HOW CAN YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR CHILDREN BETTER…GENERATION STUDY CAN SHRINK THE “GENERATION GAP”
How Generations Happen:
- Formative years form core values that guide decisions and enviornmental, economic and political type differences from one decade to another, that creates the “generation”.
- Each generation comes of age in extremes in American Life.
There are currently 5 living generations:
GI GENERATION – 1901-1926 [The generation that saved & changed the world. They came to age in the Great Depression & WWII]
SILENT GENERATION – 1927-1946 [They have had the smoothest career and don’t like to rock the boat. Came of age focusing on conformity and materialism.]
BABY BOOMER GENERATION – 1946-1964 [They became know for “never trusting anyone under 30…but now would like to revise that. They came of age in youth empowerment and social activism.]
GENERATION X – 1965-1981 [They are an “island generation” with large numbers infront and inback of the group. They are the least supervised group in American history and therefore tend to be very self-reliant. The rise of tech (but before social media) has isolated them. They came of age with lots of family stress due to divorce becoming acceptable.
That brings us to:
MILLENNIALS – 1982 – present
Their formative years: 80’s, 90’s to present.
They are the most adult supervised group in American history. They have been shaped by protective helicopter parents eager to shield them from problems.
Millennials dream big and are enthusiastic about their futures and their abilities to make a better world through technology.
Millennials are respectful of elders and have positive feelings toward them because they value adult supervision.
They are focused on the importance of education – because of college and job competition.
With the advent of community service requirements in school, they have learned to be invoved and support strenghening their communities. The have a strong sense of volunteerism and have been nicknamed: “Generation Give”.
Coming of age during the rise of tech, hyper-parenting and corporate corruption, they trust parents not corporations. They enthusiastic about their futures, but less certain about their nation, having lived through recession.
Socially conscious and “green” they want their employers to be good corporate citizens too. They want to do their jobs well and for their jobs to count.
They have unrealistic expectations, especially about entry level assignments – they often feel they are not important enough.
They live fast paced, tech-rich lives.
They see the rich sharing their wealth (Bill & Melinda Gates, Bono, Oprah, W. Buffet and connect with philanthropy and wat to know something bigger than themselves.
Millennials are team players and ten towards “Group Think” because they were shaped by the rise in school curriculum emphasizing group projects.
Technology keeps them connected and supports their team approach.
Millennial boys are suffering a “boy” crisis…a response to a focus in school curriculum on girls.
Millennials have an extended adolescence. They sample jobs/ travel/ live a home/ and postpone life events – like marriage and parenthood.
Some have said they are the first generation of “perfect children”. No Millennials are normal. They have problems with health issues. Legal pharmaceutical use if up, as is cigarette smoking and binge drinking amoung college students. There are “wellness challenges” suicide/depression/anxiety / substance abuse/ sexually transmitted disease / and epidemic obesity.
Because of these millennials might live “shorter” lives than their parents.
Millennials are witnessing an adult world in ethical nad moral failure.
Helicopter parenting has created Narcicism. Inflated self esteem may buoy them or set them up for a fall. Parent focus had given them the idea that they are the center of the universe – the world revolves around them.
There is a worry that Millennials have come of age during “over-parenting”..lacking the necessary independence of thought and mental toughness that are needed in the adult world. Nearly one in two undergrads will become severely depressed at some time during their college careers, exhibited by clinical depression / eating disorders / substance abuse / withdrawl form college.
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