Things That Will End With The Baby Boomers

Things That Will End With The Baby Boomers


January 15, 2025 | Jesse Singer

Things That Will End With The Baby Boomers


Say Goodbye To...

Born between 1946 and 1964, the Baby Boomers are in their 60s and 70s today and still doing things and using things that many younger folks aren't. So much so that as we say goodbye to the boomers, we might also be saying goodbye to these items, ideas and actions...forever.

Photo Albums

No, not the Google photo album on your phone. We're talking real life physical photo albums with real life physical printed photos. Ya, we know—if you're under 30, none of those words make any sense.

Collection of Old Photographs and Photo AlbumsThiago José Amaral, Pexels

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Voicemails

Yes, younger people still make phone calls. However, a text or DM is often the first choice and if someone doesn't answer, you don't leave a message (they can see that you called on their phone).

Think about the last time you had a voicemail. Odds are it was either from a business confirming an appointment or from someone over 60. And let's not forget...

A smiling blonde woman listens to a voicemailKrakenimages.com, Shutterstock

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Leaving Date, Time, And Name In Voicemail

"Hi, it's Dad. It's 1:30, Thursday afternoon..."

Finger dialing phone callRDNE Stock project, Pexels

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Wearing A Suit And Tie To Work

It started with casual Fridays and we've been adding more days of the week ever since.

Portrait Photo of businessman thinking while leaning on a gray wallYuri A, Shutterstock

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High Interest Rates

If you thought the interests a few years ago were high, just ask your parents about the 70s and early 80s. We're talking 7,8,9%—even hitting 16% in 1981. Never say never of course—but it seems unlikely we will get that high again.

Close-Up Shot of an Agent Pointing Rates with a BallpenRDNE Stock project, Pexels

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Checks

Think about the last time you saw someone write a check? How old were they? There are surely many people reading this who have never written a check in their lives. And never will.

Close-up Of A Businessperson's Hand Giving ChequeAndrey_Popov, Shutterstock

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Manual Transmissions

One source put the percentage of manual cars sold in the United States in 2023 at just 2.5%.

Close-up of Hand Holding Manual Gear BoxUlrick Trappschuh, Pexels

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Formal Living Rooms

For all you young people: A formal living room was a full room in the house that was only used when guests came over. It also usually had nicer furniture and accoutrements than did the regular living room that was used by the family 99% of the time. And not only was it only used when guests came over—you were not allowed to step foot into it at any other time.

A Family Sitting Together in a Living RoomAnna Shvets, Pexels

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Couches Wrapped In Plastic

This one pretty much ended with the parents of boomers—but there were probably a few boomers who kept the annoyingly noisy and uncomfortable tradition alive.

A Family Sitting on Couch Covered with PlasticMART PRODUCTION, Pexels

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Cable

The cord-cutting began years ago and with the proliferation of streaming services, it's only gotten worse (for cable companies, that is). From just under 100 million cable household subscribers in 2017, that number now sits under 70 million in the United States—not to mention the fact that close to 80% of cable subscribers are over 60 years old.

Children watching TV in the 70sAnton Vierietin, Shutterstock

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Email Forwards

It will be nice not to have our email filled with these kind of subject lines anymore: Re:fwd:fwd:fwd:fwd:fwd: funny

Photo Of Woman Sitting On GroundTaryn Elliott, Pexels

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Organized Religion

No, we definitely aren't predicting the end of religion. That's not going to happen. However, we can point out that 68% of 18 to 49-year-olds are religiously unaffiliated—as compared to 18% in the 80s.

A Priest in Cassock Looking at the People inside a Churchcottonbro studio, Pexels

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Cash

Again, like religion, we aren't predicting it will go away completely. But think about how often you tap and swipe as opposed to pull out cash from your wallet to pay for anything. You might've also noticed more and more businesses popping up with signs saying "Cash Not Accepted".

A Person Holding Cash MoneyTima Miroshnichenko, Pexels

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Newspapers

There is something special about sitting at the kitchen table in the morning, reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee. But while you'll still find boomers participating in said ritual—most folks under 60 have replaced a physical newspaper with an iPad or phone (and we're just going to assume they are reading the news and not scrolling Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok).

Piles of bundled newspapers on the floor.Joe Gingerich, Pexels

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A Job Means Everything

For many boomers, their job was the most important thing. We can't imagine any boomer ever heard, let alone used the term work-life balance throughout their work lives.

And while we're on the topic of jobs...

A Man working on his desk.Tima Miroshnichenko, Pexels

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9-5 Workday

We will always love the Dolly Parton song, but it probably won't be too long before the idea of working from 9am until 5pm every day is oh, so very antiquated for most people.

Elderly Man at WorkTima Miroshnichenko, Pexels

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Hats Off At The Table

Have you ever gotten an angry look from a baby boomer? Wear a hat to the dinner table and you will.

Woman in a Black Hat and Lace BlouseMâide Arslan, Pexels

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Landlines

If you're wondering why forms still have separate fields for "mobile phone" and "home phone"—baby boomers are why.

White Corded Telephone on Brown TextileLeah Newhouse, Pexels

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The Good China

Not the country. We're talking about the fancy dishware sets that, like the formal living room, were only to be used when guests came over. For folks under 50, plates aren't for saving, they're for using.

Handmade Plates On a TableSümeyye Başbil, Pexels

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Movie Dates

Partly because there are fewer quality movies being made (there are only so many sequels and superhero movies one can take)—and partly because these days it's easier to just Netflix and chill.

A Grayscale of a Couple Watching in a CinemaPavel Danilyuk, Pexels

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Asking A Father's Permission To Marry His Daughter

Some Gen Xers still do it, but it's been the exception rather than the rule for a long time now.

Father talking to a younger man outsideAny Lane, Pexels

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Handwritten Letters

It's rare getting a handwritten letters via snail mail at all these days—but even rarer is getting one hand written by a person under 60 years old.

A Person Holding a Pen and a Piece of PaperKoolShooters, Pexels

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Fax Machines

Raise your hand if you still have a fax machine? Put your hand down if you were born after 1964... we're just going to assume that very few hands came down.

A Canon FAX-L240 fax machineDonald Trung, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Encyclopedias

Honestly, we're not sure they even produce physical encyclopedia books anymore. Which means that most of the ones still in existence probably reside on bookshelves in the homes of Gen X and millennials' parents.

Macro Photo of Brown Book EncyclopediasPixabay, Pexels

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The Yellow Pages

Really? We're pretty sure even baby boomers don't use those big yellow phone books anymore.

A close-up image of an open yellow-paged phonebookKatie, Flickr

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Owning A Home

Sure, there are plenty of Gen Xers, millennials, and probably even a few Gen Zers buying homes. But it isn't as important to the younger generations as it was to baby boomers. It was expected, it was what you did. And yes, housing prices are keeping a bunch of people from home ownership, but plenty are very happy to rent, even if they could afford to buy—many even see it as the smart financial move.

Man in Black Suit Standing Opening The DoorAndrea Piacquadio, Pexels

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Harley Davidson

Once a symbol of rebellion, Harley Davidson is now that really loud bike the old guy in your town drives around.

Harley-DavidsonRemi Jouan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Having 2.5 Kids

1977 was the last year that the average American family had more than two kids. The number was 2.01 in 1977 and dipped to 1.96 in 1978. It's never been higher than 1.95 since.

The Brady Bunch 1970 Episode ABC Television., Wikimedia Commons

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Retiring At 65

Go to school, get a job, work 9-5, by a house, have 2.5 kids, retire at 65. That was how it was for the parents of baby boomers and for most of the baby boomers themselves. We've already talked about the changing work landscape as far as work-life balance and the disappearing 9-5. Whether it's retiring early or having a few side hustles and lines of passive income—the traditional retirement structure is going away.

middle aged couple making plans for retirementfizkes, Shutterstock

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