Let’s get this out of the way. Gen Z is cool. But sometimes, the stuff they’re all hyped about isn’t exactly “new,” and it’s often because boomers already did these things before, sometimes decades ago. The difference is that they did it without the phone cameras or hashtag energy. Let’s look at 15 things Gen Z thinks are new, but boomers did first. If you thought your latest aesthetic discovery was brand new, you might want to check with your grandparents first.
Wearing Crocheted Clothing
There’s a lot of hype right now around crochet outfits, especially from small shops and festival brands, but this stuff wasn’t new in the 2020s. Boomers remember walking around in handmade tops and vests that their aunts made for them. They’d find crochet patterns in craft magazines right next to the casserole recipes, although they didn’t necessarily wear these clothes for likes. They just thought they looked cool.
Drinking From Mason Jars
You’ll see mason jars all over Instagram now, with Gen Z using them as cups for iced matcha or bowls for overnight oats. But back in the day, these jars were just what people had in the cupboard. Boomers used them because they canned peaches or tomatoes quite regularly, and when those were gone, the jars became cups. The older generation simply grabbed the nearest clean glass, which happened to be a jar with a dented metal lid.
Doing Cold Plunges
Jumping into freezing water for health isn’t a new thing, even though Gen Z might talk about hearing it in a podcast. Boomers did cold showers and ice dips in the ’70s in a way that was part recovery and part toughness. Practically everyone, whether they were athletes or people into natural remedies, gave it a shot, without any videos or hashtags. It was just boomers, shivering, wondering if it was worth it.
Making Friendship Bracelets
While there might be a wave of Gen Zers making bracelets for concerts and events, just ask any boomer about summer camp in the 70s, and they’ll tell you all about it. Boomers remember spending hours knotting string into bracelets while sitting on a bunk bed, and they’d give one to their best friend or crush. If they were lucky, they’d maybe get one back. The older generation passed around patterns on folded papers, and nobody sold them on Etsy because it hadn’t been invented yet. They made them for fun and wore them until they fell apart.
Talking About “Clean” Ingredients
It’s no secret that lots of Gen Z skincare routines focus on “clean” labels, like paraben-free and fragrance-free. However, while boomers didn’t use the same words, they were already picky about ingredients when they were younger. Many stores in the past carried castile soap and herbal toothpaste, with boomers swapping out commercial stuff for products made with baking soda or essential oils. And yes, people read the labels, they just did it without making haul videos about it.
Talking About “Low-Waste” Living
Likewise, low-waste isn’t new, and before it had a name, boomers did it out of habit or because they didn’t want to spend extra money on things. They had milk that came in bottles that they’d reuse, as well as brown paper bags that boomers would save. Any leftovers went in old yogurt containers, not plastic wrap, and if something broke, they fixed it. There weren’t TikTok tips on bulk shopping. Instead, they just brought a bag and filled it, which was completely normal.
Intermittent Fasting
Despite what you might’ve heard, skipping meals for “wellness” isn’t new either. Boomers were big on diet culture in the ’60s and ’70s, with most of these diets involving eating very little. Some plans said to only eat once a day, while others involved fasting and then having grapefruit for dinner. Either way, while it wasn’t called “intermittent fasting,” it was a normal part of every new weight-loss trend.
Wearing Gender-Neutral Clothes
The idea of unisex or gender-neutral fashion may sound like a modern concept, but it was part of mainstream style decades ago. Many boomer celebrities, like Freddie Mercury and David Bowie, wore clothes that ignored traditional gender lines. Even regular teens wore oversized shirts and jewelry without worrying about whether it was “meant” for them, which is why some ’70s clothing ads started dropping gender labels. Many people were focused on wearing what they liked instead of trying to make a statement.
Thrifting Clothes
Scrolling through Depop or visiting the local thrift shop sure is cute. But boomers dug through bins at Goodwill and church sales in the 1960s, way before resale apps made it trendy. Teens would get secondhand army jackets and bell-bottoms, not because it was popular, but because they were cheap and cool. They’d sometimes buy used clothes, then customize them or cut them up for band patches. You’d even see some celebrities wearing vintage pieces offstage and on tour.
Plant Parenting
You’re not the first one to name your pothos “Kevin,” as boomers practically had whole jungles in their living rooms. Think spider plants hanging from handmade macramé and ferns exploding out of ceramic pots, as well as windows so packed with greenery you couldn’t even see the street. Practically the entire generation had a green thumb, yet nobody was posting about it. If there was a window, someone tried to stick a plant in front of it.
Wearing Mom Jeans
Gen Z may have given high-waisted, stiff jeans with no stretch a nickname, but for boomers, they were just jeans. In the 1980s, moms and everyone else wore these with tucked-in polos and big belts in a way that wasn’t ironic or styled. Instead, it was just what was at the store. Some people bought them a size too big just to make them more breathable. And yes, they always shrank in the wash.
Journaling With Stickers
Before it was aesthetic, boomers had a whole Lisa Frank phase that included sticker-covered planners and “deco” journals. In the ’70s and ’80s, kids hoarded puffy stickers and used gel pens to scribble notes to their friends in their notebooks. They’d put glittery locks on their diaries, which didn’t actually lock anything, and they doodled all over their math homework margins.
Upcycling Furniture
So you painted your dresser pink and added gold handles? That’s great. However, boomers remember sawing old doors into tables and turning milk crates into bookshelves long before YouTube DIYs. It was mostly because they had to, but also because it was fun to tell people that they made these things. Rather than relying on a Pinterest mood board, they just painted it whatever color they had leftover from the kitchen and hoped it didn’t wobble.
Burning Incense While Studying
If you look on TikTok, you’ll probably see lots of people talking about lighting incense while they do their homework as a kind of study hack. But in the 1970s, incense smoke filled every dorm room from Berkeley to Boston, whether it was patchouli, sandalwood, or nag champa. You could buy incense sticks at record stores and head shops, with some boomers burning it while reading and others just liking the smell. It’s not new.
Getting Into Astrology
Gen Z loves to share Co-Star screenshots like it’s something unique, but the truth is that boomers used to draw up full birth charts by hand. They’d read horoscopes in the paper and knew their moon sign by memory, so they’d plan dates around Mercury being in retrograde. This was long before there were apps to blame for breakups. Bookstores had full astrology sections, and people actually used protractors to map out the angles between planets.
Carrying Reusable Tote Bags
Tote bags are everywhere now, but the truth is that boomers were using slung canvas bags from co-ops in the ’70s. They weren’t trying to look cool. Instead, they were just trying not to use plastic. Some people made their own out of scrap fabric, and other people reused branded ones from natural food stores. Although the straps were always too short, and the bottoms sagged eventually, boomers still used them for everything.
Annoying Words That Are Overused by Gen Z
While some of these phrases may be fun and playful, others can be seen as repetitive or straight cringeworthy. In this age of social media and digital communication, these overused words and phrases can spread quickly and become ubiquitous, making it annoying to Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers.
Annoying Words That Are Overused by Gen Z
Things That Disappeared From Daily Life Without Anyone Noticing
No goodbye, no explanation, just a blanket deletion from the context of daily life as if they never existed in the first place. Those little things that used to affect our routine, bring smiles, or just made life. These are the things that vanished as we scrolled by, too busy to even notice.
Things That Disappeared From Daily Life Without Anyone Noticing