A group where we all pretend to be boomers
Type of site | Facebook group |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| URL | Official page on Facebook |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Users | ~283,000[1] |
| Launched | 12 May 2019[2] |
| Current status | Online |
A group where we all pretend to be boomers is a Facebook group created in May 2019, for users – the majority of whom are millennials and in Generation Z – to pretend to be baby boomers. The group has been described as "digital larping".[3] The members of the group post in the manner of a stereotypical internet user from the baby boomer generation.[4][5]
Content
[edit]The group was created in May 2019 by two 20-year-olds.[5][6] Membership of the group grew rapidly in late June 2019 following a tweet which went viral,[7][8] and in July 2019, the group had roughly 10,000 posts per day.[9] The majority of group members are millennials aged between 23 and 28 years old,[5] however there are members of all ages, including those from the boomer generation itself.[10]
Members of the group post in character as a stereotypical baby boomer.[11] The style of speech used in the group has been termed a register called "boomerspeak" by linguist Gretchen McCulloch.[12][13] Examples of this manner of speech include posts with spelling mistakes, posts written in all capitals,[9] non sequiturs, and the large use of GIFs of Minions.[10] Due to older people more readily sharing fake news on Facebook, many members ironically post fake news in the group, in imitation.[14]
As older people are stereotypically seen as being more conservative,[15] there have been posts which imitate the perceived style of conservative baby boomers, using racist or bigoted language.[7][14] This has caused problems, as Facebook does not largely moderate private groups itself, but leaves it to the group moderators, and so some posts have to be deleted. Some of the group's moderators have called on Facebook to provide more guidance on what is and is not allowed on the platform.[7] Multiple occasions of Australian Facebook groups being "zucced" (banned by Facebook) has prompted the creation of an independent forum called A Forum Where We Pretend to Be Boomers.[16]
Response
[edit]The group has been described as being successful for several reasons, including its comedic properties, envy of the boomer generation from the younger generations, and as a reaction to the often negative stereotyping of millennials by older people. Dr Elissa Perry said in The Guardian that "a very common reaction to stereotyping is the denigration of the other".[10] Other sources, including ORF, have described this as being part of a "generational conflict", which has been linked to the political climate, where old and young people broadly disagree on political topics.[17][18][8]
The group has led to several spin-off groups, including "a group where we all pretend to be millennials", "a group where we all pretend to be ants in an ant colony" which attracted over 1.8 million members,[1][19][20] and "a group where we all pretend to be boomers pretending to be millennials".[2]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Bridge, Mark (12 August 2019). "Baby boomers hit back at millennial mockery on Facebook". The Times. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ a b Sisley, Dominique (6 August 2019). "Inside the Weird Facebook Group Where People Roleplay as Baby Boomers". Vice. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ Smith, Adam (12 July 2019). "Why are people using Facebook to pretend to be baby boomers, influencers and possums?". Metro News. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ a b c Frishberg, Hannah (10 July 2019). "The dumbest things baby boomers do on social media, according to millennials". New York Post. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ Bote, Joshua (31 October 2019). "Why are Gen Z and millennials calling out boomers on TikTok? 'OK, boomer,' explained". USA Today. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- ^ a b c Longo, Joseph (9 July 2019). "Facebook's hilarious 'Pretend to be' groups are struggling with the social network's moderation problems". MEL Magazine. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ a b Stevens, Ashlie (30 June 2019). "Why so many people love roleplaying as Baby Boomers". Salon. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ a b Michael Andor Brodeur (4 July 2019). "In Facebook groups, becoming who you aren't". Boston Globe. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ a b c Matei, Adrienne (9 July 2019). "Meet the millennials pretending to be baby boomers on Facebook". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ Currie, Richard (4 September 2019). "How do you do, fellow kids? Facebook now Boomerbook as British oldies outnumber teens". The Register. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
...the Facebook group called "A group where we all pretend to be boomers". Members basically attempt pitch-perfect posts as if they were in that 65+ age bracket
- ^ McCulloch, Gretchen (20 December 2019). "'Boomerspeak' Is Now Available for Your Parodying Pleasure". Wired. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- ^ Doctorow, Cory (20 December 2019). "Codifying "Boomerspeak" and debating the ethics of poking fun at it". Boing Boing. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Generationenstreit | Wenn Millennials auf Baby-Boomer machen". Kleine Zeitung (in German). 10 July 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ Resnick, Brian (1 July 2016). "Do we really become more bigoted with age? Science suggests yes". Vox. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "A Forum Where We Pretend to Be Aussie Boomers - Rules". A Forum Where We Pretend to Be Aussie Boomers. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ "Posten wie Opa: Onlinekampf der Generationen" [Posting like Grandad: Online battle of the generations]. ORF (in German). 10 July 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ Smith, Samantha; Maniam, Shiva (20 March 2017). "Younger, older generations divided in partisanship and ideology". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ Klein, Matt. "Absurdist Facebook Groups Are Thriving In The Pandemic". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
- ^ "The Hottest Facebook Group Of The Coronavirus Pandemic Is One Where Everyone Pretends To Be Ants". BuzzFeed News. May 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-07.