Perhaps no two groups are seen as more dichotomous than Gen Z and baby boomers. To Gen Z, boomers are old white men deeply out of touch with societal problems. To boomers, Gen Zers are lazy idealists who traded work ethic for participation trophies.

So, there is no way to reach both groups at once—right? In fact, these cohorts are unexpectedly similar and there are opportunities to create shared communities where both feel heard. To do so, we need to bust three myths about their incompatibility.

[Also read: 20 brands catching baby boomers’ attention]

Myth No. 1: Boomers are a traditional, collectivist cohort

As the first truly individualistic American generation, boomers actually ushered the shift away from a collectivist culture—rejecting the Vietnam-era military draft, growing out their hair, taking pride in deviating from the conformity of previous generations.

As young people, boomers experienced a spike in technology that fueled individualism—and creativity. “It’s difficult to imagine Steve Jobs being the same person or helping to create the same innovative products if he entered young adulthood in the communal 1950s instead of being born in the 1950s and entered young adulthood in the individualist 1970s,” writes Jean Twenge, Ph.D., in her book “Generations.” 

Boomers also suffered higher rates of suicide and depression than generations before and after (Twenge). Being the first kids to grow up in a hyper-consumerist and advertising-rich culture has been linked to boomers’ high drug and alcohol use. “We know for certain that baby boomers have a higher rate of depression than the generation before them,” writes Donald Malone, director of the Mood and Anxiety Clinic at the Cleveland Clinic. Technology and individualism—always encouraged to own more, do more, be better, look better—also drove despair. Sound familiar, Gen Z?

Gen Z similarity:
Individuality, creativity and self-expression are core pillars of the Gen Z ethos—branding themselves through digital tools and describing creative pursuits as essential. They see these qualities as vital to relationship building, self-realization and the ability to make a living. But they’re also drowning in wellness, wealth and self-improvement content. Social media and influencer culture has given Gen Zers a chance to learn anything they want, but also a toxic place to see everything they are not.

With 73% of Gen Z reporting feeling alone either sometimes or always, the U.S. surgeon general has raised an alarm on the “Loneliness Epidemic” (Forbes). Boomers actually suffer from higher rates of depression and nearly equal rates of anxiety (IPSOS). What if brands highlighted the commonality in these struggles and created spaces for Boomers to give Gen Z a wider life perspective—and for Gen Z to give boomers tips for accessing mental health resources on emerging digital platforms?

[Also read: 20 brands catching Gen Z’s attention]

Myth No. 2: Boomers cling to order and tradition in fear of new social ideals

The 1960s and ’70s were filled with protests, the Civil Rights Movement and a counterculture whose members advocated peace, love and social justice. Compared with other generations, politically motivated boomers dominated local and national offices, and hold the highest voting turnout of any group of 18– to 24-year-olds before and since. And in 2020 they again had the highest voter turnout of any generation at 76% (Twenge). This is a generational difference, not an age difference. 

Gen Z similarity:
Much like boomers, Gen Zers are highly politically active and socially conscious, already having spawned popular movements around issues including climate change, gun control and abortion. Boomers are also synonymous with the explosion and recognition of women in corporate America. What if brands created more spaces for boomer and Gen Z women to discuss gender dynamics and opportunities to improve the workplace together? What if brands encouraged Gen Z to vote by highlighting boomer’s continuously high participation and the associated results?

Myth No. 3: Boomers are sober prudes

Boomers ushered in an era of sexual liberation—becoming the first generation to openly discuss sex, drugs and mental health. “They fought on the front lines of the sexual revolution. They took sex out of the bedroom and put it on Madison Avenue. And 40 years later, they're still at it,” wrote Emmy Award-winning journalist Diana Olick.

Gen Z similarity:
Gen Z has mirrored boomers’ attitudes on sex and drugs (no 18- to 24-year-olds to this day consumed more cannabis than boomers) by helping grow the emerging legal cannabis marketplace (Bloomberg). Both groups deeply upended the sexual conventions of their time—boomers with premarital sex and number of partners and Gen Z with double the number of bisexual identifiers than the generation before them. Today, nearly one-third of American Gen Zers identify as LGBTQ, and nearly 60% believe that there should be an option besides “man” or “woman” on forms that ask about gender (IPSOS).

While boomers largely disagree with Gen Z’s modern extension of progressive gender constructs—namely that gender is a spectrum rather than a binary structure—this represents an opportunity for Gen Z to use Boomer’s progressive history on this topic as a jumping-off point for new conversations. 

And, instead of focusing on the generational differences in sexuality (According to IPSOS, 84% of boomers are attracted only to the opposite sex compared with just 52% of Gen Z) what if we highlighted the shared courage of our respective progress—the emphasis on choice over tradition shown by each cohort in their youth. Or the fights they have in common, such as boomers’ fight for LGBT rights or the Gen Z women who led the Women’s Rights Movement during the “second wave” of feminism. What if brands connected boomer advocates with emerging Gen Z creators?

By acknowledging these parallels, we can shift some of our focus from the differences and lean into our similarities to build stronger shared communities and impact positive change. We have become so quick to judge each respective generation without acknowledging behavior and progress in the contexts and technologies they were experienced within. I sincerely believe there is an untapped opportunity for brands and other organizational leaders to win with both groups by harnessing the shared traits we’ve otherwise chosen not to see.

Sources:
Twenge, Jean M. “Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents--and What They Mean for America’s Future” Atria Books, 2023. 

forbes, gen-z-the-loneliness-epidemic-and-the-unifying-power-of-brands

vote2020project.adcouncilkit.org

bloomberg.com, newsgen-z-prefers-marijuana-or-shrooms-to-alcohol .

ipsos.com/, topline_gendersexuality_identity_