What generation do I belong to? An analysis of the Silent Generation to Generation Alpha

Over the past century, the United States has undergone many cultural changes.

Major historical events, from World War II to the Civil Rights Movement, 9/11, the COVID-19 pandemic or even the invention of the smartphone have reshaped the country and the world.

How these things have impacted you, as well as your attitudes and behaviors on important issues, may vary depending on your age, demographic, or group.

According to the Pew Research Center, age cohorts “provide researchers with a tool for analyzing changes in opinions over time; can provide a way of understanding how different formative experiences interact with the life-span aging process to shape people’s worldview.”

One way to group age cohorts is by generation. The Pew Research Center defines a generation as “groups of people born within a 15- to 20-year period.”

The United States population is currently made up of six generational cohorts ranging from the Silent Generation, which emerged during World War II, and Generation Alpha, which is still being born.

You may be wondering: what generation am I?

Here’s a breakdown of each generation and their widely accepted annual ranges, according to the Pew Research Center.

The Silent Generation: Born between 1928 and 1945 (ages 79 to 96)

Born between 1928 and 1945, the Silent Generation is sandwiched between the greatest generation, the combatants and workers of World War II, and the baby boomers.

The term “Silent Generation” was originally popularized in a 1951 Time magazine essay that aimed to paint a portrait of the era’s youth, whose childhoods were marked by the Great Depression and World War II. His coming of age was faced with the uncertainty of the Cold War, while the US economy was simultaneously experiencing a post-war boom, providing young members of the silent generation with an abundance of employment and economic opportunities.

“Today’s youth wait for the hand of fate to fall on their shoulders, while they work hard and say almost nothing,” the essay said. “The most surprising fact about the younger generation is their silence.”

Although they were nicknamed “silent” and described as cautious, particularly in terms of their finances, the Silent Generation did not remain silent with generational figures like Martin Luther King Jr. leading massive movements for social change.

Today, members of the Silent Generation range in age from 79 to 96.

Baby boomers: born between 1946 and 1964 (60 to 78 years old)

The baby boom began in 1946, when 3.4 million babies were born, more than ever before, according to history.

In 1947, 3.8 million more babies were born and in 1953, 3.9 million babies were born.

Between 1954 and 1964, more than 4 million babies were born every year. When the boom finally began to abate, there were 76.4 million “baby boomers” residing in the United States, making up nearly 40 percent of the country’s population, according to History.

Historians attribute the baby boom to several factors, including a desire for normalcy after years of war and depression, as well as the combination of older Americans who delayed marriage and children during the Great Depression and World War II and younger adults. who were eager to start families.

According to history, many people during the post-war period believed that the future would be comfortable and prosperous and longed to have children.

Today, baby boomers are between 60 and 78 years old.

Generation X: Born between 1965 and 1980 (44 to 59 years old)

Members of Generation X were born between 1965 and 1980.

According to Forbes, Gen

Brittanica describes Gen X as being resourceful and independent, with a keen interest in maintaining a work-life balance.

Gen X grew up at a time when there were more dual-income families, single-parent families, and divorced children than boomers. They were the first generation to grow up with personal computers and widely available cable television.

Generation X experienced several significant events, growing up during the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. They witnessed the first successful space shuttle flight in 1981, as well as the tragic Challenger explosion five years later.

His childhood and youth saw “unstable economic times,” according to Britannica, which continued to impact many Gen Xers throughout adulthood.

Generation X currently ranges in age from 44 to 59.

Millennials: born between 1981 and 1996 (aged 28 to 43)

The Millennial generation, also known as Generation Y, was born between 1981 and 1996.

According to the Pew Research Center, the boundary between millennials and their successors, Generation Z, was determined based on “key political, economic and social factors that define the millennial generation’s formative years.”

Some of these defining factors include the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 2008 elections, and the economic recession during which many millennials came of age, shaping their “life choices, future income, and income.” in adulthood.”

The nickname “millennial generation” was coined by historians Neil Howe and William Strauss in 1991, choosing the name because “their research made clear that this generation… would be drastically different from the previous one and therefore needed a distinctive name.” , according to Forbes. Furthermore, the oldest of the generation would complete high school in 2000, the beginning of the new millennium.

In 2019, millennials surpassed baby boomers as the nation’s largest living adult generation, according to the Pew Research Center.

Millennials are currently between the ages of 28 and 43.

Generation Z: born between 1997 and 2012 (from 12 to 27 years old)

Members of Generation Z, the second youngest living generation, were born between 1997 and 2012.

According to the Pew Research Center, members of Gen Z face a unique set of circumstances as they begin to enter adulthood. Originally destined to inherit a strong economy with record employment, COVID-19 has since “reshaped the country’s social, political and economic landscape.” These factors have created an uncertain future for Gen Z.

Additionally, Gen Z is different from previous generations in that it is the most racially and ethnically diverse generation, according to the Pew Research Center. Many members of Gen Z also grew up in the digital age, having little to no memory of life before smartphones and modern technology.

However, much of Gen Z is similar to millennials in the way they view social and political issues, with many members of both generations being progressive and pro-government.

Generation Z is currently between the ages of 12 and 27.

Generation Alpha: born between 2013 and today (from birth to 11 years old)

The youngest generational cohort is Generation Alpha, those born since 2013.

The oldest members of Generation Alpha are 11 years old.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Generational divide from the Silent Generation to Generation Alpha