Do you click on this button thingy or do I have to do one of those updates to make this stupid thing take a picture?

OK boomer, (eyes’ rolling) first you’re holding it upside down…

Dictionary.com has summed up “OK boomer” as “a viral internet slang phrase used, often in a humorous or ironic manner, to call out or dismiss out-of-touch or close-minded opinions associated with the Baby Boomer generation and older people more generally.”

Yes, the youngins can make us feel like we’re ridiculously out of touch, but I’ve got some good news for anyone that’s part of the Baby Boomer generation and wants/needs to make a buck online.

We’re kicking butt and forgetting names, but we Active Agers are making our presence known online, and it’s impressive!

On the off chance you’re wondering which of those generations you fit in, here’s the scoop before I go deeper.

Baby Boomers

We boomers are all between the age of 57 and 75 (born between 1946–1964) after WW11. There are 10,000 of us turning 65 every day and by 2030 all Baby Boomers will be at least 65 years old. Our generation has driven trends for the past 70 odd years. We continue to cause demographic shifts, that some refer to as the “gray tsunami.” We’re also the ones raised by the silent generation — meaning kids were to be seen and not heard.

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Lots of us retired with pensions that are mostly unheard of these days, but the economic crash in 2008 also had many of us scrambling to find work and learn new skills.

Gen-X er’s

You guys are all between 41 and 56 years old (born between 1965–1979/80). You’re also referred to as the “latchkey” generation as you grew up with less adult supervision. You’re considered the “middle child” between the boomers and the Millenials. You’re independent, tech-savvy and highly educated.

You’re also the first generation to be less prepared for retirement than their parents were.

Millennials (also referred to as GEN Y)

You guys are all between the age of 25 and 40 (born between the years 1981–1994(6)). You’ve been referred to as the “Me, Me, Me” generation as you come across as self-absorbed, entitled job-hoppers who require instant gratification. You’re also considered tech-savvy, open-minded, and extremely concerned about equality. You want your jobs to have purpose and fit seamlessly with your personal viewpoints.

By 2025 it’s expected that 75% of the global workforce will be classified as Millennials with no pensions insight.

Even in those quick recaps above, the big gap in fundamental mindsets between the generations is evident. So it makes sense that our fast-paced online world will have us colliding.

Yes, the Millenials have an enormous technical advantage over us. Hell, they were texting on their personal devices while being spoon-fed in their high chairs.

The Gen Xers are far better off technically than the Boomers as well, but because they are closer in age they are more forgiving when it comes to lending a hand.

Yes, some Boomers are retiring gracefully as planned, but others have been pushed out of the workforce regardless of their desire to continue working. Technology has disrupted our world in a big way making many of our jobs obsolete.

I fit into the tail end of the Boomer category (1961) and have personal experience losing my ass financially in 2008. I can also say with certainty that the pandemic has set many of us back again just as our investments were recovering from 2008.

But we’re not dead yet folks!

Despite our grey hair and imperfect memories, we’re living longer, therefore working longer and we still have lots to contribute.

Unfortunately, some of us find ourselves needing more cashola to continue enjoying the lifestyle we’ve spent our whole lives building. We’re also pursuing our passions and hobbies that were greatly ignored through all those years of building our careers and retirement portfolios.

So the passion economy that’s emerging online attracts us like flies to poop, regardless of our struggle to learn the techie stuff.

Yes, Millennials dominate the online success stories because they can interact on multiple social media accounts expertly with their earbuds and the swipe of a thumb while walking, jamming to tunes and making their next million-dollar Youtube video.

But that doesn’t mean we Boomers should be shying away from all the lucrative opportunities that new technology and the internet present in the 21st century.

Hell, we can’t afford to!

But more importantly, our life experience alone means we have a ton to offer others online.

Where Boomers Excel

Making money online in the information age is all about sharing what we know and love with others to help them solve a problem and achieve success.

That means Boomers who take the time to learn some new technical skills will shine with an online business because of the mere fact that we’ve lived more life. Sharing our abundant knowledge and passion puts us miles ahead of the kids in many categories. Some of which are;

Wisdom — it comes with age, there aren’t any shortcuts and the world craves this kind of knowledge.

Skills and Work Ethic — at this point in our lives, we’ve had multiple jobs and have learned countless skills. Not to mention that our generational work ethic is unmatched.

Teaching Skills — we’ve raised families, built careers, had leadership roles and coached teams, so we’re naturals when it comes to teaching others.

Life Experience — there’s no substitute for the many life lessons along the way and it shapes our uniqueness online.

Personal Development — because we’ve endured many hardships and successes by this point in our lives, we’ve grown and opened our minds. Sharing what we’ve learned through our journeys is a huge commodity online.

So there you have it…you wise old owls!

When you pull all of those skill sets together and add a dash of patience and discipline, Boomers are in the perfect position to capitalize on the many “money-making” trends online, and we are!

We’re building successful blogs, by sharing our journeys

Everything Zoomer, Fab over Fifty, Career Pivot, Sixty and Me, The GypsyNesters

Boomers are becoming podcasters and building a listening audience. We’re creating courses that change lives from our many life lessons and we’re building online Etsy Shops and selling our crafts on Amazon.

The list goes on, but you can see how much we still have to offer.

Yes, for many of us this pivotal shift to the online world comes with many challenges, but we’re thriving nonetheless as we follow new trends and kick fear to the curb.

You know you still feel like you’re thirty-five, so shake off those achy bones, and get to work! Whether you need more cash to supplement your income or want to work from home full-time there are a million options.

Here’s one I can offer…

While writing on Medium this past year I’ve made some great connections with other writers on the platform;

I’ve also noticed that there aren’t many publications on Medium that cater to active Boomers on the rebound.

So I’ve given birth (can you believe it @ age 59!) to a new publication just for us older folks and I’m calling it Boomerangs!

We’re Baby Boomers empowering you towards a better life with our true stories, life experience and insight. We’re not grumpy old buggers, we’re extremely wise thirty-something-year-olds rebounding and retiring online. Boomerangs share life lessons about recovering our power, making money, improving relationships, and all aspects of health, and personal growth. We also share humour and rants as we learn and laugh at our crazy mistakes.

If you’d like to write for my new publication the only requirement is that you’re age fifty + and you’re kinda fabulous :)

Call for submissions

(Full details for Boomerangs here)

I’m running the show alone to start, so give this old girl a break by checking your grammar and spelling before submitting your work.

If your story/article fits one or more of the categories listed above I won’t censor your work as long as it fits within Mediums rules and guidelines.

Yes, you can write about writing on Medium — I’m cool with that!

If you have editing skills and want to volunteer your services to help get this publication off the ground I’d love to hear from you! Just send me a private note or respond to this article.

I’ll do my best to publish your work within 48 hours if it’s a good fit, but depending on how many submissions I get I may not be able to respond to everyone.

Feel free to promote your other articles, your websites or books you’ve written(within reason) — this publication is about helping you…not holding you back!

My first goal is to make this a safe place for us Boomerangs to share our stories and shine our bright lights on the world.

My second is to empower this over 50 crowd to learn from each other (without judgement) and thrive as we write!

My third is to shine a bright light on a group of like-minded people that have a ton of wisdom to share at their own speed.

So who’s up for it!?

Join our community of Boomerangs (Boomers on the rebound) right here, so I can keep you in the loop, share techie and Medium writing tips, feature your stories, and share writing prompts to keep you motivated!

Here’s more you’ll enjoy…

I’m Liz, a personal growth fanatic that stopped shrinking into places I’ve outgrown.

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