There is a lot of discussion about the demographic labels like baby boomers and generations X, Y, Z. There is also a lot of scientific analysis about them. What are their characteristics, what had the most significant impact on their life, etc.? Although there are a lot of tests on the internet like “what is your generational identity?” or “only real millennials will know to answer these questions.”
However, in this article, we will examine the statements of Dr. Alexis Abramson, an expert in ‘generational cohorts’. She said that it’s essential to know about these because it can affect our attitudes, perceptions, values, and our weaknesses that we can improve.
First of all, let’s see their definition, what impact they had, and last but not least, their characteristics:
Baby boomers
This group came after the ‘Silent Generation’, and they were is born between 1946 and 1962, right after World War Two. In this period, there was a massive flow of births, which had a substantial social impact on the people. This generation was defined by an official government body, The US Census Bureau. Dr. Abramson declared that baby boomers have the following aspects: self-sufficient, committed, competitive (this had to do with the dense population)
Generation X
Gen X people were born between 1966 and 1980. In those times, technology had a huge rise, and those who learned the how’s and why’s of the technology had the upper hand. This also concluded that this generation handled well both the digital and non-digital world, which made them great social people and good problem solvers dut to technology. Their main features were: resourceful, logical, good problem-solvers.
Millennials (Gen Y)
It’s not entirely clear where this demographic group starts and ends, but they are most usually inserted between 1980 to 1995. They’re referred to as ‘lazy’ but still, they are a bit more intellectual than Gen X. They were the first “digital natives” who were born in the technology and media world. That’s why they were the first to question things, and they were no longer dependent on others. This generation had all the answers on the internet, so they weren’t counting on others’ help, that’s why they started to interrupt the social life as it was known before. They were referred to as confident, curious, questioning authority.
Generation Z
This group was born between 1995 and 2012. This group is the most familiar with technology; in fact, they never knew a life without tech. That’s why their “nickname” is iGen. They had the most significant influence on new trends, but they are the least social ones. Some of their characteristics include digital-natives, ambition, confidence.
Key differences in:
Work
Baby Boomers are more loyal to their workplace, while Millennials have more loyalty to the domain they are working in. A baby boomer has no problem staying at the same company in his entire career, while the newer generations always look for better options. They can even take a job abroad if the circumstances are better.
Their work style is also different, but they form great teams. The key is that the younger generation can teach the other tech-related skills, while the older generations can teach of-line stuff to the younger folks. This can create a good mentor-mentee relationship. Of course, conflicts can always appear, so it’s essential to state the roles. Usually, the older one is the one who teaches the newbie how things are getting done, while the younger one is the one who makes is all easier with technology.
Entertainment
There is no surprise that newer generations like more to spend their time with something on-line, while the older ones are more into the face to face events. That’s why we can still see some of our parents in the city on a Friday night.
For example, when it comes to games, a boomer or gen X will always choose to play some poker games with his friends, and for that, he will go to a casino. While the younger generation, mostly the gen Z will play an online casino game like Book of Ra 10, which still has some features from the original game, but it’s supplemented with characters, and animations to make it more exciting.
Education
Studies have shown that millennials are more educated than their parents or grandparents, with around 40% boasting a bachelor’s degree or higher to their name. Baby boomers hold about 15% less.
Health
When Baby Boomers were grown, there was a vast and quick improvement in the medical area. But the bad influences and junk foods also have a rise. Yet, millennials are more likely to include healthy life habits in their day-to-day activities. One pattern that becomes a trend is eating healthy. Nine out of 10 Millennials believe that healthy eating is one of the main points of good health and long life. In the case of Baby boomers, the number is one out of ten. And while it’s a trend in their life, they tend to pass this on to their children.
They started recent food preferences, like dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian diets. The efficiency of these can be questionable, but the purpose was a good one.
On the other hand, besides healthy eating practices, Millennials are less active and more obese than earlier. Who’s the causative? The new technology has lead to an increase in lazy behavior. Also, the long screen time can have a negative effect on the eyes, sleep, and emotional wellbeing. So it seems like the power of the Millenials, which is the technology also became their kryptonite.
