You can quibble about the details. You can say that you have characteristics that don't fit neatly within your own cohort. You can protest that they are generalizations, and there are as many exceptions to the rules as there are adherents. But research has confirmed them time and again, and the broad strokes are not in dispute.
The Greatest Generation encompasses those born in the first part of the century who lived through the Great Depression, and includes those who fought in World War II. Their labor and hard work laid the foundation for the country we know today. They begat the Silent Generation, those born between 1925 and the mid-forties. As much as any group, they were the originators and shapers of what we consider 20th pop culture, with pioneering musicians, filmmakers and artists. Next came the Baby Boomers, born 1946-1964, a group that wanted it all and would settle for nothing less. In their minds they are still in high school and college, children of Watergate, Woodstock and Vietnam. Their kids are Generation X, born 1965-1980, who grew up in dual income households and came to accept divorce as a normal state of affairs. Their touchstones were video games and music videos. Millennials, those born 1981-1996, came next, the first group of digital natives. They grew up with security top of mind, with 9/11 and gun violence shaping their views. Lastly, Gen Z, including those born after 1997, is the most racially and ethnically diverse of the groups, and with the oldest in their early twenties, just starting to make an impact.
Each group is defined not simply by the years in which they born, but by the trends at the time in parenting, technology, and economics. Additionally, their shared experiences help shape their outlook. Those include world and national events, pop culture phenomena, and moments of trauma and accomplishment that united all regardless of social strata. The assassination of Kennedy, the Beatles, the first iPhone, Watergate, man walking on the moon: each produced a "I remember when" moment, bringing a shared experience that helps to link all in the cohort.
For the Silent Generation that means generally a belief in conformity and a strong desire for traditional family and family values versus speaking out and rebellion. Contrast that with Generation X, whose members have a strong skepticism for existing institutions and tend to be independent and self-reliant. And Boomers grew up with increasing prosperity, and expect that their standard of living will only continue to go up.
Each generation also has certain scars that grew out of reactions to some of the major traumas of the day. They manifest themselves in habits which have become ingrained over time. Depression origins and wartime shortages resulted in the Greatest Generation being generally frugal. While many were eventually able to live a prosperous lifestyle, they are always watching costs and minimizing expenses. Meanwhile, Boomers came of age during the energy shortages of the 70's. They remember gas lines, rarely leave a room without turning out the lights to conserve power, and would rather put on a sweater than turn up the heat.
And what about where we are now? While the effects of the pandemic have varied depending on location, socio-economic group and occupation, any number of side effects have made a lasting impression. And that means that long after the virus is in the rearview mirror, certain behaviors will be ingrained. It is likely that anyone who comes through this experience - and that means every group noted above - will in the future always have a hidden stash of toilet paper. They will be more likely to wash their hands after contacting any surface that could contain germs, and more likely to clean and disinfect high touch areas in their own spaces, be it homes, cars or offices. And rather than try and get close to people, they will be less likely to cozy up when it's possible to keep apart, as social distancing becomes muscle memory.
So don't be surprised when your grandchildren, should they be here or yet to come, wander into your house, open a closet, and yell out "Gramma, why do you have so many rolls of Charmin?" All you'll be able to do is shake your head, and start yet another sentence with "Well, back in the Pandemic of 2020."
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Marc Wollin of Bedford is learning not to touch his face. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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