Generation X and Y’ers like to think they’re ahead of the curve compared to the Baby Boomer generation. We’re more comfortable with computers and the Internet; we can program our DVD players and hook up cable or satellite TV to our complex entertainment systems. We patiently answer our parents’ questions about how to check their voicemail on their new cell phones—and we know not to bother trying to send them text messages. So, it was quite surprising to read this headline the other day:
Study: Boomers, Not Gen Y, Biggest Green Shoppers.As the headline states, apparently Baby Boomers are more likely to purchase environmentally friendly products than Gen X’ers and younger. But the question remains—why? The article suggested that green products tend to be more expensive, and Baby Boomers have more disposable income. I think there’s more to it than that. I attribute it to the 1960’s hippie revolution. Although their hair has been cut short or has fallen out completely, although the peace signs and tie-dyed shirts have been put back into the closet, apparently Baby Boomers still hold true to at least one component of the hippie ethos: a tree-hugging love of Mother Earth.