Younger generations love to point out what our generation still does that they consider behind the times. Landlines. Paper maps. Greeting cards in the mail.
Here is our take: a lot of what they call outdated, we call dependable. And the numbers back us up more than you might think.
We Still Pick Up the Phone
A recent survey found that 70% of adults aged 18 to 34 prefer texting over an actual phone call. Research shows that half of all baby boomers, on the other hand, talk regularly over the phone, second only to the Silent Generation before us.
There is something to be said for hearing a real voice.
And Many of Us Still Have a Landline
Half of Americans over the age of 65 still have a landline at home, according to recent data. In the UK, less than 30% of Gen Zers live in a house with one. Funny how the thing they think is gone is still right there on half our walls.
Cursive? We Can Read It
The Atlantic recently reported anecdotal evidence that two-thirds of Gen Z cannot read cursive writing. We spent years learning it, and it shows. That looping penmanship on a birthday card or a handwritten note still means something.
E-Readers Are Actually Ours
Here is a surprise. When everyone assumed digital reading would replace physical books, it was our generation that took to e-readers most. One recent survey found that 1 in 8 boomers owns an e-reader, compared to barely 1 in 12 among all other generations combined.
We Book Trips on a Whim
2026 data shows that retired boomers are a staggering 200% more likely than younger generations to book a vacation on the spur of the moment. While younger folks are busy saving up, we are already at the gate. That is one of the genuine pleasures of this stage of life.
Facebook Is Still Ours
In one recent survey, 88% of boomers said they had used Facebook in the past three months, 11% higher than Gen Z. More tellingly, 73% of boomers use it to keep in touch with family. Only 44% of Gen Zers say the same. And 62% of us check in every day.
We use it to actually connect. Imagine that.
We Iron Our Clothes
It may sound small, but 90% of boomers say they own an iron. Meanwhile, 3 in 10 adults aged 18 to 34 do not own one and admit they never iron. Crisp clothes still matter to our generation, and there is nothing wrong with that.
We Stick With What We Trust
A quarter of boomers say they rarely or never consider a brand other than one they already know, making our generation the most brand-loyal of any. We found what works. We stick with it. Other generations are quicker to jump around, but loyalty has its own value.
Home Shopping Still Has a Following
QVC’s audience skews heavily toward the 50-and-older age bracket. That said, 80% of first-time QVC buyers in one recent report were aged 25 to 44. Looks like the younger crowd is catching on.
We Watch Real Television
On average, boomers watch five hours of traditional television every day. Millennials average 90 minutes, and Gen Z watches less than an hour. We grew up with TV as the center of the living room, and it still holds that spot for many of us.
Cop Dramas Are Our Shows
Police procedurals account for half of all scripted dramas on the four main U.S. TV networks. Among viewers aged 18 to 49, cop shows accounted for just two of the 10 most-watched programs. Their audience continues to skew older, meaning it is largely ours.
We Watch the News
A full 95% of people aged 65 and over watch some form of cable news channel every week. Only 15% of Gen Z does. Staying informed has always been important to our generation, and that has not changed.
We Still Read the Paper
News has moved online and onto social media, but 37% of boomers still regularly buy a print newspaper. Only 11% of those aged 18 to 29 do. There is something about holding the paper and reading it with your morning coffee that a screen just does not replace.
The Thumbs-Up Emoji
The thumbs-up is the most-used emoji among boomers, with 52% of those aged 60 to 78 using it in a recent survey. Gen Z, meanwhile, has apparently decided it reads as passive-aggressive. They prefer the Call Me Hand emoji (the one with the extended little finger) instead. Who knew a simple thumbs-up could cause so much controversy?
Restaurant Manners Matter to Us
One recent article noted that boomers are more likely to send food back to the kitchen. A 2025 survey reported by Yahoo also ranked boomers as the lowest tippers, averaging 16.4% compared to the Millennials’ 19.4%. We will let you draw your own conclusions on that one.
We Can Read a Paper Map
A 2019 survey in the UK found that a majority of adults aged 24 to 38 would struggle to read a paper map and rely entirely on their smartphones. Fifteen percent of Millennials had never read a paper map at all. Meanwhile, our generation can fold one; well, mostly.
We Still Write Checks
Half of all Americans have not written a paper check in the past year. But 22% of those aged 65 and up wrote one in the last month. Old habits, especially reliable ones, die hard.
Our Email Addresses Give Us Away
Gmail is the most popular email provider across all generations, but boomers are the most likely to hold onto older addresses. Twenty percent of boomers have a Yahoo email address. Eleven percent still have an AOL address. Only 1% of Gen Z can say the same.
All Caps and Ellipses
Ellipses, all-caps messages, and random capitalizations have been identified as elements of what researchers call “boomerspeak”, a communication style that younger generations have largely moved away from. We just call it emphasis.
And We Send the Most Greeting Cards
While Millennials spend the most money per greeting card, boomers buy and send the most individual cards of any generation, according to Hallmark. Because some things (a birthday, an anniversary, a get-well wish) deserve more than a text.
So yes, some of what we love may be considered old-fashioned. But a lot of it is simply good. And judging by a few of these numbers, younger generations are slowly figuring that out too.
