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Generational Characteristics




The four generational categories listed below represent the commonly held generational categories described in most articles and texts on generations. You will find specific descriptions of each group posted here.

• Traditionalist Generation
• Boomer Generation
• Generation X
• Generation Y or Millennial Generation
• Generational Chart I lists notable members of the four generational groups.
• Generational Chart II lists demographic information regarding the four generational groups.
• http://www.everettcc.edu/faculty_sta...x.cfm?id=11170
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How Generation Me Works



by Ed Grabianowski

Characteristics of Generation Me

Not every generational researcher agrees on the definition of Generation Me. Most commonly, Generation Me is simply another name for Generation Y, which includes everyone born between the early 1980s and the turn of the century. However, some sociologists extend Generation Me back into the 70s to include a portion of Generation X, because many of the cultural factors that created Generation Me were taking effect at that time. Also, note that the term "the Me Generation" is sometimes applied to Baby Boomers to contrast them with the self-sacrificing Greatest Generation that came before them. If that sounds awfully similar to the way we describe Generation Me, then it may be true that the older generation always thinks the younger one is self-serving and spoiled. To make things more confusing, sometimes "the Me Generation" and "Generation Me" are used interchangeably.
On the other hand, if you've met a lot of Generation Me people, or happen to be one, it's hard to deny an element of truth in the Gen Me identity.







What traits are associated with Generation Me?

• They reject tradition. From wearing informal clothes to work to sexual orientation, Generation Me is less interested in how it's been done in the past, and more interested in what works best for them.
• They believe in themselves. Members of Generation Me not only want to be wealthy and famous, they feel they deserve it.
• They went to college, and some of them stayed there. Generation Me had the importance of higher education drilled into them from an early age, so a large proportion of them went to college, and quite a few continued to grad school and other lengthy educational programs.
• They're unfiltered. A member of Generation Me is more likely to tell you exactly what he or she thinks of you, and is also likely to share every detail of his or her life with you, whether you're interested or not.
• They appear to shun hard work. There's a sense of entitlement that says, "I deserve a great job with a good salary, but I'm not sacrificing my personal life to do it, and I won't be subservient to my boss either."
• They want to be seen as individuals. Whether they're getting tattoos and piercings, wearing unusual clothing or hairstyles, or constantly seeking novel forms of entertainment, Gen Me members put a lot of effort into standing out from the crowd.

Those traits present a simplified view of Generation Me. Of course, not every member possesses all of those traits. While some research has shown such traits to be valid, other research contradicts the view of Generation Me as being any more self-centered than any other young generation. Data shows that each generation throughout the 20th century was seen as being foolish and averse to hard work by the preceding generation. Furthermore, other studies reveal that Generation Me has a greater tendency than prior generations to do charity work or have long-term goals other than material prosperity.
What factors made these self-centered attitudes so prevalent in an entire generation? We'll talk about that next.

 

Mature/Silents.

• Born 1927- 1945.
• Went through their formative years during an era of suffocating conformity, but also during the postwar happiness: Peace! Jobs! Suburbs! Television! Rock ‘n Roll! Cars! Playboy Magazine!
• Korean and Vietnam War generation.
• The First Hopeful Drumbeats of Civil Rights!
• Pre-feminism women; women stayed home generally to raise children, if they worked it was only certain jobs like teacher, nurse or secretary.
• Men pledged loyalty to the corporation, once you got a job, you generally kept it for life.
• The richest, most free-spending retirees in history.
• Marriage is for life, divorce and having children out of wedlock were not accepted.
• In grade school, the gravest teacher complaints were about passing notes and chewing gum in class.
• They are avid readers, especially newspapers.
• "Retirement" means to sit in a rocking chair and live your final days in peace.
• The Big-Band/Swing music generation.
• Strong sense of trans-generational common values and near-absolute truths.
• Disciplined, self-sacrificing, & cautious.

Baby Boomers

• Born between 1946 and 1964. Two sub-sets:
• 1. the save-the-world revolutionaries of the ’60s and ’70s;
• and 2. the party-hardy career climbers (Yuppies) of the ’70s/’80s.
• The "me" generation.
• "Rock and roll" music generation.
• Ushered in the free love and societal "non-violent" protests which triggered violence.
• Self righteous & self-centered.
• Buy it now and use credit.
• Too busy for much neighborly involvement yet strong desires to reset or change the common values for the good of all.
• Even though their mothers were generally housewives, responsible for all child rearing, women of this generation began working outside the home in record numbers, thereby changing the entire nation as this was the first generation to have their own children raised in a two-income household where mom was not omnipresent.
• The first TV generation.
• The first divorce generation, where divorce was beginning to be accepted as a tolerable reality.
• Began accepting homosexuals.
• Optimistic, driven, team-oriented.
• Envision technology and innovation as requiring a learning process.
• Tend to be more positive about authority, hierarchal structure and tradition.
• One of the largest generations in history with 77 million people.
• Their aging will change America almost incomprehensibly; they are the first generation to use the word "retirement" to mean being able to enjoy life after the children have left home. Instead of sitting in a rocking chair, they go skydiving, exercise and take up hobbies, which increases their longevity.
• The American Youth Culture that began with them is now ending with them and their activism is beginning to re-emerge.

Generation X.

• Born between 1965 and 1980*
• The "latch-key kids" grew up street-smart but isolated, often with divorced or career-driven parents. Latch-Key came from the house key kids wore around their neck, because they would go home from school to an empty house.
• Entrepreneurial.
• Very individualistic.
• Government and big business mean little to them.
• Want to save the neighborhood, not the world
• Feel misunderstood by other generations
• Cynical of many major institutions, which failed their parents, or them, during their formative years and are therefore eager to make marriage work and "be there" for their children
• Don’t "feel" like a generation, but they are
• Raised in the transition phase of written based knowledge to digital knowledge archives; most remember being in school without computers and then after the introduction of computers in middle school or high school
• Desire a chance to learn, explore and make a contribution
• Tend to commit to self rather than an organization or specific career. This generation averages 7 career changes in their lifetime, it was not normal to work for a company for life, unlike previous generations.
• Society and thus individuals are envisioned as disposable.
• AIDS begins to spread and is first lethal infectious disease in the history of any culture on earth which was not subjected to any quarantine.
• Beginning obsession of individual rights prevailing over the common good, especially if it is applicable to any type of minority group.
• Raised by the career and money conscious Boomers amidst the societal disappointment over governmental authority and the Vietnam war.
• School problems were about drugs.
• Late to marry (after cohabitation) and quick to divorce…many single parents.
• Into labels and brand names.
• Want what they want and want it now but struggling to buy, and most are deeply in credit card debt.
• It is has been researched that they may be conversationally shallow because relating consists of shared time watching video movies, instead of previous generations.
• Short on loyalty & wary of commitment; all values are relative…must tolerate all peoples.
• Self-absorbed and suspicious of all organization.
• Survivors as individuals.
• Cautious, skeptical, unimpressed with authority, self-reliant.

Generation Y/Millennium.

• Born between 1981* and 2000*.
• Aka "The 9/11 Generation" "Echo Boomers" America’s next great generation brings a sharp departure from Generation X.
• They are nurtured by omnipresent parents, optimistic, and focused.
• Respect authority.
• Falling crime rates. Falling teen pregnancy rates. But with school safety problems; they have to live with the thought that they could be shot at school, they learned early that the world is not a safe place.
• They schedule everything.
• They feel enormous academic pressure.
• They feel like a generation and have great expectations for themselves.
• Prefer digital literacy as they grew up in a digital environment. Have never known a world without computers! They get all their information and most of their socialization from the Internet.
• Prefer to work in teams.
• With unlimited access to information tend to be assertive with strong views.
• Envision the world as a 24/7 place; want fast and immediate processing.
• They have been told over and over again that they are special, and they expect the world to treat them that way.
• They do not live to work, they prefer a more relaxed work environment with a lot of hand holding and accolades.

Generation Z/Boomlets.

• Born after 2001*
• In 2006 there were a record number of births in the US and 49% of those born were Hispanic, this will change the American melting pot in terms of behavior and culture. The number of births in 2006 far outnumbered the start of the baby boom generation, and they will easily be a larger generation.
• Since the early 1700’s the most common last name in the US was ‘Smith’ but not anymore, now it is Rodriguez.
• There are two age groups right now:
• (a) Tweens.
• (a1) Age 8-12 years old.
• (a2) There will be an estimated 29 million tweens by 2009.
• (a3) $51 billion is spent by tweens every year with an additional $170 billion spent by their parents and family members directly for them.
• (b)Toddler/Elementary school age.
• 61 percent of children 8-17 have televisions in their rooms.
• 35 percent have video games.
• 14 percent have a DVD player.
• 4 million will have their own cell phones. They have never known a world without computers and cell phones.
• Have Eco-fatigue: they are actually tired of hearing about the environment and the many ways we have to save it.
• With the advent of computers and web based learning, children leave behind toys at younger and younger age. It’s called KGOY-kids growing older younger, and many companies have suffered because of it, most recognizable is Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls. In the 1990’s the average age of a child in their target market was 10 years old, and in 2000 it dropped to 3 years old. As children reach the age of four and five, old enough to play on the computer, they become less interested in toys and begin to desire electronics such as cell phones and video games.
• They are Savvy consumers and they know what they want and how to get it and they are over saturated with brands.

 

Connecting to and relating to Digital Natives.





Generation Z truly is the digital generation. They are unlike any before them and are developing in a world that is pure media. They are born into a digitized economy where instant access is everywhere and while the world that they are growing up in is new and evolving, so are the techniques that it will take to teach them.
These are children that have never known a world without internet service, landline phones, or homes without a PC. They have never had to use a phone book or encyclopedia to gain information. And the concept of waiting is foreign.
This is a generation of instant gratification but a group of kids that welcome diversity, change, and accept that things cannot and will not last forever. They are environmentally conscious and aware of social causes. They mobilize through social networks and public formats.
They have been called "The Silent Generation" because of their lack of face to face interaction. They are communicating through various mediums and digital formats. The average Gen x-er sends a minimum of 50 text messages per day, which is the primary use for their mobile phone.
These kids learn differently because they have evolved differently. No longer will a pen, paper and book satisfy the needs of this group who thrives in a media rich environment. As teachers, we must create a world inside the classroom where kids can hear, see and feel relevant messages.

Gen Z Facts:

• Population: 26 million
• Recognize the importance of self-publishing via Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, YouTube.
• Able to multi-task and process large amounts of data, but it must be broken into small pieces.
• Must be taught to be creative and imaginative.
• 64% have constant internet access
• Spends 8-9 hours per day connected to at least one form of media.
• 90% of secondary students have mobile devices, 20% of elementary students.
• The most independant generation: the majority spend time alone because of a parent's job. And with the use of digital technology spend the least amount of time in human history using conversation to get ideas across.
• Have developed their own vocabulary and language as a result of technology.
• View marriage as less important, but parenting as more important in life.
• Have more purchasing power than any previous generation at the same age.
• Are less healthy, more obese
• Make rapid decisions; use very little time to contemplate consequences.