Who's That Talking 'Bout My Generation
They have trouble making decisions. They would rather hike in the Himalayas than climb a corporate ladder. They have few heroes, no anthems, no style to call their own. They crave entertainment, but their attention span is as short as one zap of a TV dial. They hate yuppies, hippies and druggies. They postpone marriage because they dread divorce. They sneer at Range Rovers, Rolexes and red suspenders. What they hold dear are family life, local activism, national parks, penny loafers and mountain bikes. They possess only a hazy sense of their own identity but a monumental preoccupation with all the problems the preceding generation will leave for them to fix.
The above is taken from a 1990 article that ran in TIME magazine about the then rising generation – GenX. Now, if you replace “zap of a TV dial” with “click of a mouse” and “hippies” with “hipsters” and “penny loafers” with “flip flops” it seems the more things change the more they seem the same. While such significant attention is being placed right now on the rising Generation of Millennials or Gen Y and how they are disrupting the workplace, disrupting technology and disrupting everything in between – it seems this is not an uncommon theme when we rewind history and take a look at how preceding generations characterize those who follow.
From last week’s NY Times Magazine cover story, What is it About 20 Somehings to a piece that a local Fox affiliate ran, Can Generation Y Keep America Great, or the release of the Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2014 – there really isn’t a description of “the Millennial” that serves as a distinct profile, despite all of the attempts at labels. The diversity of values, interests and personalities is as widespread among Millennilas as any other group -- and in fact most Millennials (dare I say, myself included) would fairly disagree with the generational descriptors as “not me!”
While generational profiles help us understand how to most effectively communicate across generations, to truly understand one another requires listening, not presuming. The environment, values and life experiences that surround us as we grow up help shape our life in more ways than we may realize. World events like wars and depression, or economic prosperity and technological advancements have a great baring on generations. Translated into the workplace this often means different values, ideas, work ethics, attitudes toward authority, and general outlooks on life.
That’s why today, we want to open up an experiment here on Social Citizens. For as much as things can change from decade to decade, there is one constant – we’ve all been mischaracterized by the preceding generation. Perhaps we’re more similar than different. So, we’re asking individuals from all generations to weigh in on one simple question:
Which stereotypes do you think have been inaccurately associated with your generation?
We’re interested in fostering greater understanding across generations and will continue this discussion in posts to come. After all, there may be more that unites us than divides us. Please weigh in below and stay tuned as we continue to address some of these stereotypes. We’ll be taking a deeper look at whether or not generational stereotypes are counterproductive – or if they might ever serve a constructive and positive role in our understanding of how different generations think, work and live.
Comments
I am a member of Gen Y. But, it's interesting to me how the media has all but forgotten about Gen X. They haven't really followed them into adulthood or looked at the kind of leaders or parents they've become. I think Gen X folks, in the business realm, are laid-back leaders who don't really stand over your shoulder to make sure things are getting done. They give you freedom. They care about what you do/produce, not how you do it. They want to be able to trust you to do the job that they are paying you to do.
As parents, they want to help their children realize their potential by facilitating rather than dictating. I'm thinking specifically of Will and Jada Smith here.
I think Gen X-ers have done a great job of creating their own definitions.
They deserve more credit.
Thank you for raising this topic. As a tail-end Baby Boomer, I have long felt frustrated by being lumped in with those at the front end of the generation. When my husband and I graduated college in 1982, we were a happily young married couple, expecting our first child shortly after our 1-year anniversary. We set off on our careers in the last worst economic downturn (a recent article in Newsweek detailed how the college class of '82 will never catch up to other Boomers). We attended a small liberal arts university which, despite being on "the Left Coast," featured G. Gordon Liddy as a speaker our senior year (he was considered by some of our "Preppie" classmates to be a "true visionary"). So much for the hippie/summer of love/the sky is the limit stereotype of older Boomers. (Please note that my husband and I tried to organize a few friends to picket the Liddy speech, but we ended up having to work that night as we each had a couple of jobs to pay our way through our last year of school and cover the medical bills for our daughter's impending arrival. Ironically, the student health clinic would pay the bills related to pre and post abortion care, but not anything related to prenatal care once "the rabbit died.")
As boomer born in the late 50's I have never been able to connect with the activism of the older boomers. My class became the first HS class to NOT have to register for Selective Service. Watergate, the Oil Crisis, and the like were the stories that my group came of age in. College was during the time of President Carter and the economic challenges of the late 70's.
I have, at times felt more like an X'er than a boomer.
I believe that there is a line drawn between boomers born before 1955 and those born after. They would be 18 in 1973 when Vietnam came to an end.
I'm generally fascinated with generational profiles and I overwhelmingly agree with the comment that rather than focus on the labels and make presumptions we listen and learn. Trying to understand our differences has helped me (A Gen Y) find my niche in an office environment with no generational allies. Frankly, I like knowing that my rebellion to many things is backed by my generation.
As a survey fan- I would love to see social citizen rephrase this question in the form of a quick survey instead of an open ended comment. Could you list out the stereotypes and have us click "accurate" or "inaccurate"?
@Jim - thanks for the great thoughts and reflections on your generation, the Boomers. It's interesting because as someone who falls on the cusp between GenY and GenX I recently had the same conversation about the vast difference between someone at the younger end of the Millennial spectrum (around 15) and myself (I'm 31). The events that helped shape the lives of my closer peers are things like Columbine, Oklahoma City and September 11. But the youngest of Millennials were only entering Kindergarten in September of 2001 - so, you have to wonder if there are natural breaks or sub-groups among every generation.
@Kim - your survey is a great suggestion, and we are actually about to embark on a redesign of the Social Citizens blog that will hopefully allow us to do quick polls and surveys as you mention. Stay tuned...as we roll out some of those new features in the near future.
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