An angry Boomer doesn't like headphones.

Gen Zer explains why Boomers can’t stand it when people wear headphones around them

Why are headphones such a touchy subject?

By Tod Perry

Over the years, the Baby Boomer generation (1946 to 1964) has had a series of cultural fights with the younger generations, first with Millennials (1981 to 1996) and now with Generation Z (1997 to 2012). Notable disagreements include participation trophies, with Boomers complaining that younger generations get awards without earning them first. 

There have also been some disagreements over avocado toast, with Boomers complaining that Millennials can’t afford houses because they’re addicted to purchasing $15 breakfasts. There have also been cultural battles over political correctness, with Boomers complaining that the younger generations are too sensitive.

Another generational difference is headphones. Gen Zers, for the most part, don’t think it’s rude for people to wear headphones in public or at work, while many Boomers find it downright offensive. Now, as with all generational stereotypes, it’s inaccurate to paint everyone in a cohort with the same brush, but a Pew Research study found huge differences. A 2025 poll revealed that 76% of those 65 years and older found it unacceptable to wear headphones while talking to someone, while just 36% of those 30 and under agreed.

A man opening a mailbox.

California man’s parents died in 2020 and 2022. He just received a postcard in the mail from them.

“This is a treasure.”

By Annie Reneau

When Bob Sheppard checked the mailbox at his Long Beach home on August 5, 2026, he found just one piece of mail: a weathered postcard from Copenhagen with a message written in familiar handwriting and signed “M + D.”

The “M + D” stood for Mom and Dad, but that didn’t make any sense. Sheppard’s mother, Joanne, had passed away in 2022. His father, John, died two years before that. Sheppard checked the postcard’s postmark and found two dates and locations. One came from Los Angeles in August 2026 and the other from Denmark in July 2000.

Representative image of a mom talking on the phone.

A teen texted her parents from a party asking for pepperoni pizza. Her mom knew it meant, ‘Come get me now.’

Why a brilliant three-tier secret code system works so perfectly for teenagers.

By Adam Albright-Hanna

A woman’s daughter called her from a house party with what sounded like a normal question: “Hey Mom, can we order a pepperoni pizza?”

They had already eaten dinner. The mom, who posts on Threads as @ano_ny_mous02, explained in a March 15 post that the family has three code words for moments like this. “Vegetable” meant her daughter was okay and just checking in. “Cheese” meant call back in five minutes with an excuse to come home. “Pepperoni” meant come get her immediately.

“I didn’t ask questions. I didn’t ask who was there. I just drove,” she wrote.

A dad got a sweet note from a fellow father after camping with his kids.

A dad was camping with his kids when a fellow camper slipped him this handwritten note

“From one dad to another.”

By Annie Reneau

There are a lot of challenging things about being a parent; take your pick. The sleep deprivation, the overwhelming responsibility, the lack of free time. But truly, one of the hardest parts of being a parent is never being sure whether you’re doing a good job or totally bombing it. If you’re conscientious enough to even wonder if you’re a good parent, you probably are, but parenting entails a million little choices and interactions, and there’s always a lingering voice in your head saying, “What if you’re really screwing this whole thing up?”

Reassurance and encouragement are always appreciated by parents, but not always received, which is why a note from one camping dad to another has people celebrating the kindness of anonymous strangers.