Why so many comment trolls are Boomers
If you’re a Gen Zer or a younger Millennial who’s an active content creator on social media, you’ve probably experienced your share of comment trolls.
Have you noticed that so many mean comments come from middle-aged men - i.e., Boomers?
I’ve noticed it on Facebook. Unlike other social media platforms, users on Facebook generally use their actual names and profile photos.
And to a fault, all the mean comments I’ve received whenever I’ve posted my content on that platform came from Boomers.
Why is this? And why are the vast majority of these comments coming from Boomer men as opposed to Boomer women?
First off - let’s discuss terminology. Within the context of the analysis which follows, “Boomer” is used as shorthand to describe any middle-aged person who behaves poorly towards the younger generation.
But not every middle-aged person is a Boomer. This aspect will be part of my discussion as well.
The Fortunate and Unfortunate
Middle aged people can be divided into two camps - those who’ve achieved the life goals of their youth (the Fortunate) and those who didn’t (the Unfortunate).
These goals can range anywhere from being in a happy marriage with a stable, good paying job all the way to becoming a world famous celebrity.
The Unfortunate
First, let’s talk about the Unfortunate - the camp that engages in typical Boomer behaviour.
The Unfortunate have reached the midpoint of their lives and they haven’t achieved the goals of their youth.
What’s even worse - they’ve peaked in terms of their potential. They’re never going to be anything more than what they are today.
As a consequence, they’re resentful. And they like to take out their resentment on young people.
The years that you have ahead of you directly correlates with your potential. The younger you are, the more time you have to develop yourself into something greater than what you are today.
And because they have no more potential, Boomers can be resentful of young people who have any semblance of ambition. And this explains why so many comment trolls are Boomers.
The Fortunate
In contrast, the camp which did achieve the dreams of their youth, i.e., the Fortunate, have nothing to be resentful about.
Do you think that this segment of the middle-aged population wastes time leaving troll comments on a stranger’s social media posts? That’s something only losers do.
Boomer Men versus Boomer Women
Men more inclined to engage in Boomer behaviour than Boomer women because they tend to be more resentful of their standing in life.
Why? Because of the societal expectation for men to be providers and the attendant pressure to become economically successful.
And if a man doesn’t achieve this by the time he’s entered into middle-age, he’s going to become resentful of his standing in life.
Consequently, he’ll be more inclined to engage in anti-social behaviour, such as online trolling.
Of course, Boomer women also engage in online trolling - they’re colloquially referred to as Karens - but not nearly as much as Boomer men.
How to deal with Boomers in the comments section
There are two approaches you can take when dealing with Boomer comment trolls.
The first approach is to use the insight that I’ve provided to you and belittle them. You’ll definitely touch a nerve and if you’re the vindictive type, this might make you really happy.
But be prepared for retaliation, especially if you’re operating your social media account using your actual identity - many of these men have nothing and hence they’ve got nothing to lose by coming after you, either online or in real life
The second approach is to be empathetic and let things slide by deleting their comment and blocking them rather than responding to them.
Why should you be empathetic?
Because if you don’t achieve your goals in the future, you may very well end up becoming one of them.