Meme Overview

The 30-Year-Old Boomer meme is a satirical character that originated on 4chan, poking fun at older millennials who cling to interests deemed out of touch by younger generations, particularly in the realm of video games.

Background

The term '30-Year-Old Boomer' is commonly used in greentext stories shared on 4chan, typically following a snowclone format: 'that 30-year-old boomer who X.' This phrase is often paired with a specific variation of the Brainlet Wojak character.

How It Began

The phrase '30-year-old boomer' was first coined by an anonymous user on the /biz/ board of 4chan on April 7, 2018. Shortly after, on April 23, the same board featured an early variant of the Brainlet Wojak as a visual representation of the meme. The first notable use of the Brainlet Wojak with sunglasses occurred on May 1, 2018, in a post relating to cryptocurrency trading. By May 2, the character was explicitly linked to gaming through a post about arena shooters. The iconic image of the Brainlet Wojak holding a Monster energy drink was introduced on May 4, 2018, and solidified the character's association with the meme.

Meme Evolution

In the following months, the 30-Year-Old Boomer character proliferated across 4chan, especially on the /biz/ and /v/ boards. Many variations featured the character engaging in stereotypical behaviors, such as consuming Monster energy drinks or wearing VR headsets. By June 15, 2018, there were 22 pages of posts referencing the meme. Its popularity prompted the creation of a Facebook page dedicated to the character, which grew from over 100 followers in June 2018 to more than 41,900 by January 22, 2020.