With all of the social unrest regarding race relations and our country’s response to the corona virus, I’ve been consuming lots of material to help me understand our country’s history and social structures. Frequently, articles and podcasts refer to generations and how the perceived characteristics of each generation influence their response to our current struggles. I know what a Baby Boomer is, but I get confused by terms like “Gen X”, “Millennial”, and “The Silent Generation”. (Ever heard that one before?)

If you, like me, don’t have your generations straight, here’s the low down on everyone born between 1928 and 2012. However, like Alfie Kohn, author of an article titled Gener(aliz)ations: News flash: All people in your age bracket aren’t necessarily similar, I think we should be cautious about making sweeping generalizations about groups made up of several million people based solely on age.

The Silent Generation: 1928-1945

These people were born between 1928 and 1945 and are in their 70s and 80s today. This generation is one of the smallest modern generations, as The Great Depression and World War II kept birthrates low. Time magazine first labeled this group “The Silent Generation” in 1951. Experts suggest that because of the McCarthy Era of the 1950’s and the social expectation that children should be seen and not heard, this generation of Americans is hesitant to speak out or disturb the social order. In general, people in The Silent Generation married and had children early. They also started the “divorce revolution” when they got older. They value hard work and saving money. Note: Bernie Sanders is a member of The Silent Generation, and obviously he has no fear of speaking out.

Baby Boomers: 1946-1964

This generation has been one of the largest modern generations, thanks to increased birth rates after WWII. Baby Boomers led the Civil Rights Movement and Woodstock and fought in Vietnam, but they are also often characterized as being self-absorbed. (?) Although many Baby Boomers are now retired, when they were younger, they tended to put work first and inspired the term “workaholic”. Baby Boomers were the first generation to have a large number of women join the work force. Because they didn’t have as much technology growing up, Boomers are believed to have outstanding interpersonal skills. They have, however, adapted to modern technology and use it to improve productivity, while their younger counterparts use it more for connectivity.

Generation X: 1965-1980

That’s me! Generation X is often considered “the lost generation”, sandwiched in between Baby Boomers and Millennials. Gen Xers have waited longer to marry and start families, seeking to develop themselves first. They have also seen even more women enter the workforce than the Baby Boomers. Perhaps in response to their hard working, career focused parents, Generation Xers value work-life balance. They also are more likely to embrace change and fight to combat corruption. The women of Generation X were the first generation to outpace their male counterparts in education. (E.g. more women earned college degrees in their 20s and 30s than men.) I got married at 23 and opted to be a stay at home mom in my 30s, so I don’t fit the general descriptors for my generation, but I can see the trends.

Millennials: 1981-1996

Whew, Millennials get a bad rap. They are often characterized as narcissistic, having been brought up by parents who wanted to befriend instead of discipline them. They are also described as confident, entitled, and the most depressed and anxious generation in modern history. They love technology, but some fear that engagement with tech has led to anxiety and poor social skills. They are more diverse and better educated than previous generations, however there is a sharp economic divide between those with a college degree and those without. Many graduated from college during The Great Recession, which hampered them financially. They carry a lot of student debt (double that of their Gen X counterparts) and have less accumulated wealth than previous generations did in their 20s and 30s. More have chosen to live with their parents and put off marriage compared to previous generations. More Millennial women than men have college degrees, and even more women in this generation are working compared to previous generations. Millennials, like Gen Xers, value change and reform. They also appreciate flexibility, and want to work smarter, not harder.

Generation Z: 1997-2012

Ah, my kids are Generation Z, on track to be the most diverse and best educated generation yet. Gen Z Americans lean liberal and think government should be more involved in solving major problems, like environmental change and economic disparity, and they believe the growing diversity in our country is good. They too have been highly influenced by technology, and have also been characterized as anxious. Not much data has been collected about them yet, as the oldest are just 23.

So there you have it, a basic explanation of 20th and 21st century generations. Again, while it’s interesting to look back on historical and social trends, I take issue with characterizing millions of people with a few adjectives. An interviewee on a recent podcast I listened to suggested that the Black Lives Matter movement doesn’t have any leaders because Millennials and Gen Z kids were coddled by their parents, are focused on earning money, and have no desire to serve. That didn’t sit well with me, since I know several people from both of those generations who do not fit that characterization.

Personality, education, race, socioeconomic status, age, and developmental maturity all play a role in how we respond to situations. While it’s easier to think of people in terms of one or two characteristics, we have to appreciate that we are much more complicated, and therefore, so are our issues.

What’s your generation and how do you compare to the description I shared?

If you’d like to learn more about generational trends, check out these articles (which also served as my sources):

• Gener(aliz)ations
• From Baby Boomers to Generation Z
• The Silent Generation
• How Millennials compare with previous generations

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!