F.D. Flam, Columnist

There’s No Such Thing as Millennials or Boomers

Generational labels get people fired up, but they’re science fiction.

Let’s be honest, we all take selfies

Photographer: Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images
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Most of the stereotypes tied to so-called generations are ugly and insulting — whether it’s the greed and materialism associated with “boomers,” the narcissism and entitlement associated with “millennials,” or the aimlessness associated with “Gen X.”

Such unpleasantness is not only mean-spirited but also scientifically wrongheaded. The closer researchers look, the more arbitrary they find the boundaries between so-called generations. There’s no evidence that any sorts of personality traits or character flaws go along with so-called boomers, Gen X-ers, millennials or members of Gen Z.