AVERSION THERAPY. The Boomer Effect

Headline in the Globe, 25 Sept: Baby Boomers rediscover Marijuana. Apparently teenagers are already aware of this trend among the old folks and have therefore decided that smoking up is no longer cool. There was a sharp drop in use among 15-24 year olds. “It doesn’t seem to be as much fun for the kids anymore,” Alison Myrden observed.

Hey, there’s a lesson here for all you opinion makers!

Facebook executives, watch out. According to the Pittsburg Post-Gazette, the old generation has massively taken to the social network (“OMG Mom’s on Facebook!”). In other words, posting on the Page is no longer cool.

If the practices of boomers have that kind of dampening effect, why don’t we get them to drive recklessly? Perhaps it will make defensive driving cool. And if that works, we should also encourage Boomers to twerk and hope for a sharp drop in the number of young offenders against good taste. Next, we could ask the old guys to spray graffiti and totally disgust youthful vandals.

The dislikes of Boomers are marketable as well. They could be helpful to industries hoping to expand their sales to the coveted 15-24 age group.

I suggest publishers spread the rumour that Boomers hate books. It might attract a youthful readership.

And a word of advice for Harper’s strategists: Whipping up boomer interest in Justin Trudeau might help you kill the Liberals.

Finally:  Would Blackberry have recovered its market share and flourished, if Boomers had scorned its product?