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

Yes another little thing we ought to know by now.

#GenX

#Alpha

When We Were Born Defines Us

A lot of factors will determine who a person will turn out to be, such as where the person was born, into what family, what part of the world, which part of that country, and so forth.

But there is a "general" category of people which will depend on what year we were born in.

Generalization

This will, of course be a generalization and will not even apply to everyone but is more of a label that we've come up with to try to distinguish one generation from the next as there are indeed generational gaps among those born in different generations. 

We should be aware of these differences and try to understand where each generation is coming from.

Understanding

I mean, we shouldn't immediately condemn that 32 year old tourist who thought it wise to carve two inch high letters of his initials on the Colossuem in Rome, a monument built in 70 AD.

This exact thing happened a few years ago as a couple of 20 somethings not only carved their own initials at the Colosseum but also took selfies with their masterpiece.

I mean, not sure if very many people from other generations would have dared to do the same but all of them coming from the same generation may tell us something.

Ok Boomer

I can almost hear somebody uttering under their breaths or even loud enough for others within earshot to hear "okay Boomer". (Except I do not belong to that generation).

Anyway, we will always have these differences in opinion and even some sort of antagonistic view of people who belong to generations other than our own but that will be understandable as we did not experience the same things growing up. In fact, in every generation everything was different and we cannot expect those who grew up in a different era to understand or relate with us.

And it will always be easier to point fingers at the mistakes that people who belong to generations other than our own, than our own mistakes. (Yes, it's human nature).

Generations

So let's take a look at all the different generations and see where we belong. Succeeding generations will have shorter and shorter inclusive years as technological changes as well as everything else are happening rapidly, soon enough one born this year will have a totally different upbringing from one born one year before, yes like a new smartphone.

1. (est. 2013 - 2025)
Generation Alpha (Gen Alpha)
The watch out for me I'm coming generation.

2. (1997 - 2012)
Generation Z (Gen Z) 
The Meme Generation.

3. (1981 - 1996)
Generation Y (Gen Y) 
also known as Millennials.
They are the 'Me Time' Generation. (Me me me).

4. (1965 - 1980)
Generation X (Gen X)
The MTV Generation. From Saturday Night Fever to U can't touch this.

5. (1946 - 1964)
Baby boomers, (Boomers)
Some split the Boomers in two groups, those in the first half from those born in the second half of this period.
They started the Me Generation.

6. (1928 - 1945)
The Silent Generation
also known as the Lucky Few (in comparison to their parents and grandparents).

7. (1901 - 1927)
The Greatest Generation
also known as the G.I. Generation. Like their parents, they were not snowflakes. Fought or survived WWII, the pandemic and the Great Depression.

8. (1883 - 1900)
The Lost Generation
These are the one who fought and survived WWI and the pandemic.

Yes each generation seemingly looking at the succeeding generation as "softer" when compared to them while the younger generation is looking at themselves to be "smarter" than the preceeding generation. And this trend is expected to continue.

One other thing that is expected is this lost of respect for the previous generation and what they had to go through and what they had to do and able to accomplish for future generations to be standing where they are, is not going to bid well.

Nobody's perfect and people had to do things a certain way and us not understanding why and merely judging them as outsiders is not a smart thing to do. 

Fair warning, succeeding generations will be treating us worse that we've treated previous generations.

Yes another little thing we ought to know by now.

#generation