Generations - Characteristics - Millennials, Gen Z, etc.
Published by Campbell M Gold in Misc · Saturday 27 Jul 2024
Tags: Millennials, Gen, Z, Generations, Characteristics, Blog, Article, Page, Names, Years, Defining, Characteristics, Labels, Identities
Tags: Millennials, Gen, Z, Generations, Characteristics, Blog, Article, Page, Names, Years, Defining, Characteristics, Labels, Identities
The Generations
With the current energy of rediscovery and identification, here are the different names of generations, their corresponding years, and the characteristics that define each group...
There are no universally accepted definitions for the start and end of Western Cultural Generations. As a result, the following dates are approximate, with some overlap.
Designations
- Lost Gen of 1914 - 1890-1915
- Interbellum Gen - 1901-1913
- Greatest Gen, G.I. Gen, WW2 Gen - 1910-1924
- Silent Gen - 1925-1945
- Baby Boomer Gen (Boomers) - 1946-1964
- Gen X (Baby Bust, Gen Bust) - 1965-1979
- Xennials - 1975-1985
- Millennials, Gen Y, Gen Next – 1980-1994
- Gen Z/iGen (Zoomers) – 1995-2012
- Gen Alpha – 2013-2025
Let's review each group:
Gen Alpha – 2013-2025
Gen Alpha, a unique generation born during declining fertility rates worldwide, has had a distinctive upbringing.
They are the first generation to be born entirely in the 21st century, and this shapes their experiences and perspectives. In their early childhood, they experienced the global COVID-19 pandemic, a defining event that has undoubtedly influenced their worldview. Their entertainment preferences have been influenced mainly by electronic technology, social networks, and streaming services, with traditional television losing its appeal.
Technology has revolutionised the learning process for Gen Alpha and Gen Z, significantly differentiating their educational experiences from previous generations. While this has brought about many positive changes, it has also led to a rise in health issues such as allergies and obesity, a trend that emerged in the late 2010s. We need to be aware of these effects and find ways to mitigate them for the benefit of future generations.
This generation will grow up thinking "AI" is "every day."
Gen Z/iGen (Zoomers) – 1995-2012
Most are the children of Gen X or older Millennials. They are the first generation to grow up with easy access to the Internet and portable digital technology, which significantly influences their learning.
They are often called "digital natives," as they have been exposed to digital technology from a young age. Adolescents are particularly affected by the adverse effects of spending too much time in front of screens. Gen Z tends to reach traditional milestones slower than previous generations at the same age.
Despite some misunderstandings, Gen Z shows responsible behaviour, with lower rates of teenage pregnancies and less frequent alcohol consumption. Compared to older generations, they prioritise doing well in school and finding good jobs, demonstrating a strong drive for success.
They also demonstrate better self-control compared to their counterparts from previous decades. However, there are some concerns related to the increased prevalence of sending sexually explicit messages among adolescents.
Youth subcultures still exist, but they are less visible now. Nostalgia has become an essential theme in youth culture during the 2010s and 2020s.
iGen are:
iGeners have seen how Millennials were raised to think they were unique and could become anything they dreamed of. After graduating, Millennials found that Boomers had let millions of jobs slip out of the country. This has made iGeners more cautious, less optimistic, and maybe less naive than Millennials.
- Much more tolerant of others - different cultures, sexual orientations, races
- More cautious, less risk-taking
- Less drinking and drug taking in high school
- Less likely to go to church
- More likely to think for themselves and not believe authority figures in the church or government
- Delaying having severe romantic relationships
- Less teen pregnancy
- Fewer run-always
- Delaying driving and fewer teen driving accidents
- Less time spent in shopping malls
- Less likely to go out to see a movie
- More likely to use Instagram than Facebook
The negative side of iGeners:
- Less "in person" and "face to face" contact with others due to more time connecting via smartphones
- Heavy use of gaming
- Less reading of books and newspapers
- Grew up more supervised more protected than prior generations
- Less experience with teen jobs and earning money in high school
- May stay up till 02:00 using smartphone and social media
- Possibly more depressed than prior generations
- Feels lonelier and not needed
- Possibly a higher suicide rate
Millennials, Gen Y, Gen Next – 1980-1994
Millennials, or Gen Y, come after Gen X and before Gen Z.
Most Millennials are the children of Boomers and older Gen X.
They are often the parents of Gen Alpha.
Millennials are the first generation to grow up with the Internet, so they are familiar with it and use it often. They also use mobile devices and social media often. The term "digital natives" was first used to describe them and is now used for later generations.
They have been called the "Unluckiest Generation" because they have experienced slower economic growth than any other generation since starting work.
They also have a lot of student debt and child-care costs.
Xennials - 1975-1985
Xennials is a term used to describe a smaller generation that falls between Gen X and Millennials.
They are known for their ability to understand and bridge the gap between the analogue past and digital present.
Xennials are not as tech-savvy as Millennials but play a significant role in the economy as employees and consumers.
Esoteric Note: From 1976 there was an increase of Elysium Spirits incarnating on Earth - the Dawning of a New Age.
Gen X (Baby Bust, Gen Bust) - 1965-1979
In the past, Gen X was called "Gen Bust" due to their lower birth rate than the Boomers.
Gen X is the group that came after the Boomers and before the Millennials.
Most Gen Xers are the children of the Silent Gen and early Boomers. They are often the parents of Millennials and Gen Z. Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, a period of changing societal values; Gen Xers were sometimes referred to as the "Latchkey Gen" because they would come home from school to an empty house and have to use a key to let themselves in.
This was due to more parents working, increased divorce rates, and more mothers participating in the workforce before childcare options outside the home became widely available.
Gen X was the first generation to experience:
- The highest level of education to date
- The 1976 Arab Oil Debacle and the first gas shortages in the US
- The price of gold soared to $1000/oz for the first time
- The fall of the Berlin Wall and the splitting of the Soviet Union
- MTV and the rise of Disco
- China's momentary flirtation with personal freedom and the tragedy of Tiananmen Square
- Fighting in the first Gulf War
- NAFTA, where President Bill Clinton paves the way to give away millions of American jobs
Esoteric Note: From 1976 there was an increase of Elysium Spirits incarnating on Earth - the Dawning of a New Age.
Boomers were born after a significant increase in population following World War II and the Great Depression.
In the West, during the 1950s and 1960s, there were many changes in education, partly because of the Cold War and the time between the two world wars. It was a time of economic growth and fast technological progress. In the 1960s and 1970s, many young people, the oldest of whom turned 18 in 1964, created a distinct way of talking about their group and the social movements they were a part of, like the counterculture of the 1960s and its reaction.
This was a time of deep political unsettlement in many countries because many young people returned from the war.
In China, boomers lived through the Cultural Revolution and were affected by the one-child policy as adults. These social changes and the talk about their group profoundly influenced how the boomers saw things.
In Europe and North America, many boomers became adults during growing wealth and government help in postwar housing and education. They believed that the world would get better. The ones with better living standards and education often pushed the most for improvement.
In the early 21st century, Boomers in some developed countries were the biggest group in their societies because there weren't enough children born to replace them, and people lived longer.
In the United States, they are the second biggest age group after Millennials.
Boomers were the first generation to experience:
- A time of unparalleled national optimism and prosperity
- The Cold War, fear of a nuclear attack from Russia, bomb shelters and hiding under desks at school
- The assassination of President John F. Kennedy
- The assassination of Martin Luther King
- The confidence building and pride from putting a man on the moon
- The incredible waste and destruction of the Vietnam War
- The Civil Rights Movement
Silent Gen - 1925-1945
The Silent Gen was born during the Great Depression. Their parents belonged to the Lost Gen. Growing up, they anticipated a difficult life. A Christmas present might have been an orange or a full meal for them.
They are called the Silent Gen because they are not outspoken. They didn't protest in Washington, and there were no major wars for them to protest.
In the United States, the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II caused people to have fewer children, resulting in a relatively small generation. This generation includes most of those who fought during the Korean War. When they reached adulthood in the postwar era, they were sometimes seen as leaning toward conformity and traditionalism as the "silent majority."
However, they were also recognised for leading the civil rights movement and the 1960s counterculture and for creating the rock and roll music of the 1950s and 1960s.
In the United Kingdom, the Silent Gen was also born at a relatively low birthrate, leading to a traditional upbringing. They experienced prosperity as young adults, economic upheaval in middle age, and relative comfort in later life.
The Sixties in the Soviet Union are a similar age group whose upbringings were also heavily influenced by the troubles of the mid-20th century.
In Australia, a similar cohort has been described as "the builders."
Most people of the Silent Gen are the parents of Gen X and younger Boomers, with their parents typically belonging to the Greatest Gen or the Lost Gen.
Greatest Gen, G.I. Gen, WW2 Gen - 1910-1924
The Greatest Gen, also known as the G.I. Gen and the WW2 Gen, came after the Lost Gen and Silent Gen.
They grew up during the Great Depression and likely fought in World War II. They are the Boomers' parents, also known as the GI Joe Gen.
They made great sacrifices, fighting to protect people in other countries from leaders like Hitler, Mussolini, and Japanese Kamikaze suicide bombers. The Great Depression greatly impacted them, and they were the leading group who fought in World War II. Most people in the Greatest Gen are parents of the Silent Gen and Boomers and are the children of the Lost Gen.
With the death of 117-year-old Nabi Tajima on 21 Apr 2018, the Lost Gen cohort became extinct, making The Greatest Gen the earliest generation with living members.
Interbellum Gen
The Interbellum Gen got its name because its members were too young for WW1 and too old for WW2 enlistment.
They came of age during the 1910s, with most growing up during the Roaring Twenties or in the early years of the Great Depression.
This contributed to their lifelong left-liberal political views.
Many joined Communist fronts during the 1930s, although some had different political views.
Their children primarily belong to the Silent Gen.
Lost Gen of 1914 - 1890-1915
The Lost Gen is the demographic cohort that reached early adulthood during WW1 and preceded the Greatest Gen.
The Lost Gen also had to deal with the Spanish flu pandemic, which led to cultural shifts, especially in urban areas during the Roaring Twenties.
After the Industrial Revolution, young people in the Western world faced significant changes. They grew up in more literate, consumer-driven, and media-savvy societies that upheld traditional social values.
Young men were heavily involved in WW1, which significantly impacted their generation. The war also affected young women, who gained more political and social freedoms after it ended.
Later in life, they experienced the economic challenges of the Great Depression and saw their sons go off to fight in World War II. In the years following the war, many reached retirement age and the typical life expectancy, but some lived longer than expected.
Nabi Tajima, the last person known to have been born in the 19th century, passed away in 2018 at 117.
Most members of the Lost Gen were the parents of the Greatest and Silent Gen.
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