10 things that reveal you're a boomer: In your head you're at least two decades younger - and no one would guess your age. Wrong, says Lucy Sweet. Here are the dead giveaways

You don’t identify as a boomer (even though your birth certificate clearly states that you are). You’re healthy, you’re looking good and you’re still as busy, vibrant and cool as you were in your 20s, right? There’s no way anyone would be able to guess how old you are – is there?Well, the humbling truth is, half the time we’re not even aware we’re giving away our boomer status. From technological tells to die-hard habits, here are just a few things we’re doing that inadvertently scream ‘I’M OVER 60!’You carry a walletYes, I have to say I was surprised to encounter this particular generational cliff face. Even if you have a Kris Jenner facelift and a bikini body like a Real Housewife, if you take a purse out of your bag, you’re officially old. Young people use their phones to pay for everything. But how do they manage without a wallet filled with useful things like a Superdrug loyalty card and a receipt from 1997?You have a landlineTo younger generations, landlines are now a curiosity, like gramophones or penny farthings. But to those of us who grew up with a telephone in the hall, they still seem like a necessity. Even though they don’t ring. And when they do, it’s usually a scammer. Or your mother-in-law.Your ringtone is audibleThe smart phone is definitely the boomer’s bête noire. Of course, it’s now OK for everyone to loudly scroll their TikTok For You page on the train, filling the air with screeching, speeded-up voiceovers and shouty adverts for creatine. However, if you have any kind of ringtone that isn’t absolute silence, for some reason everybody thinks you’re Methuselah’s sister.You answer your phone by putting it to your earNobody under the age of 50 answers their mobile phone like a phone. They always use headphones or talk into the speaker (boomers, it’s by the charging port) – if they use it at all, because young people are more terrified of actual phone calls than they are of Armageddon. Bonus boomer points if you have a phone case that opens out like a book. That’s the technological equivalent of a doily.You refuse to let younger people offer you a seat on public transportYou can immediately tell someone is in their 60s when they stand up on the bus or Tube avoiding eye contact with anyone able bodied and seated, even though every fibre of their being would kill for a nice sit down and a cup of tea. Maintaining this stance can turn into a full-body workout, but a boomer’s absolute biggest fear is hearing the words, ‘Would you like a seat?’ I suppose standing has some health benefits but just remember that pride comes before a fall – literally.You still watch terrestrial TVI love soaps, quiz shows and endless adverts about Direct Cremation, but boomers and Gen X are fast becoming the only outliers who still watch telly. While young people are streaming non-stop slop into their eyeballs, we’re catching up on what Mary is up to on Coronation Street and watching Pointless while everyone else is at work. The big question is, though, who is happier?You listen to the radioRadio is becoming similarly obsolete, so even popping on Radio 2 in the car on the way to the shops outs you as a boomer extraordinaire. Whereas we like to hear Dermot O’ Leary say the words ‘That was Dancing Queen by Abba’, younger generations prefer a vibes-based Spotify playlist of songs that all melt into each other and sound like someone breathing into an inner tube. Also, if you really don’t want to give away your elderly status, never, ever ask a young person what’s in the ‘charts’.You sign off texts with your nameSigning your name on a text is akin to using a quill. My dad writes ‘Love from Dad’ even though it says ‘DAD’ at the top of the message thread and he’s been in my contacts for quite a few years now. It’s actually quite a charming quirk. And I understand that it’s a hard habit to break, because boomers remember real letters, and some of us even know what a stamp is. Imagine!You try to make conversation with other human beingsIf you’ve ever wondered why you keep getting blanked by your Gen Z barista, it’s probably because small talk is now considered the preserve of ancient times. Since the pandemic, nobody wants to make eye contact or even remotely perceive other people in public. They can’t anyway, as they’re too busy posting online about how they miss the warmth of spontaneous human connection.You wear normal trousersAnd finally, yes, even trousers are a generational minefield now. Big and baggy equals young and trendy. Anyone in a straight leg jean or (gasp!) leggings that are not specifically for yoga is immediately labelled a boomer. You could potentially take a decade off your age by wearing a pair of enormous clown pants that could be used as a marquee. They’ll never know you’re a boomer. That is, until the phone in your pocket starts ringing…