Generational memes highlight humor, identity, and conflict
Every new generation fervently believes that they will finally bring order and peace to the world while blaming the ills of our planet on those who came before. But the generational wars took on a new face when memes were born. Taking to the internet to share stereotypes, truths, and quips about people from different generations is a great way to harmlessly poke fun at someone, and that's exactly what generational memes are for.
Let's take a look at some of the more popular versions of this meme trend.
The ‘OK boomer’ meme
"OK boomer" is one of the most divisive generational memes to have been created in recent years. Its exact origin is unknown, but the phrase began to crop up as a retort on 4Chan and Reddit as early as 2015. The catchphrase became widespread in 2019 when someone superimposed the phrase on the Doge meme.
The meme saw extensive use and transformation, with online users using it as a reaction image to mock outdated opinions from the baby boomer generation. The meme also migrated to platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter) and TikTok.
The ‘My Parents at 29 vs. Me at 29’ meme
This meme compares the lives, values, and opportunities of people in their 20s and 30s from the past to modern people. The meme usually uses Wojack comic characters, specifically Trad Girl and Yes Chad, and is written from the perspective of millennials.
The meme appears to have originated in 2020, from Redditor u/aCleverGroupofAnts, who posted this example of a generational meme in the r/dankmemes subreddit.
At least it isn't as expensive
by u/aCleverGroupofAnts in dankmemes
This generational meme quickly spread to Instagram, and other platforms, with users playing with various reactions in the bottom panel.
The ‘Millennials Are Killing’ meme
This generational meme started with older boomers bemoaning the repercussions of millennials' changing consumer habits. “Millennials are Killing” memes are used to mock the online think pieces that blame the millennial generation for their allegedly negative impact on the economy.
The memes started after a number of different publications put out articles blaming millennials for killing, among many other things, the movie business, the housing market, the golf industry, wine, and relationships.
The ‘It’s up to you to break the generational trauma’ meme
This meme is a cartoon panel showing generations of fathers yelling at their children until one finally stops and offers an affirmation instead, thereby breaking the generational trauma. The idea began circulating online in 2021, with a number of accounts across various platforms posting similar memes.
With younger generations coming of age, it’s only a matter of time before another generational group joins the meme wars. Thankfully, meme weapons don’t hurt as much as real ones, so the battles can continue for years to come.
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