Generations and their differences

Have you ever taken a look around you to observe the people around you? Old people, young people, kids, young adults, etc? It's interesting to know about generational characteristics, keep reading and you will learn about different generations and what makes them special.

Baby Boomers (1946-1964)

This generation of people was born at the end of the second war, they were the product of Americans having more kids, a trend that continued for a couple of years. Baby boomers get their name from that boom or spike in American births after world war 2. In the U.S 3.4 million babies were born, more than ever before, this trend continued. There were many causes for this boom, some people wanted to wait until the war was over to have children, soldiers were coming home ready to start their families and work. Baby boomers grew up at the height of the civil rights movement and the conflicts between Vietnam. Many grew up to serve their country in Vietnam, others grew up to push anti-war movements. This is the generation that was evolving to fight institutional racism and inequality. This was a generation of major learners as well, these are the people that have lived through major technological advancements and accomplishments like the moon landing, color tv, the internet and so much more. Boomers tend to be more independent and have more of an “I'll do it myself” mindset. They tend to value family and working for a family. This generation is also hard-working due to the difficult economic times they lived.

Generation X (1965-1980)

There were about 62.5 million Americans born during this period. They were born closer to the end of the civil rights movement and experienced major changes that have impacted the way Americans interact with each other. The older folks in this generation are in their mid-fifties and the youngest is getting ready to turn 40, this is the generation of “middle children”. This generation grew up with many economic challenges like recessions that caused the homelessness rate to rise. This generation was also the ones getting used to a world with more technology, they were introduced to personal computers. They were also a generation that was more welcoming of women's progression and more women in the workforce. This was a generation that grew up with more value of their rights, abortion was legalized, more recreational drugs were normalized with the help of mainstream music, and birth control was introduced. They were also a generation of more immigrants, many immigrants came to the U.S to work through labor programs. Gen Xers also tend to be more independent and have a productivity-focused mindset. They grew up facing many of their problems alone, they also grew up working through many economic recessions that forced many to work at young ages. This generation tends to be highly adaptable, an outcome of having to adapt to major technological, economic, and cultural changes.

Millennials/ Generation Y (1981-2001)

This generation is the kids of many boomers and older Gen Xers. This is the generation that is finally becoming adults, they are the 22- 36-year-olds of our country and account for about 21 percent. This is a generation of many feminists and an age for major women progression compared to older generations. Compared to the sixties when the silent generation women were in their 20-30s, only 40% of this generation of women were working and the majority were not in the labor force. Today 72% of American women are employed and only a quarter are not in the labor workforce. This is also the generation that is more educated and has a higher percentage of Americans with a college education. This also plays a big part in the average income of millennials and which ones have the upper hand. Research shows average income for millennials that have a bachelor's degree is higher than millennials who don't have one. This is a representation of America's workforce and how much college education is valued. Millennials experienced major changes to society and they were open to a new world of communication. They experienced the introduction to social media and were old enough to remember 9/11, a major lesson that changed the world. These individuals tend to be more adaptable to change.

Stay tuned to next week’s article about Generation Z, the one we fit in with! We will dive deeper into life for this generation and some issues they are currently facing. Don’t miss out!