Let’s set the record straight: just because someone walks in with a shiny new degree and can speak fluent “tech” doesn’t mean they’re more capable, wiser, or even more valuable than you. In today’s workplace, it’s easy for those of us over 50 to feel steamrolled by rapid change. The newest hires may throw around acronyms we’ve never heard of, reference AI tools like they’re coffee brands, and have resumes packed with college degrees that sound impressive but often lack any true weight of lived experience.
But let’s call a spade a spade: we’re not obsolete. We’re battle-tested.
Modern college degrees often sound impressive: Communications in the Digital Age, Media Psychology, or Leadership in Emerging Economies. But what many of these degrees don’t teach is real-world judgment, grit, or people sense. They don’t prepare students for the ambiguity, the tight deadlines, the messy, human side of work. We didn’t just study leadership, we were expected to lead. We didn’t learn about communication in theory. We dealt with angry clients, misfiring teams, and shifting expectations in real time, often without a manual or a script. AND we did it without the safety net of Google, YouTube tutorials, or Slack threads, not to mention, without mobile phones.
We are the generation that transitioned from manual typewriters to electric ones and then computers run on DOS, from notebooks and ledgers to floppy disks, from gramophones, record players to Walkmans before the first CD players came onto the market. So yes, you can bet your last Euro that we are resilient and adaptable, and get better milage from common sense than any iOS or android app.
While younger generations may code faster or pull up data with ease, we bring something that’s irreplaceable: the ability to think on our feet. We navigated office politics, built relationships without LinkedIn, and solved problems when answers weren’t a click away. There was no “just ask ChatGPT.”There was “figure it out,” “make the call,” or “stay late and fix it.” And we did.
So to my fellow 50+ers, we have already earned our stripes. We’ve lived through economic downturns, managed teams before HR handbooks got thick, and adapted through faxes, dial-up, BlackBerrys, and now Zoom fatigue. Breathe before you read the next words, and read them over and over until they sink in:
You’re not “behind”. You’re evolved.
So when a 25-year-old with a polished resume and TikTok flair questions your methods, don’t shrink back. Stand tall in your wisdom. Ask them what they’d do without internet access for 24 hours. Ask them how they’d handle a product recall with no PR firm, just a phone and a Rolodex. Ask them how they’d lead a team where half the staff doesn’t even have email. Then watch them blink.
This Isn’t About Generational War. It’s About Balance.
Let the young bring their apps and energy. Let them teach us the shortcuts and tools. But don’t forget that we bring the compass. We survived decades of change. We are adaptable, capable, and deeply valuable. So speak up in meetings. Share your stories. Offer your insight. Your lived experience has weight.
FrogDiva Thoughts 