If there’s one thing we can agree on, it’s that life wasn’t easy for boomers when they were growing up. Their childhood was packed with some serious challenges that most Millennials and Gen Z people wouldn’t understand. They had to tough it out in ways we can hardly imagine today! So, let’s look at 10 of the major hardships that affected their lives and made them the resilient generation they still are today.
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No Quick Doctor Fixes
Getting sick and not having a nearby clinic to visit sounds like torture. Now, imagine not having a pill to pop that could make you feel better in no time, too—that was the reality for boomers growing up. Back then, a lot of what we now consider minor health issues could easily become serious. No MRIs and less effective treatments meant that all kinds of treatable diseases today were a real scare. Thank goodness things have improved now!
The Polio Panic
Speaking of polio, every Boomer kid and their parents were genuinely afraid of it. The fear of contracting polio haunted their summer vacations, with outbreaks peaking and public pools closing to prevent the spread. It wasn’t until 1955 that the vaccine rolled out and began to push back against this terrifying disease. Millennials should be grateful they grew up with polio as far less of an issue.
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Money Was Tight, Help Was Scarce
Let’s get one thing straight—economic downturns aren’t new. But back in the day, Boomers had fewer safety nets for those tough times like the ‘70s oil crisis. It was hard to get a job, even harder to keep one, and many things like unemployment benefits weren’t as strong. Sometimes, they weren’t even available. While millennials have their fair share of economic challenges, they generally have more support systems available today.
Drafted to War
During the Vietnam War, the draft was a specter that shadowed every young man. If your number got called, you were going off to fight no matter if you believed in the cause or not. Young boomer men had to live with this fear and didn’t know if tomorrow would be their last day with their loved ones. These days, voluntary military service has stopped millennials from suffering in the same way.
Fighting for Basic Rights
The civil rights movements were difficult to live through, yes, but they were part of a necessary fight for equality. Boomers lived through these struggles and many of them took to the streets to demand change for a fairer society. It was a firsthand fight for rights that didn’t simply involve posting hashtags on social media. No—millennials might think they understand social rights but they really have no idea.
Workplace Equality Was Just a Dream
For Boomer women, the workplace was unwelcoming & unequal since the legal protections we have today didn’t exist. Fighting for a place at the table was an uphill battle and the glass ceiling was more like a glass building. Of course, there’s still work to do but Millennial women have a much more level playing field now. And it’s all thanks to the hard work of the generations before them!
Breathing Easy Wasn’t So Easy
We can all agree that pollution is bad, although boomers grew up in a time when smog was just part of the skyline and rivers could literally catch fire from pollution. Today, millennials live with clearer skies & cleaner water, even though it’s still not perfect. But without boomers’ earlier activism, the world would be a lot dirtier than it is today. The fight for environmental rights would be nothing without that generation.
The Nuclear Shadow
Unlike most political battles today, the Cold War was far more terrifying and it cast a shadow of nuclear dread over everyday life. Boomers grew up doing duck-and-cover drills because they were genuinely worried about the nuclear apocalypse. It was a kind of constant existential dread that just became a normal part of life. Millennials don’t know what it was like.
Stuck in a Social Straitjacket
Society has always had a pretty rigid set of expectations for how you should live your life—what job you should have, who you should marry & how many kids you should have. But for boomers, those boundaries were stricter than ever and breaking out of that mold was tough. Millennials enjoy a lot more freedom to choose their paths. Sure, they still get some flack for their decisions but nowhere near as much as boomers did.
Information Blackout
Before the internet, getting your hands on information wasn’t as easy as a Google search. Boomers relied on limited TV channels and newspapers to learn things. Sometimes, they’d have to just use word of mouth. It often meant that they got news later and it wasn’t always complete or accurate. Now, instant online updates allow millennials to be the first to know about global events. Waiting for the news? That’s old-school.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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