‘OK Boomer’: Gen Z’s TikToks reveal age stereotypes, study says
- TikTok offers an insight into the minds of Generation Z
- The phrase "OK Boomer" went viral on the app in 2019
- Young people believe baby boomers hinder "societal progress": Study
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(NewsNation) — A new study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, found that more than half of TikTok videos about baby boomers contain negative age stereotypes.
TikTok, which launched in 2016, offers an insight into the minds of Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, who are between the ages of 11 and 26.
The phrase “OK Boomer” went viral on the app in 2019, and the study reflects the “widespread beliefs among younger people that Baby Boomers are hindrances to societal progress.”
Baby boomers, born between the early 1940s to the early 1960s, are now between 59 and 77 years old.
| Generations | Born | Current Ages |
|---|---|---|
| Gen Z | 1997 – 2012 | 11 – 26 |
| Millennials | 1981 – 1996 | 27 – 42 |
| Gen X | 1965 – 1980 | 43 – 58 |
| Boomers II (a/k/a Generation Jones)* | 1955 – 1964 | 59 – 68 |
| Boomers I* | 1946 – 1954 | 69 – 77 |
| Post War | 1928 – 1945 | 78 – 95 |
| WWII | 1922 – 1927 | 96 – 101 |
CREDIT: BERESFORD RESEARCH
Researchers analyzed 673 videos with the hashtags #Boomer or #OkBoomer that collectively received over 5.4 billion views.
They found that 49.3% contained negative age stereotypes. Meanwhile, 79% related to “negative encounters with older adults,” 58% included criticisms of the older generation’s values and beliefs and 40% featured references to “older adults antagonizing the young”.
The significance of the study is vital in understanding how the older generations are being portrayed by younger generations, according to the researchers.
“From a practical perspective, this study provides insights into the mechanisms linked to negative stereotypes of older persons, which will in turn lay the foundation for improving their well-being as well as for cultivating intergenerational solidarity,” the study reads.
