Annoyed at how boomers are so out of touch with the cost of living today, one Reddit user suggested that there should be a show named ‘Ask Boomers What They Think Rent Costs.’
Over Privileged
The shown request was promoted by the dismay that privileged boomers seem to think young people have it easy these days, professing how hard it was for them to grow up. The show’s premise would be a YouTube platform where people are interviewed on the street to ask boomers how much they think rent and mortgage costs are and how many work hours would be needed to pay for it.
The original poster (OP) goes on to say that they would revel in seeing the faces of the boomers when they realize that they have no idea about the difficulties facing young people. For example, the poster believes boomers don’t realize that “they won’t have grandkids because their children can’t afford them.” You can imagine that the OP was not alone in his opinions, hence the opening-up debate on Reddit.
Readers of the post jumped on the comments straightaway to give examples of how the boomers in their life are so out of touch. One person said, “My adorably out-of-touch father is 72, and he asked how much a two-bedroom would be in Austin, TX. He said can’t be more than $800. I told him to try $1800-2000 at the minimum.”
Others told of their frustration that the government is responsible for all of this, saying, “Oh, the second the government realized they could monetize both adults in a household and use them as tax slaves, most lost the ability to live on a single wage.” One poster also pointed out that it may not necessarily be a boomer problem and suggested asking “the rich what they think rent costs.”
The enormity of the problem was showcased in this comment, “Just had my mom guess monthly infant daycare costs for two. She went $1200 because it was about $600 for two in the early 90s. So, of course, the cost is $3600. A huge societal failing is people not understanding cost growth vs. wage growth.”
Other posters stressed that boomers are not just out of touch when renting. One person said, “My in-laws did not believe me when I said my son’s health insurance had a $7k deductible.”
Some people despair at many aspects of boomer life and think the battle is lost, saying, “Explaining the cost of living to a Boomer is a waking nightmare, as it leads to the unending “you need to live within your means” lecture.”
It is pointed out on the thread that boomers will be in a place of need one day, saying, “Funny thing, these same boomers are now getting to the age of needing care. So it’s either one person who cares for them or off to a nursing home you go! It’s an impossible situation. I should know I’m in it.”
From the vibe of the thread, once boomers understand the struggles of younger generations, conversations can be had about the best ways to support them. This is possible when one young person commented, “I’m one of the lucky children who has a dad that at least learned about how much different the world is for us young adults now than it was for his generation.”
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Source: Reddit