Things I've Heard Boomers Say That I Agree with 100%

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

QR Menus, Apps, and Restaurant Experience

  • Many like QR menus when they allow full ordering and payment, reduce wait times, handle multiple languages, and are just mobile-friendly websites (not apps or PDFs).
  • Others strongly dislike them: worse UX than a big printed menu, accessibility issues (tiny text, glare, phone dependence), data collection/selling, and security risks from spoofed QR codes.
  • Some see QR/app ordering as eroding human interaction and the “hospitality” aspect of dining; others argue server interaction is mostly scripted and not meaningful anyway.
  • China is cited as an example where QR/app ordering and phone payments are ubiquitous and efficient, but also as a step toward a dehumanized, dystopian, hyper‑app world.

Streaming, Ads, Subscriptions, and Rewards

  • Disagreement over how different subscription TV really is from old cable/satellite: some say it’s still cheaper and often ad-free; others note that ad‑supported tiers are creeping in (e.g., Netflix, Prime).
  • Complaints about everything becoming a subscription and about security being used as a blanket justification for intrusive 2FA and forced updates.
  • Points/rewards systems are criticized as opaque; “money already solves this” but is avoided by businesses.

Participation Trophies and Recognition

  • Several say they rarely or never saw “participation trophies” and think the concept is overblown; others report getting them constantly in 80s–00s youth sports and martial arts.
  • Debate over whether marathon/5k medals and finisher shirts are just participation awards by another name, and whether that’s fine because finishing itself is an achievement.
  • Some find participation awards insulting, especially in winner/loser sports; others see them as harmless or positive mementos that encourage effort, noting that boomers largely invented the practice they now mock.
  • Analogies are drawn to corporate certificates, military ribbons, and tech-company swag as adult participation awards.

LED Headlights and Vehicle Tech

  • Split between people who love LED headlights (longevity, brightness, reliability) and those who find them dangerously blinding, especially in dark conditions or with eye sensitivity.
  • Distinctions made between:
    • OEM LEDs vs cheap retrofit kits in housings not designed for them.
    • Problems from misalignment, SUV/truck height, and beam patterns, not LEDs per se.
  • Discussion of adaptive/matrix headlights and dynamic masking (common in EU, slowly coming to US) as a potential fix.
  • Skepticism toward claims that LED assemblies “last for decades” and are cheap to fix; real-world failures of driver electronics and sealed units can be expensive.

Generational Labels and “Boomer” as Slur

  • Several report younger people using “boomer” to mean “any older person I dislike,” not literally the post‑WWII generation.
  • Some see this as ageist and note that age is a protected characteristic at work; repeated use could contribute to a hostile environment.
  • Others shrug it off as evolving slang and argue that generation boundaries are arbitrary and overused.

Other Points

  • Some technical quibbles with the article’s tone, jokes, and accuracy (e.g., emergency brake use, price of old Photoshop).
  • Agreement that tiny print and bad mobile UX are widespread and hostile to users.
  • Printed menus aren’t always cheap if professionally designed and repeatedly reprinted, though others say restaurants can and do update them frequently at low cost.