Generations Explained

[MegaBrooke98]

im born in 1998 what generation am i ?

[dubified89]

The ideal of the millenials in my opinion should be freedom and individual liberty as preached by Ron Paul and the libertarian movement. And from what I've seen it's catching on in this age group especially, probably a lot of gen x'ers as well.

I was born in '84 but I often feel like I relate to gen x more, possibly because my parents were born in '41 and '45.

[Ishkur23]

No discussion of generations is adequate without a thorough explanation and understanding of demographics and social inertia. This video was heavy on exposition but light on content. It would have been much more interesting to explain WHY these generations are the way they are rather than make unsubstantiated assertions about their core nature without giving any basis in sociological fact.

[dsohigian]

@Ishkur23 This is not meant as a full explanation. For that you should consider reading Strauss and Howe's "Fourth Turning". This is merely a synopsis of part of that work. You can also see further info on my blog

[crimsonsamuraiftw]

The ideal would likely be forming the necessary restoration of transparency (freedom of character and re-establishing social justice) that this post-modern society has silently and gratuitously ignored until recently. It started with the Open Source movement and it has been aimed (for a few years now) towards established institutions in politics, religion, etc., and the several industries (though mainly highlighted in capital trading) that revolved around the Gen X moniker of "Greed is Good."

[Phoust76]

I can see this Millennial generation developing into a Orwellian army and possibly becoming another lost generation.

[DragonFly122]

I have a good idea what that Ideal is (Millennial-born late 1985)

[SlayerGilgamesh]

Great vid! I once saw Neil Howe report that the Millennials believe that everyone, no matter the sex, race, religion or sexual orientation, should have a place at the table - and to be part of the American dream! As a Millennial, I couldn't agree more. What a wonderful ideal!

[dsohigian]

@ogicabp4u - Although you may not feel like an X'er (and may not act like one), it is likely that many of your peers of the same age do. That is the point of the generational boundaries: although some people may feel out of sync with their generation, they still have to relate to many people that are part of that generation in their world view.

[chroniclerofthe70s]

@dsohigian The G.I. generation were hard working individuals who worked at any job for as many hours necessary to support a family. Generation Y are generally a reflection of their boomer parents as supported by their tech utilization knowledge, work habits, and politically correct views. Generation Y are followers and generally lack critical thinking skills. I've assisted hundreds of Gen Yers from different parts of the U.S. I don't expect groundbreaking inventions from any of them.

[dubified89]

@chroniclerofthe70s I wouldn't count them out yet, there's a lot of young men who have been left behind by the P.C. pro-woman/anti-male biased system that we have today. But they're redefining themselves and working out what their course will be and I think there will be innovations to come.

[chroniclerofthe70s]

@dubified89 I think you may be right. There a few randomly distributed examples of U.S. gen Y disliking celebrity media hype and ridiculous high salaries of celebrities and athletes who they believe have little to contribute to the future well being of the society.

It seems gen Y is maturing a bit. Only time will tell.

[ogicabp4u]

Im 1979 and I'm not GenX I'm definitely GenY judging by this. I'm the earliest of the GenYs. Also an early adoptee of a unifying ideal.

[BolnoyBratchny]

@ogicabp4u

Although there are no strict boundaries for the generations, I definitely don't think anyone born in the 80s is Gen X. I personally set the boundaries of Gen X to 1961-1978/9. I don't know why I chose 78 as the end year of Gen X, but there seems to be a shift that occurred sometime in the latter half of the 70s that marked the end of Gen X and beginning of the Millennial generation. People born in the late 70s tend to not behave like stereotypical Xers and are more idealistic.

[tonighttonight17]

Wouldn't half of Millenials have gen X parents? How does that affect things?

[dsohigian]

@tonighttonight17 Although many of the Mills have X parents, it is not nearly half of them. I have two Mill kids, but many of my friends have kids in the next generation (Homelanders). If you look in Middle school right now (say 8th grade) there is about a 50/50 split of parents (X and Boomer) but in 1st grade it is almost all X'ers (those are the Homelander kids). The shift from one generation is gradual but the lines them are firm mainly so that we can describe the character of the group.

[orrkhari]

wat generation am i, i was born in 1994

[dsohigian]

@orrkhari You are a Millennial (born 1982-2003)

[chroniclerofthe70s]

@dsohigian An individual born in the U.S. after 1977 has very little in common with Generation X. A generation is not defined by biology but by commonly shared media, technology, politics, and social norms.

[Gwalchmai2007]

An Xer? I honestly thought he was on the tail end of being a Boomer! I am amazed. Then that actually makes more sense. I thought he sort of broke the paradigm a little by calling on the cause (as a generation ahead), but seeing he's actually an Xer, too, then it all comes together now. Thanks. I'm glad you corrected me. It reaffirms my view a little more.

[Gwalchmai2007]

I've been thinking about current trends, and I think that the Millenial generation has chosen their ideal, and it is pretty much going along the pattern S&H predicted - rebuilding the strength of this country. I think that they're focusing on technological advancement to make our country green and get our country competitive again. Although Obama is a Boomer, I think that his State of the Union address Tuesday set the tone.

[dsohigian]

@Gwalchmai2007 I agree except for the part about Obama being a Boomer. He is an X'er and for the most part acts like one.

[Gwalchmai2007]

You will recall in Generations that they outlined the role that Xers (our generation) our currently playing in the upbringing of the Millenials as they go about their mission making the world better - as the Lost Generation did for the GI generation.

[dsohigian]

@Gwalchmai2007 Yes and I think it is easy to miss that in the Boomer dominated Millennial generation. Our kids are Mills and they definitely show a mix of achievement and pragmatism that is probably missing from many Boomer raised Mills.

[Gwalchmai2007]

David, this is a pretty accessible, basic piece and well explained. I'd like to see a little more about the ideals bit explained about the characters of these generations. Strauss and Howe published a book in 1992 that was a predecessor to The Fourth Turn that talked about these cyclical generations: Generations: The History of America's Future. Essentially, it talks about how these generations made their marks on American culture. Check it out.

[dsohigian]

@Gwalchmai2007 - I have read Generations (and most of S&H's other works). They have a great body of work and I refer to it often.

[moneymaker8815]

Millenials, they are Gen Y and Gen Z combined?

[dsohigian]

@moneymaker8815 Millennials are people born 1982-2003.

[utginoxd3]

I like your presentation, good use of graphics, keeps my attention going and makes it easy to understand.

[DroppedGT]

I'll give you an ideal goal... ROBOTS ! Robots that go to work for you. A business that creates something that can perform as many of the functions to sustain people will allow them to do what they want. It has been portrayed through movies as the future. Japan is always coming out with crazy robots every year. After robots are able to reproduce or repair each other and complete as large a percent of human tasks as possible (google self driving cars) (auto pilot jumbojets)etc we can chil

[joeandray]

The next person to tell m

[Ragnark1]

As a person born in 1982, I can totally agree with what you're saying. My mother and father fit the "prophet" archetype perfectly. I'm not sure if I'm a "hero" per se, but the idea of building the one "IDEAL" is very much on my mind.

I believe what you've just descried is akin to the so-called Karma cycle. It appears that there is a generational Karma cycle which renews itself every third and fourth generation. It will be very interesting to see what happens in the next twenty years.

[dsohigian]

@Ragnark1 I agree it will be interesting to see what the next 20 years hold. Strauss and Howe's theories are remarkable, but they really only have value if they predict the various turnings. Only time will tell on that one, but if they are right we are in for a rough(er) ride for the next 10 years or so...

[flax56]

Maybe the ideal will be about building a sustainable clean energy utopia that discredits the old economic assumptions of endless growth on a finite planet.

Then when we reach midlife we'll lead the first manned mission to mars like JFK's mission to the moon.

[Qdude10]

Millennials for the win.

[crackmonster99]

the millennial generation will build a future based on what they don't have. Just like the greatest generation did. In the earlier case they lacked economic security due to the depression so they built a economically secure future in the post war years.

[Piyyutim]

I hold the previous Hippie generational hype responsible for the current Hipster malaise monstrosity.

"Those who cannot see where they came from will never get to where they are going."

— José Rizal

Unfortunately, it's been a perpetual generation of cultural mis-appropriation, rather than sober reflection.

[wepollock]

The new ideal will be born of crisis (major crisis)..

[wepollock]

Very important...

[texme]

The millennial Gen will build on Ideal of Sovereignty... Admiralty law puts you aboard the citizenSHIP and today that boat is debt laden, Admiralty jurisdiction is contract consent law... When you learn your NOT a "person" you HAVE a person you see the game as it really is. (PERSON is a legal fiction) ARE YOU FICTION????

[CTOL1]

Very cool.... thanks, going to check it out

[spidertraceur15]

Very nice. It's nice to know that I'm a "Hero".

[dsohigian]

That title comes with a lot of responsibility :-)

[themindfuck]

cool im a hero too but i think we're gonna end up like the silents... in the near future we're gonna adapt to many ideals, that of the Xers, the boomers, the Silents... etc... there has been a generational skip. this is not unusual. it happens.

[Motoicon]

Yes you are and like the other comment, much will be expected from your age group. It will not be easy and things will be very tough because the boomers greed, selfishness and poor judgment messed up this country. You will be required to sacrifice much and "Carry the water" for others. The payoff for you and your peers will be to develop a greater purpose in life and your lives will be much more satisfying and meaningful. I just hope it can be achieved without a bloody revolution.

[dsohigian]

Augustus, for everyone's sake I hope that you are wrong about the Millennials and that the pattern of the Civil war generations does not repeat in this cycle. But only time will tell.

[Cheezthis]

As a millenial, I wouldn't be quick to bet against a civil war.

[AugustusLarch]

I think to generation types will skip this time because of 911.

The millineals will be adaptive like in the civil war. They will adapt to the Thirteeners. Get ready to accomodate the reactives.

[themindfuck]

im ready to adapt to the reactives.. in fact it'll be for the best... we'll most likely adapt to a pragmatic socialist ideal influenced by genX.

[Canceled]

@AugustusLarch

I don't think so. I am pretty sure that the west will suffer an economic depression that is at least as bad as the Great depression. That is one crisis that has yet to come.

[AugustusLarch]

@Canceled

Agreed, I think there has been a depression since the oil crisis. It has just been hidden by easy lending, prevelant currency, and the lag of a huge economy. People are going to have a rude awakening when they actualize how trapped they are.

[rgreenberg35]

@Canceled When do you think this Global Deppression will happen?

[Canceled]

@rgreenberg35

I cannot say with 100% accuracy. I am no expert on the subject, but good expert are saying sometime between now and 2020.

In my opinion, I think the west will have several crashes in a series. The first one was minor, 2008, whereas Greece and Iceland went broke. Other countries like Spain Italy and Ireland are not far behind. Remember, that all timelines merged after WWII in the west. So there is, in part, your crisis!