Man, people have gotten really worked up on Reddit today over this lame chart poking fun at generational differences (particularly the youngins).Maybe we shouldn't take generational stereotypes so seriously, guys. (Yes, this is coming from the writer of a blog devoted to analyzing trends in Generation Y/the Millennial generation.)
It makes me want to get some stuff out about generational differences:
Generations are generalizations. Just because you are born in 1985 doesn't automatically make you Facebook-savvy. Nor does being born in 1955 makes you a luddite.
Generations are fluid. There is so much that happens in the broad time period defining generations (and no real consistency to how we even name and define them). For instance, I sometimes feel like I've had a totally different experience than my brother, who is only five years older than. (After all, he didn't have a cell phone until he was in college!)
Generations and age get mixed up a lot. For example, there are observations specific to young people and there are observations specific to Gen Y, and there are some that overlap. I like to look at all three on this blog. "GenYers are impertinent" might be more accurate if it said "young people are impertinent." You could argue at statement such as "young GenYers are more impertinent than other generations were." (Y-rd does not endorse or deny that statement.)
Generations are simply a way to track social trends. Generational analysis is a useful way to look at overarching differences in people relative to their culture through time. Looking at generations is downright interesting and helpful.
But it's not the only way to look at people.
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2 comments:
I thought the chart was quite funny and made fun of everyone pretty equally.
I've also wondered if generations are really that different or if a 25 year old behaves the same in 1965, 1985, or 2525. Personally, I've come to the conclusions that there are somewhat unique generational events that will make the 25 year old different. For example, new technology is a factor in every generation but the radio will have a different influence than Facebook.
@Deadhedge - I totally agree that there are "somewhat unique generational events" -- and technology definitely seems like the center of that. It's hard to compare how the radio's effect relates to Facebook, come to think of it.
Thanks for your comment!
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