The internet is filled with posts about the different generations. We decided to help you figure out which generation you are in and what it all means.
The internet is filled with information and articles about millennials and other generations but how do you really know what that means for you and your generation? Here is a break down about each of the current generations and how they are important.
There are more than 4 generations alive right now but the 4 showcased below are the most active on social media.
The Baby Boomers Generation
1946 – 1964 people between the ages of 53 and 71.
The Baby Boomer generation is named as such because of the boom in births after World war II. They were classified as the wealthiest, most active, and most physically fit generation compared to all the ones that came before.
This consists of people who did not grow up with internet or any form of mobile technology but did get the first TV’s.
“The baby boomers found that their music, most notably rock and roll, was another expression of their generational identity. Transistor radios were personal devices that allowed teenagers to listen to The Beatles, the The Motown Sound, and other new musical directions and artists.”
Generation X
1965 – 1979 people between the ages of 38 and 52.
As adolescents and young adults, they were dubbed the “MTV Generation” and characterized as slackers and as cynical and disaffected. In midlife, research describes Gen X adults as active, happy, and as achieving a work-life balance.
This was the generation with the highest entrepreneurial boom at the time. This consists of people who grew up when Internet was born but it wasn’t available to the general public.
“Members of Generation X were children during a time of shifting societal values and as children were sometimes called the “latchkey generation”, due to reduced adult supervision compared to previous generations, a result of increasing divorce rates and increased maternal participation in the workforce, prior to widespread availability of childcare options outside of the home.”
Update: There is a new generation classification that makes a handful of people something other than Millennials!
Xennials
1977 – 1983 is a micro-generation, a classification between Gen X and Gen Y (Millennials).
An associate professor of sociology Dan Woodman from the University of Melbourne said that those born between 1977 and 1983 had the unique experience of pre-internet childhoods. This led into tech-centered early adulthood.
“It was a particularly unique experience. You have a childhood, youth and adolescence free of having to worry about social media posts and mobile phones. It was a time when we had to organise to catch up with our friends on the weekends using the landline, and actually pick a time and a place and turn up there.” (Source)
This micro-gen is said to have the Gen X cynicism and Gen Y’s optimism and drive!
Millennials (Gen Y)
1984 – 1995 people between the ages of 22 and 37.
Millennials get the most attention in the media today, mostly its negatively based. In media, millennials are described as entitled and selfish. This consists of people who grew up when the Internet was becoming available to the general public.
“The generation is generally marked by an increased use and familiarity with communications, media, and digital technologies. In most parts of the world, their upbringing was marked by an increase in a liberal approach to politics and economics; the effects of this environment are disputed. The Great Recession has had a major impact on this generation because it has caused historically high levels of unemployment among young people, and has led to speculation about possible long-term economic and social damage to this generation.”
Generation Z
1996 – 2010 people between the ages of 7 and 21.
Gen Z are the children of Gen X and Millennials. This consists of people who grew up and are still growing up with full access to the Internet in their homes and available on most smart devises.
“A significant aspect of this generation is the widespread usage of the Internet from a young age. Members of Generation Z are typically thought of as being comfortable with technology, and interacting on social media websites for a significant portion of their socialising. Some commentators have suggested that growing up through the Great Recession has given the cohort a feeling of unsettlement and insecurity.”
While the internet and media likes to focus on what you are supposed to be because of the generation you were born into, we say go be exactly who you want to be. We hope this helps to clear up the generational miscommunication that might be present sometimes.
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