Millennials are turning 40? When did that happen? When did the generation that got participation trophies, and not chicken pox become real adults? More importantly, which young people are we older generations supposed to complain about these days?
The Greatest Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennial and Gen Z.
Our generational identity is as much a part of us as our zodiac sign. I’m a proud Gen X’er as surely as I am a Taurus. We’ve read the descriptions. We know the defining traits of each classification, and we’ve come to identify those traits in ourselves.
These generational labels — birth years, time spans, current ages and defining characteristics — it all sounds so official, like something we would’ve highlighted in a textbook to memorize for a test. “ Baby Boomers: ‘46 to ‘64, Gen X: ‘65 to ‘80….” and so on.
But that’s not the case, not at all. There’s really no definitive separation between the generations. The divisions are blurred and there’s plenty of overlap.
No one stamped “Gen X” on my birth certificate back in 1976. We don’t get membership cards when we get our social security number.
Rather, these trends and timelines are evaluated and assigned in hindsight, once sociologists step back a bit and view us all with a more wide-angle lens in relation to global events, political priorities, economics and other influences.
But who decides when a new generation begins? What are the main differences among Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials and Gen Z? And who decided what to call us? (And no, the name Gen X had nothing to do with our generation’s predilection for club drugs.)
The term “The Greatest Generation,” applied to those who fought in World War II, didn’t come into use until 1998, when Tom Brokaw wrote a book about them and called it “The Greatest Generation.”
The emergence of the term Baby Boomers was more clearly data-driven given the clear spike in births following World War II. And my fellow Gen Xers apparently can thank Canadian writer Douglas Coupland for our label. He was born at the tail end of the Baby Boom in 1961 and as an older adult began chronicling the lives of 20-somethings coming up behind him. His 1991 book, “Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture,” was seen as an accurate representation of that era’s youth, and “without knowing it, Coupland permanently named Gen X,” Kyle Cagle writes in a Forbes article. The terms Gen Y (aka Millennials) and Gen Z simply followed suit.
We know what we’re called, but what are we all about?
The Greatest Generation (100+ years old): This generation’s childhood was marked by economic success and technological advancements such as the radio and telephone. Then came the Great Depression and a dark decade of struggle. In the wake of Pearl Harbor, millions of men enlisted to defend and fight for their country in World War II. In their absence, women rose to the occasion to support their country and their families by working in factories and elsewhere. This generation also created post-war America — and most of the Baby Boomers who populated it.
Silent Generation (80s & 90s): The generation’s “silent” behavior has been attributed to the difficult times in which they were born, as well as their coming of age during McCarthyism. Though the Silent Generation is known for traditionalist behavior and a desire to work within the system rather than to change it, many not-so-silent and untraditional members of this generation shaped the world in significant ways, writes Robert Smith for familysearch.org.
Baby Boomers: The Boomers were witness to the biggest growth period in U.S. history. They’re now mostly well into retirement age at this point. They came of age during the Summer of Love, the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. They then turned their attention to the workplace and politics. They remain a large percentage of the population, but are quickly becoming outnumbered by the younger and more tech-savvy generations.
Gen X: Among Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z, Gen X had the most in-person fun, states a generational blog Shutterstock. Children of the ‘80s, they were going to record stores, movies, malls and concerts.
“Prior to the internet, when questionable decisions weren’t saved online forever, staying present wasn’t something one had to remind themselves to do,” Shutterstock states.
But Gen Xers were often overshadowed by the much larger Baby Boomer generation.
Gen Xers more or less created the PC, networking and the infrastructure of the Internet. Gen Xers remember when cassette tapes replaced albums.
Gen Y (Millennials): Gen Y grew up listening to CDs that evolved into music streaming services. Millennials largely created the World Wide Web and the mobile web on top of the Internet. Millennials got a taste of Gen X’s social freedom in the early 2000s, but “once Instagram hit the scene in 2010, all bets were off. Millennials became the generation that took pictures at brunch and relied on influencers to make purchase recommendations.
Despite being highly educated in relation to previous generations, members of Generation Y encountered economic challenges as they began their careers, says shutterstock.com. Generation Y is known for its tech-savviness, having grown up with technology.
Gen Z: For Gen Z, all options are on the table, including who they fall in love with (20% of Gen Z’ers identify as LGBTQ) and when—or even if—they get married at all.
Although Gen Z grew tired of staying home over the last two pandemic years, they’re still not as socially (or sexually) active as previous generations, states shutterstock. “They often rely on screen time activities like streaming services, TikTok, and online shopping to keep them entertained.”
The Greatest Generation: 1901 to 1924 (currently in their late 90s and 100s)
Silent Generation: 1925-1945 (currently 77 to 97)
Baby Boomers: 1946-1964 (currently 58 to 76)
Gen X: 1965-1980 (currently 42-57 years old)
Gen Y aka Millennials: 1981-1996 (currently 26-41 years old)
Gen Z: 1997-2012 (currently 10 to 25 years old)
Note: Experts emphasize that the above time spans are not definitive cutoff points, but rather guides, with significant overlap and blurred distinctions.
