Generation

The Baby Boomer generation spans a wide time frame, including people born between 1946 and 1964. Baby Boomers are often defined as non-conformists who want to make a difference and redefine many aspects of living. They grew up during times of unrest, including the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution and the Cold War. Many Baby Boomers were the radicals of the 1970s and the yuppies of the 1980s.

Born between 1965 and 1980, members of Generation X also grew up during a period of change. Many were children of divorced parents or lived in families where both parents worked, and their latch-key status may have led to a greater sense of independence. They grew up during the energy crisis and the end of the Cold War. They grew up on technology, but before the explosion of cell phones and social media.

Depending on when they were born, Baby Boomers grew up with many different fads, fashions and trends. They were the first to have televisions in their homes and they watched memorable achievements including early space exploration and man’s first steps on the moon. Today, they continue to want to change the world for the better, often getting involved with politics, volunteering and other community outreach projects.

For Generation X, growing up on emerging technology, while also watching an economic instability that often led to their parents being laid off, meant looking for new ways to shape their careers. Many Gen Xers became entrepreneurs, seeking to create their own paths and explore new opportunities which came about with the growth of the Internet.

With the rise of the Millennials, those born between 1981 and the early 2000s, Generation X is sometimes overlooked. Especially since the wide time frame of the Baby Boomer generation means that Baby Boomers could have children who are part of either Generation X or the Millennial generation.

Today’s active adults, aged 55 or better, are still from the Baby Boomer generation. Yet this year, the oldest of Generation X are turning 50. Does the generation gap grow smaller as adults grow older? Do Baby Boomers and Gen Xers bond over not understanding Millennials? What do you think the differences are between Baby Boomers and Generation X? Let us know in the comments below.

Generation Z is a generation of technology. This generation start at late 1990s, or from the mid 2000s to the present day.

While we don’t know much about Gen Z yet...we know a lot about the environment they are growing up in. This highly diverse environment will make the grade schools of the next generation the most diverse ever. Higher levels of technology will make significant inroads in academics allowing for customized instruction, data mining of student histories to enable pinpoint diagnostics and remediation or accelerated achievement opportunities.

Gen Z kids will grow up with a highly sophisticated media and computer environment and will be more Internet savvy and expert than their Gen Y forerunners. More to come on Gen Z...stay tuned.

Next time we will start to take a more in-depth look at the most significant and impactful of the generational cohorts and what implications there might be for libraries and librarians.