When I was in my late 20s, and my grandmother was in her 80s, she said to me, “I just don’t understand the world anymore.” Born in 1914 and “a child of the depression,” she’d seen more change than she could process. Now, as a 54-year-old watching my children communicate with each other in a language of memes and videos, I think, “Oma, I understand what you meant!” What seems basic and normal to my kids often feels strange to me. Generational differences are real!
However, I value connection, so I believe that making the effort to understand those differences will improve my relationships. That’s why I’m glad my friend Michele recommended the non-fiction book Generations by Jean M. Twenge. Generations helped me understand why I, a Gen X woman, perceive the world differently than my in-laws, who are Silents, and my children of Gen Z. Twenge’s observations have opened the door to productive discussions and considerations that might make this year’s Thanksgiving family gathering more enjoyable.
The premise
In Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents―and What They Mean for America’s Future, psychologist Jean M Twenge presents exhaustive data about the six generations currently alive in the United States. Twenge reviews basic statistics about each generation, highlights important people and historical events, and attempts to draw conclusions about why members of each generation have different beliefs and behaviors. I found her insights compelling.
What I liked
While Twenge acknowledges that one should use generalizations with caution, she bases her assumptions on research and data. Her presentation of Generation X, my generation, felt accurate and on point. I could relate to most of what she said, and it also helped me understand why my parents saw the world the way they did and why my children perceive it from a vastly changed perspective. Based on her research, Twenge argues that technological changes and the rise in individualism have had greater impact on the differences between the generations than historical events.
Twenge asserts that technology and rising individualism have affected confidence and trust within American society over the past several decades. Here is a definition of individualism vs. collectivism from the website VeryWell Mind: Collectivism stresses the importance of the community and places great value on unity, selflessness, and altruism. Individualism focuses on individual rights and concerns, independence, and personal identity.
Twenge suggests that while individualism has had some positive effects on our culture, it has worsened polarization in our country. She suggests that the rise of individualism (the idea that the self is more important than the community) contributes to misinformation and public health concerns like mask refusal and vaccine hesitancy during the pandemic of 2020. In her chapter on Generation X, she says:
Individualism is one reason why eroding trust has led to such dark places for some Americans across all generations, not just among Gen X. Individualism creates the idea that one person’s view is just as good as another’s, despite differences in expertise.
What I didn’t like
I listened to the audio recording of Generations, which works well for me with non-fiction books. It’s like listening to a podcast, which I do often. However, Twenge frequently refers to data charts, so the phrase “See table ___ in the accompanying PDF” frequently interrupted the flow of the book. This is good for accountability, but bad for listening. Sometimes the chapters felt long or repetitive, and I thought she could have been more concise with her data and observations. Finally, I listened with a healthy dose of skepticism, as it’s never a good idea to make broad assumptions about large groups of people.
Recommendation
Reading Generations helped me understand why people in my community might view the world differently than I do. Or why my in-laws vote the way they do. I believe anything that increases empathy and understanding is a worthwhile read. If you agree, and you enjoy non-fiction, give Generations a try.
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
