The Generational Divide

There are so many divisions in this world today that cause disagreement, jealousy, even hatred. When I look around us and peruse the news, I see what appears to be a mandatory state of mind that each of us is, by definition, forced to align or identify with one or more groups or designations.

These can be based on political preferences, nationalities, religious choice, sexual orientation, geographic place of birth or residence, career choice, economic status, or date of birth. Instead of celebrating our diversity, I all too often see the diversities above as reasons to seek or further a division. (Refer to the recent FIFA Cup in the USA.)

Today I would like to begin a discussion of the division we have based on our date of birth. There seems to be a large amount of media coverage and research on the various groups of us in the various age categories. To start, let me list those categories according to Parents.com’s “A Year-by-Year Guide to the Different Generations”:

I think it is fair to disregard Generations Alpha and Beta for the purposes of this discussion, and to also exclude the Greatest Generation, as the youngest members of that group are now 99 years old. I thought it might be both informative and amusing to list the “beefs” each of the remaining generations have with each other, as I gather them from news and research items that come across my laptop.

The Silent Generation (age 81 to 98) and the Greatest Generation are the generations that, although often overlooked, played a forgotten and crucial role in rebuilding post–World War II society. They raised the Baby Boomers and shaped many of our cultural, political, and economic landscapes. Their emphasis on hard work, loyalty, and prudence left a lasting impact on subsequent generations. These people were shaped by major events such as the Great Depression, World War II, the early Cold War, the Red Scare, and, in the US, McCarthyism. This generation is often remembered for its work ethic, humility, sacrifice, and quiet strength.

Then we come to the ubiquitous Boomers. The Baby Boomers seem to be the target of most of the angst of the Millennials and Gen X. In a general way, the primary complaint, as I see it, is that Boomers are less supportive and sympathetic to the next two generations. I read that many Boomers lack any care for the future plans, careers, and daily challenges faced by younger generations. Rather, Boomers are expecting their children and grandchildren to endure hardship and be tougher — to “suffer in life” rather than receiving concrete (most often financial) help.

Whether real or perceived, these grievances leave many in the younger generations with the impression that their parents and grandparents do not empathize or sympathize with them. This often leads them to turn away from older relatives and toward friends, colleagues, and media groups for advice and sympathy instead.

In summary, the Silent and Greatest Generations grew up in an era of war, economic hardship, rigid expectations, and limited educational and career options, which shaped their values of duty, frugality, and discretion. Boomers inherited from them a relatively stable society. Younger generations, raised in more permissive and individualistic environments, often see those traits — duty, frugality, and discretion — as outdated and oppressive. This, in turn, feeds the misunderstandings and friction over parenting styles, financial expectations, and life choices that mark this generational divide. Younger generations are prone to see the older emphasis on sacrifice and conformity as limiting personal freedom or emotional support.

Boomers vs. EVERYBODY

Nearly 76 million babies were born in the U.S. alone between 1946 and 1964, making Boomers a major cultural and economic force. The Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and the Space Race were the most significant cultural events of their era, though rock music, early television, and changing social norms around drugs and sexuality were significant contributors as well. Their era was a time of unparalleled economic expansion and rapid technological progress. Growing up amid the post–World War II boom gave Boomers a sense of optimism about themselves and the future, and an expectation of upward mobility as long as they strived for it.

We Boomers are constantly being bombarded with accusations that we are responsible for every woe that Gen X and Millennials experience in their personal, academic, and professional lives. On a global scale, Boomers are accused of being responsible for the environmental, marital, educational, political, and every other crisis du jour. Younger generations, believing that Boomers were concerned primarily with their own welfare above that of others, argue that we helped create a world where the climate is getting warmer, the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and people born in the ‘40s and ‘50s still rule the modern workplace. Added to that, Boomers are also frustrating because many of us can’t — or won’t — figure out modern technology, leaving younger folks to explain it to us repeatedly.

Specifically, here are some of the things that irritate or enrage Gen X and Millennials about all too many Boomers, along with my response to each:

• Housing Market Crisis. Many younger people have found themselves priced out of the housing market and accuse Boomers of owning too many homes and driving up prices. They tend to overlook factors like restrictive zoning laws and global economic trends, which have also played substantial roles in the housing crisis — as have the rise of remote work and urban migration, which have shifted demand. Many of we Boomers, in fact, are facing this same crisis as we try to downsize in our old age.
• Climate Crisis. Boomers are held accountable for today’s environmental issues, blamed for consumption patterns and political support for fossil fuels that cause or contribute to global warming, pollution, and the depletion of natural resources. Although this influence is real, the climate crisis is also driven by industrial growth and technological advances that greatly benefit Gen X and Millennials as well.
• Job Market Woes. Boomers are accused of blocking younger workers from advancement and being urged to retire and get out of the way. Because Boomers still hold leadership positions across many industries, it’s argued that this stifles innovation and limits career growth for younger employees. Too often overlooked in this argument is that the job market’s transformation is also driven by automation, globalization, and increasingly AI — forces outside any one generation’s control. There is, all too often, a blanket feeling among younger generations that nothing Boomers have to offer in the workplace has value, simply because we are older.
• Student Debt. Boomers are often blamed for today’s student debt crisis and accused of allowing tuition fees to skyrocket. I admit this one baffles me — I wonder why we should be responsible for a debt that was entered into willingly by another. Nor am I sure why I should be held responsible if a student chose to attend a private university, forgo community college for the first two years, or major in something with little relevance to today’s job market, and is now facing the consequences of those choices. That said, I’m also not entirely sure how much we contributed to rising tuition and the decline in federal or state support for universities.
• Resistance to Today’s Technology. This is one area where I wholeheartedly agree with the criticism. There are certainly Boomers who are technologically current and comfortable in today’s digital age, but for me, and many others, this rapidly changing world of technology leaves us in the dust. I’d ask for a little patience and understanding: most of us didn’t grow up with this technology from our earliest years, and we find our inability to adapt both baffling and frustrating. Many of us want to enjoy all the conveniences our children and grandchildren take for granted, but feel at a loss as to where to even start.

I could go on, and I would welcome the opportunity to engage with Millennials and Gen Xers about these and other crises facing us all. We are well aware of the challenges that could adversely affect our younger loved ones. We are not unconcerned about the issues above, or about Social Security, educational failures, health care costs, wage disparity, the erosion of values, and so on. Yes, the roots of many of these crises can be traced back to our doorstep — we are guilty of repeatedly returning to office elected officials who serve no interests but their own re-election. But it’s worth remembering that many of today’s crises began with legislation that had “good intentions” but tragic, unforeseen outcomes.

So, my request to those who view us Boomers as modern-day Typhoid Marys (look it up) is this: maybe tone down the volume, and try to see if we can work together to change the course of this looming crisis. And for those of us entering our silver years, we might try to understand that for many of our children, grandchildren, and their contemporaries, the future feels both bleak and frightening.