What some call progress, others swear is the unraveling of everything they knew.
Boomers didn’t grow up with trigger warnings, pronoun introductions, or hashtags that could end a career overnight. So when they see institutions bending to social pressure, or celebrities getting “canceled” over things they said in the ‘80s, it doesn’t feel like accountability—it feels like instability. The world changed fast, and many older folks are left wondering if the rules even exist anymore. To them, the guardrails are gone and the loudest, most offended voices seem to be calling all the shots.
What’s called “wokeness” by critics often looks like an effort to include, question, and rethink—but for Boomers, it can feel like a wholesale rejection of everything they were raised to believe. Add in social media, generational tension, and a rapidly shifting political landscape, and it’s easy to see why some feel completely unmoored. These 11 reasons help explain why many Boomers blame wokeism for society’s supposed decline—even if younger generations see things very differently.
1. They see traditions being questioned instead of honored.
Many Boomers grew up with a clear sense of what was considered right, respectable, and normal. Holidays had meaning, flags mattered, and roles were clearly defined. Now, with long-standing traditions being reexamined or outright rejected, it feels like familiar values are being torn down without anything stable to replace them, according to Favour Alonge at Moveee.
When younger generations question the purpose of marriage, opt out of religion, or choose not to stand for the national anthem, Boomers often see that not as progress, but as chaos. They interpret it as disrespect, not evolution. And when tradition starts to feel like a punchline, they start to wonder what, if anything, still holds meaning.
2. They think freedom of speech has been replaced by fear of saying the wrong thing.
Boomers came up in a world where people could say a lot more without getting fired, canceled, or publicly shamed. Now, with every word subject to public scrutiny and potential backlash, it feels like free speech isn’t so free anymore, as reported by Dave Schilling at The Guardian. They often feel like they’re walking on eggshells—and many resent it.
The shift in language, especially around gender, race, and identity, feels less like growth and more like censorship to them. They don’t always understand the nuance, and instead of asking questions, many shut down or lash out. It’s not just about changing words—it’s about feeling like their entire way of communicating has suddenly become suspect.
3. They view cancel culture as mob rule instead of accountability.
Boomers tend to see cancel culture as overreaction, not justice. They look at someone getting dropped by a brand or blacklisted for a decades-old comment and think, “Is this really what we’ve become?” It feels like punishment without redemption—trial by social media, with no path to forgiveness, as stated by Farah Ibrahim at Cairo Scene.
What younger people call accountability, Boomers often interpret as hypersensitivity or digital vigilantism. They worry that people are being publicly destroyed without context, conversation, or a second chance. In their eyes, mistakes used to be teachable moments. Now, they feel like one wrong move can erase everything you’ve built.
4. They see identity politics as divisive instead of inclusive.
To many Boomers, the constant emphasis on race, gender, and identity feels like it’s pulling people apart rather than bringing them together. They grew up in an era where colorblindness was often the ideal—so when conversations shift toward equity and lived experience, it feels unfamiliar and even threatening.
They hear terms like “white privilege” or “toxic masculinity” and interpret them as personal attacks. Instead of seeing identity-focused movements as a push for fairness, they perceive them as a wedge—something that pits groups against each other and rewrites the social contract they thought they understood.
5. They think younger generations are too easily offended.
Boomers were raised with thicker skin—or at least that’s how they see it. Teasing, crass humor, and blunt opinions were all part of the culture. Now, with microaggressions, safe spaces, and call-outs, they often feel like anything they say could be turned against them.
They don’t always understand that what they call “just a joke” might genuinely hurt someone. To them, emotional resilience meant brushing things off—not naming and processing them. So when younger people speak up about harm or discomfort, it’s often misread as weakness or oversensitivity instead of emotional awareness.
6. They feel like masculinity and femininity are under attack.
Traditional gender roles—while flawed—gave Boomers a sense of structure. Men were providers, women were nurturers, and anything outside of that was fringe. Now, gender fluidity, nonbinary identities, and the dismantling of “manly” norms feel like foreign territory.
Some Boomers interpret these changes as an attack on the core of who they are or how they were raised. They feel confused or alienated when someone asks for gender-neutral language or challenges old stereotypes. Instead of seeing expansion, they often feel like everything familiar is being erased.
7. They see institutions bending too quickly to public pressure.
Boomers tend to value stability and structure. Watching corporations, universities, or entertainment brands scramble to align with public opinion feels like spinelessness, not leadership. When a company changes its logo or an organization issues a public apology, Boomers often see it as caving to outrage mobs.
They don’t trust rapid shifts in policy or branding, especially when they suspect those shifts are driven by fear rather than principle. To them, the world seems to be run by whoever yells loudest online—and that feels deeply unsteady.
8. They’re overwhelmed by rapid cultural change with no pause button.
Social norms have evolved at breakneck speed in the last two decades. Language, expectations, etiquette—it’s all shifted. For Boomers who had decades of one cultural reality, the constant updates can feel like whiplash. And instead of feeling curious, many just feel tired.
This kind of fatigue makes them less likely to engage with change—and more likely to resist it outright. It’s not just disagreement—it’s a sense of being left behind in a world that doesn’t slow down long enough for them to catch up. That disconnection fuels resentment and skepticism toward whatever’s “new.”
9. They believe wokeness prioritizes feelings over facts.
Boomers often lean on logic, hard data, and real-world outcomes to make their case. So when conversations center around emotional safety, language nuance, or internal experiences, it can feel ungrounded to them. They want proof, not just feelings.
To them, the idea that something should change simply because it makes someone uncomfortable feels backward. They worry that society is being driven more by emotion than reason, and that this shift could have unintended consequences. It’s not that they don’t care—they just struggle with seeing emotion as evidence.
10. They feel like they’re being judged for things that used to be normal.
What was once acceptable is now often labeled problematic—and that shift creates tension. Boomers find themselves apologizing for habits, phrases, or jokes that were common in their youth. They don’t always understand where the line is now, and they feel like they’re constantly being corrected or shamed.
This creates a defensive reflex. Instead of being open to change, they close off. They don’t see themselves as hateful or outdated—they see themselves as being unfairly vilified for playing by rules that everyone used to accept. That disconnect makes them less likely to engage in good faith.
11. They feel like they’ve been replaced in conversations that matter.
Boomers were once the center of the cultural conversation. Now, they feel like they’re being told to sit down, be quiet, and listen—or else. They’re watching younger generations rewrite the rules, call the shots, and decide what’s appropriate. And it’s hard not to feel erased in the process.
They don’t always oppose the message—but they do struggle with how it’s delivered. Being told they’re the problem, or that their voice is no longer relevant, stings. It feels like they’re being asked to disappear instead of evolve. And that, more than anything, makes them suspicious of what “woke” culture is really trying to build.