The catchphrase OK, Boomer has recently taken the internet by storm, and reactions to it range from outrage to support. The phrase serves as a collective battlecry from Millennials and Gen Z-ers who are tired of hearing Baby Boomers’ patronizing remarks and disregard for important generational issues such as climate change, high housing costs and student debt.

An article by The New York Times was the catalyst for the widespread knowledge of the phrase, and once it caught on, OK, Boomer sparked ongoing controversy over the inherent disconnect between the generations.

However, most of the articles, public statements and social media comments out there criticizing this phrase are missing a key point: OK, Boomer is not a phrase meant to be taken seriously; it’s just one of many trends that will rise to popularity quickly, get overused and die out. The only difference between previous trends and OK, Boomer is that this one spills into the lives of older generations.

If anything, the older generation’s complaints about the phrase only re-emphasize their inexperience with the internet. There is an unspoken rule within the online world: the more you react, the harder you get trolled.

It seems like the longer this phrase gets drawn out, the more and more Boomers have argued in the comments and reshared articles bashing the phrase. Ironically, by making such a fuss over it, Boomers are giving Millennials and Gen Z-ers more reason to embrace the phrase.

At this point, I’m pretty sure that most Millennials and Gen Z-ers are using the phrase simply because it’s funny to see that boomers can’t stop getting upset over it, and less so because they’re actively trying to diss baby boomers. 

Listen, Boomers: if you want to stop the supposed harrowing usage of this phrase, then stop acknowledging it. Trying to forcefully dispose of it isn’t going to work ㅡ you might as well just shoot yourself in the foot.