Bye bye Boomer – why Brits are refusing to play the generation game
- Eye-opening stats shatter myths around age stereotypes
- Calls for Brits to ditch “potentially harmful” generational labels
- Rising demand for closer, multi-generational living as Brits think twice about care homes
Facebooking grannies, knitting millennials and teetotal teens – the latest data shows that generational labels, such as Baby Boomer, Millennial and Generation X, and their associated stereotypes, could soon become a thing of the past.
Research conducted by leading granny annexe developer iHus has revealed the new hobbies and habits of generational Brits that are challenging traditional perceptions.
The research shows that pensioners are slowly becoming the dominant demographic on platforms like Facebook, which was initially launched for students, while hobbies like bingo and knitting are being discovered by youngsters:
- Facebook users in the UK aged 65 and over more than doubled between 2019 and 20201, while the number of 12–34-year-olds on the platform has fallen dramatically
- Bingo is proving more popular with Millennials and Generation Z than ever before, with 40 locations across the UK hosting sell-out events geared towards young people in 2021
- 30% of 16-to-24-year-olds class themselves as “non-drinkers” and are choosing to abstain from alcohol4
- TV programmes like The Great British Sewing Bee have led to a spike in young knitters, with one online shop reporting a 235 per-cent increase in sales during the pandemic5
- Nearly two-thirds (65 per-cent) of Brits aged 65 or over now own and regularly use a smartphone, compared to just 3 per-cent ten years ago6
The eye-opening trends are supported by a growing demand from Brits for multi-generational living, with an increasing number of families choosing to provide care for ageing parents either in their own home or in an adjacent granny annexe.
Research conducted by iHus7 shows more than one in five (22 per-cent) Brits now prefer to provide care themselves to an elderly relative, while just 16% say they’ll place them in a care home.
The results are backed up by a recent report from Aviva8, which shows that one in three UK households are now multi-generational, equating to 9 million homes in total.
iHus founder Trevor Smeaton, who has helped hundreds of British families discover the delights of multi-generational living, is calling on Brits to think twice about generalising Brits through the use of generational labels.
He said: “While labels like baby boomer and millennial are often used in a light-hearted way, stereotypes associated with age can be potentially harmful and create lines of division in society that ought not to exist in 2022.
“Our research and own data shows that Brits are turning their back on silly stereotypes and discovering new hobbies and ways of living not typically associated with people of their age. It also shows that they want to be closer to their parents in later life.
“We’ve seen first-hand the joy created by bringing generations together, while promoting independent living, and a spirit of individuality that is no longer bound by old-fashioned perceptions.”
