Throughout the twentieth and now the twenty first century, each American generation has taken on an identity of its own, shaped by the circumstances that surround it during its most seminal years. It is also an American tradition for clever Madison Avenue types to attach a nickname to each generation that embodies its most weighty attribute; the “Baby Boomers” after the post-war spike in childbirth, which lasted almost two decades. The “Greatest Generation” was branded due to the overwhelming hardships that generation overcame in order to deliver a more prosperous and safer nation to its successors. There is “Generation X” and “Generation Y” - the offspring of “Baby Boomers” who dragged us into the high-tech revolution of the present by its demand for more gadgets, and its penchant for multi-tasking. The current group of twentysomethings is aptly referred to as the “Me Generation” for its members’ apparent empathy deficit and attitudes toward marriage and family. http://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/the-culture-of-narcissism/
My parents are of the Greatest Generation, I am of the Baby Boomers, and my children are of the Me Generation. Throughout my life I have learned that those from the Greatest Generation tend to be more identical in the attributes they share. From the emphasis on religious and family values to their sense of economy and loyalty, the Greatest Generation was shaped by events that had a far greater impact on their lives and upbringing than any other generation alive today.
We Baby Boomers, who flourished in an America that enjoyed mostly vibrant economic growth and relative peace, became more diverse in our mores and values, as there was no great life-changing event to cause us to unify. We a...
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...ollapse under their own weight, and that when government intervenes in an industry like healthcare, prices will soar. We should have been aware of politicians entering Congress with a modest net worth, and exiting as millionaires. Only we were too busy tending to our own needs.
The current Great Recession may serve as a life-altering experience for Generations X and Y, and may create an environment where tried and true fundamentals will drive decisions and not feel-good experiments. Perhaps these generations will learn the value of the energy sources we have and not chase the fairy dust mirage of solar and wind power without regard to current energy needs.
If the Great Recession is merely a course correction that builds a foundation for future prosperity, then my generation’s reckless disregard for anything but self-satisfaction will not have been in vain.
Rubin’s research shows that a lot can happen in just one generation. Much has been spoken lately of what Tom Brokaw has declared “The Greatest Generation;” those who fought in WWII. These Americans came back from the war, started families, and worked hard to achieve “The All American Dream.” But somewhere they must have missed something because this generation is the generation that produced the “pot smoking, free love hippies” who then produced the adults in Rubin’s study. What changed so much with a generation that was the epitome of hard work, discipline, and structure? Stephanie Coontz’s article, “What We Really Miss about the 1950’s” addresses that. The world between 1920-1950 is not what we think. There was a high murder rate, a substantial divorce rate, and “an older generation of neighbors or relatives who tried to tell them how to run their lives and raise their kids.” (Skolnick 33) It’s this sense that their children see the world so differently that’s so hard for working-class parents. “For it seems to say that now, along with ...
The Baby Boomers were called into the Vietnam War and expected to follow in their father’s heroic footsteps; but unlike their father’s generation they failed to live up to the expectations. The Baby Boomers rebelled against the state and popular culture, developing flower power, free love, and equality. The Vietnam War conflicted with many of the generation’s values, resulting in internal conflict with many of the nation’s youth. Some men joined the military to fight, while other dodged the draft, creating conflict within a generation. Overall, the Baby Boomer generation symbolized individuality, dishonor, injustice, failure, and wasteful sacrifice.
In the article “It’s Not About You” by David Brooks, Brooks takes a different perspective on this current generation. Many of the past generation huff at the thought of the new age group. Brooks has an incredible, somewhat biased opinion relating to the new generation, which is not unusual since he is from the current generation. Brooks discusses and explores the idea that the current generation is expected to grow up, get educated, get married and then have children. Brooks speculates that the new generation will be less family-orientated and maybe more adventurous and more about just living life and getting to experience things. Overall, Brooks wrote something different from most stories regarding generations.
The Baby Boomer generation consists of those born between 1946 and 1964. Like the Veterans before them, Baby Boomers also shared significant, “life-defining social changes such as the civil rights movement,
The Baby Boomer Generation (Born between 1946 and 1964) was born into the post-World War II economic prosperity and opportunity (Weston, 2006). Baby Boomers were members in smaller families and were doted on by parents, schools, and society as a whole (Weston, 2006). For the most part, they grew up in two-parent households where the father earned the family income and the mother was the home caretaker (Weston, 2006). News became more visual and dramatic as world-changing events such as men landing on the moon and the shooting of a president were seen on television (Weston,
Every person belongs to a generation: you associate yourselves with a particular set of people usually based on age such as “Baby Boomers” from 1946 to 1964, “Generation X” from 1965 to 1979, and “Millennials” from 1980 to 2000, (Smola, 364). Parents’ generations differ from their children, and sometimes within their significant other. My parents, separated by two years, are both considered “Baby Boomers”, and my sister and I, also separated by two years are both considered “Millennials”. “Generation X” separates our generations, and as you can assume there are many differences between the two: “Baby Boomers” experienced the immense development of the economy and education (Kupperschmidt, 4).
Nearly 3.7 million American babies born in 1982 were the first members of the new Generation Y, or more affectionately known as millenials (Thompson, par. 1). Many things play into whether a generation is considered to be faring ‘better’ than another one; job opportunities, the state of the environment, whether the U.S. is at peace or at war, income vs. living expenses, the general happiness of the people, and the list goes on. Millenials are part of a special generation because for decades, “The American Dream” has included the belief that the future generation will fare better than the present one; however, millenials are not projected to fare better than the present generation X for many reasons.
Another factor that differs these two generations is how they view work. Baby Boomers have a tendency to see work as their life. They live to work. The Baby Boomer generation is often characterized as being workaholics, as they place significance on their job status and experience (Generational Differences Chart). And because of this, their lives are often unbalance, with work taking a larger role in their lives than families. This is why some Baby Boomers refuse to retire because work gives them a drive to go
Blaising, Craig A., Kenneth L. Gentry, and Robert B. Strimple. Three Views On the Millennial and Beyond. Counterpoints. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999.
... parents, who suffered deprivations during World War II and vowed to give their children the things they didn't have. As teenagers, they experienced the new freedoms and conveniences of the 1960s and '70s everything from civil rights to TV dinners to souped-up American cars. Now, as adults, boomers are juggling adult
Each generation leaves an impression on our future, despite whether it is a positive impression or a negative one. This lasting impression is often referred to as generational potency. By obtaining new tools and opportunities from the mistakes and triumphs of those who came before them, every generation tries to make themselves heard. Therefore, the concept of generational potency is something that largely exists in our great nation. As Tamara Erickson said, “The truth is, without even trying, you will bring fresh perspectives to work because many of the ways you approach problems are different from the way it has always been done” (Erickson, 7). Everyone has a different outlook obtained from the knowledge you gain from past experiences and influences. For, we would be foolish to discard the wisdom and experience of those who came before us. Just as the Great War generation in the twenties impacted the decisions made in the “Greatest Generation,” all generations preceding 1977 h...
The generation that I was born into can sometimes be easily misunderstood by those in earlier generations. The individuals in my generation get thrown many different labels such as those that Rosie Evans (n.d.) listed in her article, “Millennials, Generation Y, the Lost Generation, boomerang kids, the Peter Pan generation…” and more. This can impact us as a whole because some will begin to live by the labels, in some cases that can be negative but in others it may be beneficial. Many people in this generation believe that they can’t reach their full potential due to labels and prejudgment, while there are others believe nothing can hold them back. When we get labeled all together that is also what may drive some to try to stand out from the
generation different from your parents’ generation? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
In his May 2013 editorial for Time Magazine, “Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation,” Joel Stein explains his viewpoint on millennials, defined as people born 1980 through 2000. Using an occasionally humorous tone, Stein summarizes the typical bleak view that older people have for the younger generation, before offering what he believes is closer to the truth. In the end, he decides that while millennials are not without their flaws and vices, a lot of the fears that older people are mostly due to the advanced technology that we are now dealing with. By the end of the article, it is my opinion that Stein makes a very fair summarization and is correct in his idea that to write off the entire generation is unfair towards younger people.
Parents and kids seem to be polar opposites. In my house, I have different views on certain topics than my parents. My parents were born in the 1970s and are part of the generation known as “Generation X”. I am from the generation known as “Generation Z” which includes people who were born in the late 1990s through 2010. There are days when my parents lecture me on a topic like Instagram, resulting in a fight. Differences in technology, culture, and education bring the large generation gaps within my family.