Most teenagers use apps like Twitter and Tik Tok and many of them have heard the phrase ‘ok boomer.’ The term started out as a joke, poking fun at stereotypes of the baby boomer generation. Some examples include: they do not understand new technology, and they are always nitpicking millennials.

Now, more and more articles are popping up saying that ‘ok boomer’ is an ageist slur, some even going to the extent of comparing it to the n-word. But is it really? In my opinion, it isn’t. 

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a slur as a shaming or degrading remark. The term ‘ok boomer’ is just a joke that has gone viral across the internet. It is a meme and nothing more. Slurs are not directed at people in positions of power, they are meant to belittle those on the lower edges of society.  

Most people who use the phrase on the internet have the decency to not say it to an older person’s face. When it is used face-to-face, it’s usually a teenager, good-heartedly, poking fun at another teen. 

In some cases, the term is also a sort of come back when teens feel insulted by their elders. Many teens are fed up with the expectations adults place on them.

Over the years, economic changes have made housing, insurance, and college tuition costs skyrocket, putting Gen Z at a disadvantage. Even more insultingly, many older baby boomers call them lazy and too reliant on technology.

After all this, I’ll ask again: Is ‘ok boomer’ an ageist slur? My answer hasn’t changed. After all the insults thrown at Millenials and Gen Z, I think the term is more of a joke than a slur and if you say it is then: ok boomer.