Growing up, I remember hearing my parents and grandparents poke holes in ads and promotional stunts that I initially thought were genius.
At the time, I figured they were just being overly cautious. But as I got older, I realized they were onto something.
There’s a special brand of skepticism that people in the Baby Boomer generation (those born roughly between 1946 and 1964) bring to everyday life, and it often helps them see right through manipulative tactics and tall tales.
Today, I want to share seven reasons why boomers tend to have an almost superpower-like ability to detect nonsense before the rest of us. Let’s dive in.
1. They’ve lived through decades of marketing spin
As someone who spent over a decade in digital marketing, I know how quickly advertisers adjust their tactics to match cultural shifts.
Banner ads, pop-ups, email marketing, influencer campaigns—you name it, I’ve done it or seen it.
But if you compare today’s flashy social media ads to the jingles of the 1960s or the infomercials of the 1980s, there’s a common thread: persuasive language that aims to trigger an emotional reaction.
The older generation has literally watched the evolution of these spins. They remember the days when a single TV commercial could become iconic, and when billboards were cutting-edge advertising tech.
Because of this, they have a nose for spotting patterns—if an ad, message, or claim seems eerily similar to what they’ve seen hundreds of times before, they’re quick to call it out.
It’s not that they’re negative or cynical; it’s more that they’ve been around the block. They’ve watched the hype machine roll out product after product with “revolutionary new features.”
They know that half the time it’s just a rebrand or a slight tweak. And so, they’re less likely to buy into the buzzwords and big promises without looking deeper.
2. They rely on real-life experience, not just theory
Have you ever tried to argue with your parents or grandparents about something you saw on social media, only for them to shrug and say, “That’s not how it works in the real world”?
It’s one thing to read a viral post that claims “If you do X, you’ll get Y result in no time,” but it’s another thing to see how that idea holds up in actual practice.
Many Boomers have lived through recessions, job market fluctuations, massive cultural changes, and plenty of “latest and greatest” fads that never panned out.
Their nonsense radar is honed by the fact that they’ve tested claims against their own personal experiences.
They’ll spot inflated promises because they’ve been in situations where words didn’t match the outcome. Experience is the core of human interaction—no one can remove what you’ve seen and learned.
Boomers just have more years under their belt to develop that street-smart perspective. It’s not that they dismiss new ideas outright; they just want to see if it really holds water in practice.
3. They’ve lived through huge historical events that shaped their worldview
Talk to someone who remembers the Cold War.
Or someone who saw the effects of the Civil Rights Movement firsthand. Or perhaps they were deeply impacted by the Vietnam War. Whatever the event, the older generation has witnessed massive social, political, and economic transformations in their lifetimes.
Those historic shifts taught them that sweeping statements, sensational headlines, and dramatic predictions often need to be taken with a giant grain of salt.
When you’ve gone through moments of deep uncertainty, you learn to question the narrative you’re being fed. You’re also more aware of how fear, hype, and misinformation can spread when people don’t look critically at the facts.
This broader view of history makes them less susceptible to modern-day exaggerations—when something is being touted as “the biggest issue ever,” they’re able to compare it to other major upheavals they’ve already weathered.
And if it doesn’t measure up, they won’t hesitate to call it nonsense.
4. They appreciate old-school fact-checking
We live in a time where “fake news” is a buzzword and social media shares are taken at face value.
But back in the day, if you wanted to verify a claim, you often had to head to the library, talk to an expert, or consult a reliable encyclopedia. Sure, it was less convenient. But it also created a culture of doing a bit more legwork before accepting something as true.
Boomers grew up with that form of verification, and it shows in how they approach questionable stories or wild claims now. They want to see some proof—or, at the very least, a logical explanation—before they believe something.
In a world of infinite information, credibility is everything. While many of us might do a quick online search and skim the top result, Boomers often go a step further.
They might reach out to a friend who’s an expert in that field or recall articles they read from sources they trust. That inclination to double-check is like a built-in safety net against nonsense.
5. They’re not easily dazzled by new tech
I’ll admit: I’m often impressed by the latest gadgets. I follow tech launches, love new apps, and I’ve been guilty of standing in line for a new smartphone.
But I’ve also noticed that my mom or dad will ask me, “Do you really need that? What’s it actually solving?”
When you’ve lived through the entire arc from rotary phones to high-speed internet, you know how quickly “groundbreaking” can become old news.
Boomers have watched tech trends come and go—one minute everyone’s hailing the fax machine as game-changing, the next minute we’re emailing PDFs as attachments.
So when a fancy new device or app claims it will revolutionize our lives, the older crowd tends to react with some healthy skepticism. They ask practical questions: Does it improve life in a measurable way, or is it just hype?
This level-headed approach lets them sort through the nonsense and identify what might be truly valuable, versus what’s more flash than substance.
6. They value practicality over empty promises
I’ve mentioned this before in a previous post, but practicality is underrated in today’s society.
We get swept up in grand visions, elaborate marketing campaigns, or social media trends where everyone’s an “expert.” But the Baby Boomer generation often focuses on what actually works.
During my time in digital marketing, I noticed that older clients would ask me a lot of down-to-earth questions: “If we spend X on this campaign, what do we get back in real terms?”
They didn’t care if an idea looked cool in theory; they wanted something that tangibly benefited their bottom line or solved a real problem.
It might seem stubborn or even old-fashioned, but it’s a grounded approach that prevents them from getting caught up in every new fad.
Hype alone isn’t enough to sway them; they want to see results, proof, and a direct connection to real-life improvements. Because of that, they won’t hesitate to label something “nonsense” if it doesn’t align with real-world needs.
7. They trust their gut (they’ve honed it over time)
Last but not least, there’s something to be said for gut instinct.
After living through decades of evolving social norms, countless product launches, and global events, you develop an intuitive sense for when something feels off.
I remember talking to my grandfather about a get-rich-quick scheme that a friend swore by. My grandfather listened politely but quickly concluded it was hot air.
He couldn’t cite fancy research or produce a detailed cost-benefit analysis; he just said he’d seen “too many scams in his time to fall for that one.” And he was right—the scheme turned out to be a total flop for my friend.
This isn’t to say that intuition is always perfect, but it’s like a muscle that gets stronger the more you use it—especially if you pay attention to the outcomes.
Over the years, Boomers have built a track record of trusting their instincts, seeing how situations unfold, and then refining that internal radar. So when they sense nonsense, they’re likely tapping into a well-honed mix of experience, skepticism, and good old-fashioned gut feeling.
Putting it all together
Here at DM News, I love exploring what makes us tick, and there’s no denying that the older generation has a particular knack for sniffing out nonsense.
In many ways, it’s their experience with marketing tricks, their historical perspective, and a grounded sense of practicality that sets them apart.
Do they dismiss everything new or exciting? Not necessarily. They’ve just seen enough cycles of hype and disappointment to ask tough questions and lean on life lessons for guidance. They’ve gotten quite good at cutting through the fluff and spotting gimmicks.
The rest of us can learn from that. Maybe it’s worth pausing before falling head over heels for the next viral sensation or too-good-to-be-true promise.
A dash of healthy skepticism might keep us from being led astray, whether it’s by the latest marketing trend, a sensational news headline, or even a friend who’s unwittingly spreading misinformation.
After all, if there’s one thing we can count on, it’s that trends come and go—but a well-trained nonsense detector will never go out of style.
