Generations argue over who has endured the most tech changes, from flip phones to AI: ‘No wonder Baby Boomers get so cranky'

New York Post

2 days ago

It's the ultimate digital bragging rights battle — which generation witnessed the most tech changes in their lifetime?
A viral Threads post from @iblamekaixin lit the fuse on July 31, racking up over 353,000 views and nearly 30,000 likes: 'THERE'S A GENERATION THAT WITNESSED THE WORLD GO FROM NO INTERNET, TO BUYING THEIR FIRST COMPUTERS, TO USING FLIP PHONES, TO ADOPTING THE IPHONE, AND NOW, EXPERIENCING THE RISE OF AI. THAT'S CRAZY.'
Cue the generational cage match.
'It's called GenX,' snarked one user.
But Gen Z wasn't letting that slide. '…it's Gen Z. majority of Gen Z too. gen z wasn't born yesterday like older people think,' fired back another.
Boomers had their receipts — and their reasons to be cranky. 'And we have had to reassemble our music collections half a dozen times. No wonder us Baby Boomers get so cranky these days,' an older person fired back.
4 A viral Threads post sparked a fierce online battle over which generation has ridden the wildest tech wave—from no internet to AI.
Mikalai Saevich
Others turned nostalgic. 'We watched the world go from analog to digital in real-time,' an additional commenter wrote. 'From burning CDs to streaming everything on demand. From landlines to smartphones that replaced 10 different devices.'
Some are even rewinding. 'And I am now reversing it all. Going back to flip phone, CDs in the car, getting rid of social media and entertainment apps, and regulating my nervous system,' declared someone else.
Experts say millennials might have the strongest case for the crown.
'What's unique about this generation's relationship with technology is that they didn't grow up with the expectation that every interaction would be mediated by a screen—and yet they have become deeply fluent in it. That fluency is both a bridge and a burden,' Elika Dadsetan, executive director of VISIONS, Inc., told Newsweek in a recent interview.
4 Gen X, Gen Z, and Boomers all threw shade, each claiming their own tech grind deserves top bragging rights.
Christina Muller, an elder millennial and licensed workplace mental health strategist, agreed, telling the outlet, 'We're the only generation to have straddled both an analogue and advanced technology world.' Unlike Gen Z, she said, there was no digital map — only constant pivoting.
Millennials, Muller noted, 'know the thrill of laughing with friends more often than typing 'haha' on our devices.'
And as one commenter reminded everyone: 'The peak irony is that it's the same generation that grew up with all apocalyptic sci-fi movies where humanity gets controlled by artificial intelligence and robot.'
From cassette tapes to ChatGPT, the generational scoreboard may never be settled — but at least everyone can agree on one thing: nobody misses the sound of dial-up.
4 Boomers came armed to the comments section of the Threads post with receipts — and plenty of reasons to be grumpy.
neenho_
And speaking of things that make older generations clutch their pearls, Gen Z's latest workplace stunt has the internet in a full-blown comment war.
As previously reported by The Post, Gen Z has already built a rap sheet of office crimes — mumbling into phone calls, showing up dressed for laundry day — but one intern just raised the bar.
A young hire at an AI startup told their boss they were taking a vacation because their 'energy felt off,' according to a viral Reddit post from the stunned supervisor, who even shared the last-minute email for proof.
Supporters hailed the blunt message as peak Gen Z confidence and a step toward healthier work-life boundaries, while critics slammed it as unprofessional and entitled, warning such moves could sink future job prospects.
4 Experts say millennials have the strongest claim to tech crown—they didn't grow up glued to screens but mastered digital life anyway, making their tech fluency both a gift and a grind.
Liza Fernandez
The dustup reflects a broader generational clash over workplace norms, with Zoomers unapologetically prioritizing well-being — even if it ruffles corporate feathers.
whether you're Team Flip Phone or Team AI, one thing's clear — the tech wars aren't over, and neither is the battle for office etiquette.