Generations-Part Two
Any generation, which has received their needs, wants and desires without any effort tend to anticipate gifts and services. Often it is said, “They feel entitled to luxury.” This is a natural result of having a plentiful life without hardships, which typically the former generation worked two jobs to achieve. The Silent Generation knew if they didn’t work then they didn’t eat. Due to this a strong work ethic was established. In both The Silent Generation and Baby Boomer Generation employees remained on their jobs for an entire lifetime to provide for families and plan retirements. Retirement planning in these generations began at birth and typically was a mealtime discussion.
Generations X and Y often move back to family homes in the current hour, because they had experienced high unemployment and were getting used to entitlements of luxury. This generation seemed to have a difficult time considered two jobs to maintain their independence. Even if they did work two jobs and remain independent – the quality of life they became accustomed to may not be afforded in a down-turn economy, such as ours in 2012.
Again, The Silent Generation and most of the Baby Boomer Generation featured family units, which were revered. A solid family structure was deemed a level of status. If the family remained strong – the family remained respected. Individuals from these generations often came together to eat and celebrate while enjoying conversation with family members who sat across from them in physically, not on Skype.
Generations X, Y and Z are the first generations to experience the “eat and run out the door” quality of life. The Silent Generation seemed to enjoy a simpler time in life without a need for things to keep them busy. Recreation centered on knitting and crocheting for women and fishing and hunting for men. Time was spent working to keep their money hoppers full in order to remain afloat and ensure a future for their children. Furnishings were made to endure the test of time. Unlike today where furniture has no emotive pandering.
Regardless of the generation, there have always individuals such as Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. who believed and acted as their forebearers while embracing modernity and new realities. When it comes to generations, there are always deviations to the rules; however, generalized attributes hold true and these are golden information nuggets when putting the puzzle of humanity together to form a work of art comprised of cohesive thinking and mutual respect.
While The Silent Generation did not have the great technology of today, the Baby Boomer Generation created modern technology. Every generation has had to be happy with the elements of their era and at times this meant living with less and other times it meant living with waste, for me, the generation I grew up in got up early (usually at the same time every day), went to work for 8 hours or they received time and a half, they came home (at the same time each day.) and enjoyed dinner, usually with a salad, appetizer, entre and dessert with their family and then read the newspaper or a recent new publication together. Of course, my father went to work and my mother maintained the home. Mothers prepared meals while fathers earned wages. This allowed us to enjoy those evening meals together, because parents had shared duties centered on the home and family. They didn’t have an economy where double incomes were part of their financial landscape like Generations X, Y and Z have today.
To the Generation X, Y and Zer’s you may ask, “Read a newspaper together?” Typically they’ll answer, “Yes, on my IPad. I read the news.” Currently, we share eBooks on IPads, Kindles, Nooks, Sony’s and almost daily new electronic devices are availed us. In fact, two or three devices were released while I was writing this book and another is set to be released during production – I decided to limit the list here!
Our news now streams 24 | 7 | 365 and we don’t have to review it all – we can pick and choose. We are swimming (some suggest drowning) in information, which is continuously available on Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines. We don’t have to keep library hours today – we can find our facts and figures at any hour. This is a major difference from our parents and grandparents. These are not right or wrong realities – these are evolutions and innovations. In the passing of time – lifestyle revolutions occur – the rite of passage is built upon each generational success and wisdom gained from failures. It is our duty to understand both.
It is widely accepted that Generations Y and Z and some Xers anticipate appreciation for their work without the level of investment The Silent Generation and Baby Boomer Generation had to endure. Consider builders, coal miners, railroad developers, manufacturers, etc. Gen X, Y and Z’s are known for leaving their jobs for a new job if they are not appreciated for their work. In fact, if they wanted to stay with a company forever, they might receive an “ata boy” and a chuckle because employers did not necessarily want them to stay or need them to, for more than a fixed term. This is a workforce nuance driven solely from the Gen X, Y or Z generational timelines.
Latent generations often believe the thinking of early generations were limited in scope and vision. Generation X, Y and Zer’s are apt to feel The Silent Generation and Baby Boomers lacked imagination, they appear to have been too industrial and less innovative – except the Baby Boomers 1960 breakout, which then became a Yuppie Capitalist credo. The Baby Boomers shocked themselves in the 1960’s and then double-downed by sticking to what life was like at the time. To their children and grandchildren, they appeared to have been largely driven by formalities of living. The Woodstock Generation seems to have been an aberration in time.
Again, conversely, early generations often believed that other Generations were not aware of social mores and lacked empathy as well as being devoid of many existential human values. The thinking concerning Gen X, Y and Zer’s suggested a discard of tradition while continuing to seek the next big thing in electronics or fashion.
It is true today, The Silent Generation and Baby Boomers are lucky to receive a text or an email from their friends or children. In social settings for Generations Y and Z, especially – responding to a text or email embodies elements of notoriety or social acceptance. Often when they receive a text the response is, “Oh, I’m not going to bother with them right now.” This is sometimes followed by a collective sigh when shared with others in their current social environment, which changes throughout their day. Answering the text or accepting a cell call is driven by the current social circumstance typically. It is a sad truth, but not random.
Let’s face it – everyone is way too busy in the current hour to take every call or text. The price for all this “busyness” is a lack of interpersonal closeness between human beings. Of course, and again in almost direct opposition, electronic gaming (often shared with Internet gamers unknown elsewhere), cellular conversations, job performance and social site communication for fun and merriment (where friends creep out of the woodwork otherwise unfound in bygone eras) enhance a larger worldview of friendships though impersonal and driven by data rather than physical proximity.
Latent Generations are experiencing a world full of apps, games and immediate responses. This is due to their generation. Sociologists are asking, Will family relationships and friendships become a thing of the past? Is intimacy suffering due to cells and texts? Are weekly familial telephone exchanges with parents and children a thing of the past? Does grandma have to learn to use a cellphone while her glasses won’t capture the digits or viewing screen? Is grandma’s age and failing eyesight going to ensure she has little to no communication in her future?
While sounding somewhat humorous, these worldview and interpersonal changes are significant. Businesses are being redefined. Work centers are becoming increasingly mobile. Traditional bookstores are failing due to online businesses, such as Amazon. Newspapers are struggling to keep purchasers because Internet delivers streaming news in real-time and without ink issues – though they finally resolved the old ink on your hands from bygone days.
The newest generation doesn’t have time to create meals in kitchens, so our kitchens are changing and adapting new technologies. Cooking has become a hobby for enthusiasts rather than daily family experiences. Currently, people need to work because the economy has altered the work sphere. The two income requirement is a necessity and/or cohabitation – most Gen Y and Zer’s cohabitate today if they live apart from their parent’s homes.
Veterans from of generations feel their sacrifices should not be slighted in favor of the younger workers. Veteran experience conveys wisdoms apart from any other social paradigm. Typically, Veterans make sound decisions. Employers find Veterans useful to their teams. Yet, Gen Yer’s often share reverse trending for Veterans and Generation Zer’s seem to have a renewed affinity for them due to the 9/11 tragedy.
What about the future? On our horizon are “worker gaps.” The Baby Boomer Generation has remained die-hards of industry and they are retiring. The Baby Boomer Generation is the oldest working generation in recent history. While unemployment remains an international issue – there appears to be a shortage of qualified workers. Retirement ages are under renegotiation and new regulatory enforcements of age 70 to retire. Gen X, Y and Zer’s anticipate quality workplaces and rates of pay – with less skill sets and passion for their jobs. A pivotal shift is occurring in employment, which is disconcerting to multiple economies on the world map.
In the future, we will see greater programmatic developments attempt to establish win-wins of societal confluence among all generations with an end goal to reach a multi-generational working mindset. Where too many “any” generation are predominate in any workplace we not only pass on talent, we tip the balances of experience and thwart essential training.
.Lou Adler Recruitment Guru Quoted “Depending on your experiences as a child and values developed from your peers, teachers and friends, life will become what you have experienced, because it is what was learned during your era.”
Joyce Knudsen, Ph.D. www.drjoyceknudsen.com [email protected]