11 Things Boomers Think Are Status Symbols That Mean Nothing Anymore
Status symbols are often a reflection of our society's shifting values and beliefs.
shurkin_son | Shutterstock While status symbols have almost always been characterized in a game of "having what others can't," focused on material goods and consumerism, recent shifts in the collective experience and perception of wealth has altered the way we approach displaying our accessibility. With a modern focus on experience and mindfulness, many of the most influential and wealthy people don't just encompass their wealth by buying fancy cars and clothes, but leverage their free time, financial comfort, and freedom to enjoy life in a way financially strained people simply cannot.
Our status symbols as a society will always be changing, as a collective and community-focused acknowledgement of what we find most important. So, it's not surprising that today they revolve around experience and freedom rather than material goods. With that being said, depending on your generation, demographic, or community, those perceptions can shift — for example, there are certainly things boomers think are status symbols that mean nothing now.
Here are 11 things boomers think are status symbols that mean nothing anymore
1. Quiet luxury clothing
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Not everything is about quiet luxury anymore — carrying subtle designer purses, wearing elegant fancy clothing, or splurging on small jewelry pieces. While there are certainly still people making these investments, traditional luxury clothing items are no longer a sweeping spending habit for people with a great deal of wealth, but instead one of the things boomers think are status symbols that mean nothing anymore.
Especially amid the rise of "dupe options" and knockoff luxury brands, the people with the status, influence, and wealth to invest in fancy clothes are making a statement, hence the growing comeback and popularity of streetwear with bold and distinctive styles.
Coupled with younger generations' influence on the trend cycle, it's not surprising that more creative, bold, and individualistic styles are making a comeback, encouraging spenders with the means to craft a more unique personal style with brands taking eccentric risks.
Any modern trend illuminates this shift, whether it's outrageously chunky sneakers, liter Stanley mugs every teenager is carrying around, or high-end brands popularizing styles that literally take up the most space possible.
2. Airplane travel
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While a great deal of travel is still expensive and inaccessible for middle Americans struggling to pay rent and basic necessities, options like airplane transportation are much less expensive than they were a few decades ago. Even purely from a cost standpoint, research from Airlines for America suggests airfare prices, adjusted for inflation, have dropped by nearly 50% since the late 1970s.
While investing in an entire vacation may still be a luxury status symbol for those with wealth in today's economy, the general accessibility of hopping on a plane to go across the country is much less isolated for the wealthy and influential.
3. Organic foods and expensive groceries
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Coupled with rising costs and inflationary pressures on grocery prices, it's not surprising that many Americans are struggling to afford necessities and maintain food security in their homes. For many people, especially those with families, working multiple jobs, and still living paycheck-to-paycheck, grocery shopping is a stretch without strict budgets and planning.
However, many people, especially those in younger generations like Gen Z, are still splurging on groceries, despite being financially insecure — carving out money, making sacrifices, and budgeting extra money to ensure they have the money to support their nutritional needs.
So, while organic groceries and high-priced grocery stores like Erewhon and Whole Foods are largely inaccessible for most households, many younger generations are still figuring out ways to shop there, concerned with taking care of their well-being with fresh produce, vitamins, and organic food choices.
Are these options still expensive and inaccessible? Yes. Are they completely reserved for people with the freedom of financial comfort? Not necessarily.
4. Having a platform to share your opinions
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A few decades ago, prior to the inception of social media and accessible digital connectedness, having a platform to speak your mind and connect with people around the world was certainly a status symbol reserved for people with enough wealth, power, or influence to do so.
While the status of having a large following or greater influence on social media, like a full-time influencer may have on a platform like TikTok, has certainly become a status symbol in its own right, having access to a general platform to share opinions and reach thousands of other people is one of the things boomers think are status symbols that mean nothing anymore.
Not only can you simply log onto a social media platform and start sharing ideas, opinions, and perspectives, you can connect with people all around the world. It's no longer a battle or status symbol to connect with people worldwide, but rather a privilege of the modern digital landscape.
5. Real fur coats
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While fur coats are still considered expensive and exclusive, especially in modern days, according to research from Fashion and Textiles, they've been stripped of their label as status symbols for many generations looking to invest in luxury garments.
Coupled with the unethical nature of their production and the accessibility of information about animal cruelty in the fur industry, many people are not just turned off from buying fur coats, but celebrating and seeing them at all.
In fact, real fur coats haven't just transformed away from being positive status symbols for the wealthy, they're now collectively condemned and stigmatized by younger generations who often prioritize sustainability and ethical consumption, even for luxury goods.
6. Fax machines
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Just like any of the other technological advancements most of us have lived through, the "next best thing" is somehow always being replaced by something fancier, more efficient, and more cool as time goes on and our collective needs shift. From home phones, to fax machines, and desktop computers, nothing stays a status symbol forever.
While the excitement and exclusivity in baby boomers who were the first to experience the cutting-edge technology of fax machines was enough to solidify its label as a status symbol, this once-revolutionary concept for sending documents and messages without delay is now an outdated facet of professional life.
With email, personal laptops, and cellphones, the technology that once defined wealthy professionals a few decades ago has now been replaced by modern options.
7. Cellphones
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Similar to desktop computers and fax machines, cellphones have become one of the things boomers think are status symbols that mean nothing anymore.
While access to the Internet, accessible phone plans, and other subscription services do make owning a phone partially inaccessible for many demographics and households, the mere accessibility of getting and using a phone is much less exclusive in today's world than just a few decades ago.
Interestingly enough, with the slow-down of accessible modern technology like handheld devices, many people have gotten creative with exhibiting their wealth, like carrying around their iPhones without cases. While it seems silly for many people, the "caseless cellphone" is now a status symbol in its own right, exclusively for the people willing and able to replace a broken phone or a shattered screen.
8. Bold makeup
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While boomers do tend to invest a lot of money in skincare and cosmetic products, according to a study from Sooth, the styles and trends they follow are often much different than younger generations redefining the trend cycle, status symbols, and societal beauty expectations.
While bolder styles of makeup might have been the status symbol for baby boomers growing up — a way to physically show they were wearing the expensive makeup that not everyone could afford — today's beauty expectations are more subtle, in many ways.
Especially for millennials and Gen Xers, makeup is a way to cover up, rather than show off, often falling in line with broader anti-aging trends and filtered looks. So, while bold makeup like a blue eyeshadow or red lip may have been a performative display of wealth a few decades ago, it's become one of the things that boomers think are status symbols that mean nothing anymore now.
9. Plastic surgery and cosmetic work
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With greater accessibility to cosmetic work and plastic surgery in recent generations, it's not surprising that it's become less of a status symbol in recent years and more of a common expenditure for beauty upkeep.
Of course, a great deal of these procedures and smaller treatments are still inaccessible for middle- and lower-class people but, in general, they're not reserved specifically for the ultra-wealthy, in the same way they were a few decades ago.
With less taboo opinions and stigmatization around plastic surgery, it's not just become more accessible, but also more widely adopted — making pricing lower as more consumers and brands get into the industry.
10. Carpet
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Prior to the mid-1990s, "wall-to-wall carpet" was considered to be a household luxury — a status symbol for families furnishing their homes. With more space and money to splurge on household decor as baby boomers grew up, it wasn't uncommon for families to spend the extra money to put in carpet, both for practical comfort purposes and creative design.
However, with such an emphasis on convenience and efficiency in today's culture, with more people working long hours and spending less time at home, it's not surprising that carpet is one of the things boomers think are status symbols that mean nothing anymore.
Swapped for "vintage" hardwood floors and easy-to-clean surfaces, the new status symbol for home decor is clean, simple, and modern, giving people the freedom to spend their money on experiences, rather than simply consumerist home decor.
11. Watches
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With the accessibility of "dupe" watches and low-cost alternatives to luxury brands like Rolex, many people don't feel the need to splurge on expensive jewelry, especially subtle pieces like a watch. From a functionality perspective, technological accessibility has also made watches relatively unnecessary. Almost everyone has a cellphone capable of telling the time in an instant, so why splurge on a watch?
Of course, as the trend cycle continues and old status symbols subtly become popular again, it's possible that watches and many of the other things boomers think are status symbols that mean nothing anymore will become common signals of wealth and influence again.
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.