their screens.
However, there are also a number of unsuspecting consequences to overuse of social media and screen, many of which are already unveiling themselves for Gen Zers entering adulthood. For baby boomers, who grew up without social media — making connections, cultivating relationships, and learning in-person — it's not surprising that they value the face-to-face interactions that tend to spark anxiety for many young people.
However, this overuse of social media and the internet is exactly why spending less time online and more time leveraging the art of in-person connection is one of the admirable values boomers want to pass down that Gen Z could really benefit from.
3. Prioritizing family
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According to Medigap experts, baby boomers tend to value family time and traditional family values more than any other generation, feeding into daily habits like this one that promote quality bonding time. Whether it's an early dinner, checking in with their adult children, or providing occasional financial assistance to family members, baby boomers often prioritize maintaining healthy relationships at home.
Of course, this can occasionally spark tension with Gen Z adult children, who have taken to acknowledging their childhood trauma and opening up thought-provoking and sometimes uncomfortable conversations with their parents. By meshing these two generational values — family and emotional healing — both sides of the aisle can come together in a healthier way.
It's impossible to have truly healthy quality time as a family if you're not helping each other to feel heard, loved, understood, and supported. But sometimes, the opposite is true — to have those healthy conversations, you have to spend time learning and growing with each other.
4. Small acts of gratitude
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According to culture historian Lawrence R. Samuel, PhD, building community and finding ways to cultivate healthier relationships are two of the core values of baby boomers. From writing handwritten letters, to buying gifts for the hosts at parties, meeting their neighbors, and offering up acts of service to strangers in their communities, baby boomers find ways to leverage in-person connect to a greater degree than many Gen Zers.
Of course, considering Gen Z grew up almost exclusively online, it's not surprising that they're struggling with finding belonging in the real world — especially grappling with social anxiety, long working hours, and isolation. By learning from the daily habits that boomers use to craft their communities, Gen Z could transform their routines to make space for intentional social connection, gratitude, and unexpected conversations or support.
5. Calling over texting
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Compared to Gen Zers who prefer to text their friends and connect with people on social media, baby boomers are largely known for their preference for phone calls. Prioritizing values like sincerity and communication in their routines, baby boomers use phone calls to feel connected with others, using their tone of voice and nonverbal cues to better express themselves.
Like many of the other admirable values boomers want to pass down that Gen Z could really benefit from, there's a reason why young people prefer not to speak on the phone, but there are also many benefits to getting out of their comfort zone and trying something challenging that could add to their quality of life.
6. Bringing gifts for the host
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When people host a party, older generations, like baby boomers, tend to bring a gift, whether it's a plant, homemade baked goods, or a bottle of wine. No matter what it is, baby boomers are bringing a gift.
It's not just a generational habit that's been subtly forgotten amid a digital age, it's a piece of their collective values that's hard to overlook. For baby boomers, their personal values revolve around personal obligations and obeying expectations and rules, so it's not surprising that simple etiquette rituals like this are still flourishing amid baby boomers friend groups and communities.
RELATED: 11 Hidden Etiquette Rules People Often Break Without Realizing
7. Health and wellness
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Health and wellness is one of baby boomers' two largest values in their daily lives, and according to a Bank of America study, they also tend to spend the most money in the self-care and wellness industry compared to other age groups.
From taking daily walks, to finding self-care habits that personally gratify them amid stressful routines, and altering their routines as they age, being flexible and intentional about their health is one of the admirable values boomers want to pass down that Gen Z could really benefit from.
8. Early family dinners
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Many baby boomers tend to eat dinner much earlier in the evening, preferably with their families, embodying their overlapping family and health values. Of course, according to a study from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, there are many health benefits — like weight loss and regulating blood sugar levels — to eating dinner earlier in the day, helping baby boomers to look out for their health while still leveraging quality family time.
While it may not be intentional, baby boomers' collective values around family can manifest in a million different ways, but the ones Gen Z could really benefit from bring them away from their screens, urge them to empathetically communicate with parents who share differing values, and allow them space to look out for their health and wellness.
9. Waking up early
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Many baby boomers tend to wake up much earlier in the morning than their Gen Z counterparts, but not always for the reasons you might expect. In some cases, this routine is a result of aging, but for others, it's simply an embodiment of their values.
According to a study from Chronobiology International, people who wake up later in the day are more prone to experience anxiety and depression than those who wake up early.
Of course, many baby boomers simply wake up early for their own health and wellness — leveraging productivity in the morning, more time in the day, and their personal mood — but these mental health benefits could prove helpful for struggling Gen Zers.
Baby boomers tend to place a heavy emphasis on health and wellness in their lives, according to the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, which crafts their daily routine and habits like waking up early.
It's this general mindset that's important for Gen Z to adopt, over small habits like waking up early or walking outside, and that can make a genuine difference, especially as they navigate new stressors of adulthood and financial anxiety.
10. Using cash for everyday expenses
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Baby boomers carry and use more cash than any other generation, according to a survey from Empower, not just because they're somewhat mistrusting of credit cards and online banking, but because it gives them more control over their spending habits and general financial state.
Considering one of the most common boomer values is hard work — in their personal lives and in the workplace — it's not surprising that many people from this generation are intentional about where their money goes.
The money they've worked hard for is also the money funding their personal lives, so they budget well, using cash for everyday purchases and being intentional about saving for emergencies and retirement, and spend intentionally.
With Gen Z struggling to get their footing in adulthood and navigating a tumultuous economic climate, this financial habit, coupled with the intentionality of their values around saving money, preparing for the future, and working hard, could be the perfect stepping stone for younger people to learn from their older counterparts.
11. Reusing and reinventing
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From collecting antiques, to passing down heirlooms, and maintaining old-school hobbies like sewing that give them a chance to reimagine their old clothing and avoid spending on new items, reusing and reinventing are two of the admirable values boomers want to pass down that Gen Z could really benefit from.
Rather than fall into consumerist patterns and overspend on new clothes, household items, and status symbols, boomers tend to value traditional and old-school pieces. Whether it's jewelry from their family, fine china collections at home, or hand-me-downs that can be recycled and reworn, baby boomers spend a lot of money and cultivate peace of mind by living with these values in mind.
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.
