Fortunately soon the babyboomer dream will be over and this is what is going to be daily life for more and more people.
The most traditional dish in my hometown is literally called "cooked water".
If anything, boomers had the rise from poverty, and it's gen-x who got it good. And this is only true in western countries anyway.
It's not "bad" but you definitely can feel it being the cheapest thing that you could do to fill you up.