The Buffer Generations

People are living longer now and people of one generation have to coexist with people from different generations.

Oldies

In 2024, the Greatest Generation will be Centenerians.

The oldest of the Silent Generation will turn 100 in 2025.

But majority of our current Senior citizens would be Baby Boomers (those born from 1946 to 1964).

Young Ones

Much of our Younger generation (Millenials, born 81-96; Gen Z, 97-2012; Alpha, 2013 onwards) have always have beef with the Boomers. And it's not hard to see why. The Younger generation was born with Tech gadgets, and the Boomers grew up during the heels of rebuilding after the most destructive world war.

Buffer

Good thing, there is a buffer in between the Old and the Young - the Gen Xers (those among us born from 1965 to 1980).

Although considered Old, the Gen Xers have 60, 50 and 40 year olds. And really, 60 is the New 40. They aren't really old, not like how old people were back then.

50 now vs. 50 then, today.com

50 now vs. 50 then, today.com

Gen Xers are indeed old now but most aren't that old, or at least they are not yet ready to retire. They still make up a big portion of the workforce.

The Cushion

Gen Xers are the buffer generation because of a few things.

1. They generally don't really care about the Older (Boomer) generation and the Younger generations, nor join in their seemingly constant need to be on each other's nerves.

They don't generally gloat about the "good old days". One because they know it wasn't all that good. They were born in the old ways of doing things and became adults in the new tech era. They experienced 1st hand the evolution.

They play old school, analog, mechanical, digital and electronic.

They don't care that sports in the 80s and 90s were better than in today's era. They generally are smart enough to know that each era (or each generation) have their own GOAT. They normally do not join in the discussion that LeBron is better than MJ, or vice-versa, nor that Ohtani is better than Babe Ruth. I mean some do, but really all this arguing seems so petty, so cliquey, so "I'm not a kid, I'm 12 and 11 months".

2. The Gen Xers' early years were during the pre-gadgets era. And as pre-teens and teens were introduced to the emergence of every new tech device.

They are used to both the old and new, if a worldwide cyber attack happens, their generation may be the most adaptive generation to go through their day without any of the new technology. It will be hard for everyone, I'm sure. But their generation wouldn't be as stubborn or have no direct 1st hand experience with having no smart phones or wi-fi or headphones.

3. Basically they are half Boomer and half Millenial, born with casette tapes, and grew up with compact discs, born with rotary phones, and were the 1st to use pagers and cellphones.

They are that generation who in middle school and high school 1st tinkered with personal computers and electronic devices. 

As youngers they witnessed the transformation of the old to the new, in music, motion picture, in gaming, information technology and most everything else.

They were born exactly when the last Industrial Revolution took place (advancement in electronics, telecommunications and new technologies).

Those being born today will be the generation which will be comparable to them as another new Industrial Revolution is just starting, one where advancement in AI will take place and start to take over everything.

It will surprise many that AI started in the 50s and Gen Xers as youngsters already were introduced to it in the 70s and 80s. Now AI didn't become that sophisticated until the 90s. And it didn't really become a real thing until the last 10, 15 years, but it will be really real soon enough. 

In time Gen Alpha may be the next Buffer Generation, if humankind will survive that long.

“Tech Support”, Cover of The New Yorker October 23, 2017