It was an ordinary day. Reading newspaper opinion stories written by those who are part of what is now known as Generation Z (eal). Fantastic opinions written by high school students. Can't imagine being able to express myself as well as they did when I was in high school. I asked my wife what age would be considered part of Generation Z and she said, "I think it would be after the turn of the century." Good guess since Generation Z are those born after the year 2001. We began a conversation about what generation we each were a part of and what each generation was known for in society. Carol and I are only a few years apart in age, but part of two different recognizable generations. I am a member of the Mature/Silent Generation while Carol is a member of the Baby Boomers Generation. Today's story will give you a look at the six generations that include people who are still living. I apologize to any who are reading this story who were born before 1901, since they aren't part of my story today. See if you might fit into the description of each generation. Please remember I was not the one who decided the traits of each generation, but I do believe what I have written to be true. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
GI Generation/The Greatest Generation - Features those born between 1901 and 1926. They are children of the WWI generation and soldiers during WWII. They were part of the Great Depression which led to strong models of teamwork to overcome the legendary Happy Days! They saved the world and then built a nation. They were community-minded and cherished civic duty. They married for life with divorce and having children out of wedlock shunned upon. They were fans of labor unions and were loyal to their jobs. They saved so they could pay cash for what they wanted. They were part of the age of radio and air flight. Most never had modern conveniences such as refrigerators, electricity and air conditioning.
Mature/Silent Generation - Members of this generation were born between 1927 and 1945. I was born at the end of the timeline; 1944. We were part of the Korean and Vietnam War generation. We went through a suffocating conformity, but were the founders of Rock 'n Roll, neat cars, television, suburbs, teenage jobs, Peace! and Playboy Magazine. Grade school problems were centered around throwing spit balls, passing notes in class and chewing gum placed under the chairs. We led the Civil Rights charge and helped recognize the fact that jobs just weren't for men. Once you got a job, you kept it for life. Marriage was usually for life, but divorce was slowly creeping into the picture. We were avid readers, especially of newspapers. Retirement meant to sit on a rocking chair and live your final days in peace.
Baby Boomer Generation - My wife fit into this age group of those born between 1946 and 1964. They all wanted to save the world! They were part of the Yuppie Generation which was the party-hardy and "me" generation. They ushered in "free love" and "non-violent" protests which in turn triggered violence. They believed in themselves and buy it now, pay for it later. They were too busy for neighborly involvement, but wanted to reset or change common values for the good of all. Women began to work outside the home, thereby changing the entire nation by having children raised in a two-income household. They were the first TV generation as well as the first divorce generation. Homosexuality was accepted. They tended to be more positive about authority and traditions. They envisioned technology and innovation as requiring a learning process. The Baby Boomers were one of the largest generations in history with 77 million people. They were said to have introduced the word "retirement" to mean being able to enjoy life after the children had left home.
Generation X - The generation which included those born between 1965 and 1980. They were the "latch-key" kids who grew up street-smart, but isolated, since many had both parents working. Their parents were at times career-driven or divorced. This generation is considered entrepreneurial and very individualistic. Government and big business mean little to them. They feel misunderstood and cynical of major institutions which failed their parents. They really want to make marriage work and to be there for their children. They claim to not feel like a generation. They were raised in the transition phase between written knowledge and digital knowledge. Most remember school without computers. They are more committed to self rather than an organization or specific career, averaging 7 career changes in their lifetime. AIDS was part of their generation and individual rights prevailed over the common good. They were raised by money conscious Baby Boomers and had to survive the Vietnam War. Their school problems involved drug use and sex. They married late and were quick to divorce. The wanted what they wanted and now! They carried the most credit card debt of most generations. They did more TV watching, video gaming and movie going and were short on loyalty and commitment. They were self-absorbed and suspicious of all organizations; very self-reliant.
Generation Y/Millennial - Born between 1981 and 2000. They are also known as the 9/11 Generation, Echo Boomers and America's next great generation. It is a sharp departure from Generation X. They are being raised by caring and optimistic parents. They seem to respect authority. Crime rates seem to be falling as is teen pregnancy. They do have to live with the thought of school violence and have lived all their life knowing that the world is not a safe place. They tend to schedule everything and feel enormous academic pressure. They feel their generation has high expectations for themselves. Digital literacy is everywhere and they tend to know much more about the digital world than any previous generation. Luckily, they are willing to share that knowledge with the older generations. They envision the world as a 24/7 place and want fast and immediate processing. They have been told over and over that they are special and they now expect the world to treat them that way. They do not live to work, but prefer a more relaxed work environment with a lot of hand holding and accolades.
Generation Z/Boomlets - This generation is part of the current one and is for those born after 2001. What can I say about them? Well, in 2006 there were a record number of births in the USA with about half of them born Hispanic. The most common name is now "Rodriguez" instead of "Smith". This generation will more than likely be the largest in number than any in history. There are actually two groups within this generation: Tweens and Toddler/Elementary school age. Tweens are ages 8-12 and with an estimated 29 million by 2009 while toddlers are about 61% of children between 8-17 and have televisions in their rooms. 35% have video games (Now this I find unreal, since I suspect close to 75% probably have video games in their home). 4 million have their own cell phones and have never known a world without computers and cell phones. They are said to have Eco-fatigue after hearing about the environment and the many ways to same it all their life. Children now leave toys behind at a younger age. Mattel Company knows that since in the 1990s the average age of a child in their target market was 10 years old while now it has dropped to the age of 3. This generation is so savvy in electronics it makes me sick. Some days I wish I was 10 again, since I would know so much more about the MacBook Air that I am typing on at present than I do not at the age of 75. But hey, I'm still here to hit the keys and I actually can still type about 40 words a minute as I did in high school.
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