This is a clip taken from my 1990 television series, Making Sense of the Sixties where my team and I interviewed hundreds of baby boomers and asked them to tell what happened to them and what they remember from growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. So the comments made in this clip were recorded in 1989 or 1990.
Some of my younger subscribers see the baby boomers as selfish. Indeed in some ways I think they were. I have recently been talking with my baby boomer colleagues, friends and family and as these baby boomers continue to age, there are a variety of concerns that have become more concerning to them. Some are sexual in nature. Those seem to be more male concerns and female concerns. Here are some of their other concerns:
Healthcare and medical expenses: Baby boomers are more likely to develop chronic conditions and require more medical attention. They are concerned about access to quality healthcare, managing medical expenses and finding adequate insurance coverage.
Financial security and retirement: Baby boomers are now retired or nearing retirement age. They are concerned about having enough savings, income, and investments to maintain their desired standard of living throughout their retirement years.
Long-term care and living arrangements: Baby boomers are considering the possibility of needing long-term care such as assisted living or nursing home facilities due to age-related health issues. Some are looking into downsizing their homes or exploring alternative living arrangements such as RV traveling, age-restricted communities or co-housing.
Social Security and Medicare: The sustainability and future of these programs is a major concern for baby boomers as they rely on them for financial support and healthcare coverage during retirement.
Isolation and loneliness: As baby boomers age they may lose spouses, friends or family members, increasing the risk of social isolation and loneliness.
Staying active and healthy: Baby boomers are focused on staying physically and mentally active to maintain their independence (critical to them) and overall health. They try to engage in regular exercise, take up hobbies and focus on preventive health measures such as a balanced diet.
Estate planning and legacy: Some boomers although not all are concerned about estate planning, ensuring their assets are distributed according to their wishes and creating a lasting legacy for their children and grandchildren.
You can find many clips from my series by searching the words "making sense of" on my KZfaq channel. The 6 hour series was controversial when it ran on PBS back in 1991. Some felt that it wasn't "political enough". Others felt that it was just perfect because it looked at the social movements and behaviors of that time, at the way people lived and how they felt, not about the politics of the 1950s and 1960s. I felt that the political issues were historically important but in my view, not the most important part for younger generations, the children and grandchildren of baby boomers, to understand the lives of boomers and how and why they did what they did.
I did not realize until I began to post clips from the series just how hostile some were to baby boomers - blaming the current behavioral and economic ills in America on the boomers, their sense of entitlement and their lack of concern for the generations that would come after them.
The series and this clip was not designed to defend boomers behavior but merely to present how those who lived it saw it when they looked back on it in 1990. I do hope that it gives Genx and Millenials a more three-dimensional understanding of this time in America. If you search to see more clips, you will find clips on many subjects. Hippies. Rebellions. Anti and pro Vietnam war feelings. 1950s high school. 1950s family Life. Rules for dress. Rules for behavior. Marijuana and the early drug culture. Dropouts. Runaways and more.
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Thank you
David Hoffman filmmaker