The MSM Notices that Generations Matter

[David Horn]

Tim Egan lives in Washington State and has been writing for the NY Times for decades.  Normally, he writes East Coast opinion with a West Coast spin.  Today, he took on his Boomers and Millennials to task, asking why Boomers are so backward and the Millennials so lame.  It was so in step with what we've been writing, it could have been posted on this forum.

[Eric the Green]

Yes indeed, very good article in my opinion.

[Bill the Piper]

But they still claim Millennials end in 1996. That's nonsense. If a Millennial is anyone who remembers the 3T, the end date should be around 2003. If we use the other definition, coming of age during the 4T, 1996 still doesn't make sense because people born in the late 90s have already come of age, or are very close to adulthood, yet we don't expect the new cycle to start in a moment.

BTW, what name do you prefer for the new artistic generation? I prefer iGeneration, as they don't remember the world before the iGadgets.

[David Horn]

(10-14-2018, 05:28 AM)Bill the Piper Wrote: But they still claim Millennials end in 1996. That's nonsense. If a Millennial is anyone who remembers the 3T, the end date should be around 2003. If we use the other definition, coming of age during the 4T, 1996 still doesn't make sense because people born in the late 90s have already come of age, or are very close to adulthood, yet we don't expect the new cycle to start in a moment.

BTW, what name do you prefer for the new artistic generation? I prefer iGeneration, as they don't remember the world before the iGadgets.

We T4Ters are unique in marking the generations, so deviation is built-in.  I worry less about that and more about the rising realization that this is happening, and generations are at the root of the issue.  It's a 70% solution, but I'll take it.

[pbrower2a]

Demographics is much of contemporary reality, and age groups themselves are critical demographics.

[Eric the Green]

(10-14-2018, 05:28 AM)Bill the Piper Wrote: But they still claim Millennials end in 1996. That's nonsense. If a Millennial is anyone who remembers the 3T, the end date should be around 2003. If we use the other definition, coming of age during the 4T, 1996 still doesn't make sense because people born in the late 90s have already come of age, or are very close to adulthood, yet we don't expect the new cycle to start in a moment.

BTW, what name do you prefer for the new artistic generation? I prefer iGeneration, as they don't remember the world before the iGadgets.

I agree, 2003 is a good date. I don't have a name for Generation Z.

[pbrower2a]

(10-14-2018, 08:30 AM)David Horn Wrote:

(10-14-2018, 05:28 AM)Bill the Piper Wrote: But they still claim Millennials end in 1996. That's nonsense. If a Millennial is anyone who remembers the 3T, the end date should be around 2003. If we use the other definition, coming of age during the 4T, 1996 still doesn't make sense because people born in the late 90s have already come of age, or are very close to adulthood, yet we don't expect the new cycle to start in a moment.

BTW, what name do you prefer for the new artistic generation? I prefer iGeneration, as they don't remember the world before the iGadgets.

We T4Ters are unique in marking the generations, so deviation is built-in.  I worry less about that and more about the rising realization that this is happening, and generations are at the root of the issue.  It's a 70% solution, but I'll take it.

Consumer objects go in and out of style, or at least change. Would it have made sense to call the Lost Generation the "Automobile Generation" for being the first to have grown up when automobiles came into American life and for using in ways that older generations didn't approve, like using a car for 'making whoopie"? All subsequent generations have found ways to fit the automobile into their lives, except perhaps in New York City, where even the middle class is priced out of them.

The GI and Silent generations are defined largely by the youngest GIs having responsible roles in World War II and the Silent having been prepared for, but not having such roles. Historical roles separate the two generations.  We will not know where the generational divide lies until 2025 or so, about when the new Idealist generation starts to be born.