Have you ever had a feeling you don’t fit in with your age group?
- Maybe you were one of those kids who always got along better with adults.
- Perhaps you have continued to seek after technology that keeps your brain a few steps ahead of your peers, and you find yourself gravitating to those younger than you.
- You might be someone who is fed up with the values of the current culture, often wishing you could go back to a more old-fashioned way of life.
Do you fit in with your generation?
This evening my husband, daughter, and I discussed the different generational nicknames (keeping in mind these are fluid and up for debate – see below), which led to a Google search of “What IS my generation, anyway?” and a list of the common characteristics.
We found some traits fit us to a “T” while others were wildly inaccurate, and we had some theories about why this could be true.
If you are born at the beginning or end of a generation, perhaps you are more likely to be like the one before or after it, or a blend of the two.
Holding Christian values may changes the way you relate to your generation. Growing up in a smaller town or part of a larger family or a subset of culture might affect how you relate to your generation, too.
I decided to dig into the information a bit more to check it out.
What Generation Are You?
The first step is to figure out which generation to claim. These are based on the year you are born, and there is some variation depending on which business model or sociologist develops the chart.
Keep in mind there is no standard definition for a generation and it’s defining characteristics, and no one person fits every characteristic of his or her generation. Still, these models provide helpful insights into the culture you that surrounds you as you grow up and live.
What generation are you? Check out the following infographics.
(Scroll through to see the whole thing.)
Source: http://one-europe.info/eurographics/what-comes-after-generation-z, shared with permission.
Do You Fit In With Your Generation?
As you read through the characteristics, do you feel you fit in with your generation?
As a kid, I was always one of those who got along better with adults than with other kids my age, both in elementary school and high school, so I assumed I would not fit well with my generation characteristics. I was surprised when my generation traits fit me well.
Born in 1973, I’m square in the middle of the Generation Xers. I like to save money more than spend it. I went to college never considering that I wouldn’t (although I’m not working in my degree area). My style is direct, and I’m an entrepreneur. I’m fine with self-directed projects. I enjoy positive feedback, but I can live without it.
My daughters, however, tell me they feel they don’t fit in with their generation. Born in 1996 and 1998, that puts them at the beginning of Generation Z. They feel more of an affinity with Generation Y although even that doesn’t feel quite right.
My daughters, currently ages 20 and 18, did not grow up with Iphones but have them now. They are certainly tech savvy but not in the digital native way of my 7 year old son Zack, 12 year old son Paul, or even my 14 year old son, Josiah, who was born just a couple years later. Zack does not know a life without Ipads and Iphones, but the girls remember it. They don’t know a life without the internet, though.
Our children have not been coddled and pampered they way some children have in this generation, but their lives have been much easier than Traditionalists or Baby Boomers.
Your Turn
How about you? In what ways do you fit in with your generation? In ways do you not?
What aspects of your life have made it so you do or don’t fit the norms of your generation?
I’d love to hear your feedback. Share your experiences in the comments below.
Other Reference:
Career Planner, What are the Generations?
Business Balls, Generation Nickname Theories
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I have mixed feelings about generational data. Obviously certain areas of our lives are going to be affected by the times in which we lived. Those who lived during the Depression are obviously most likely going to have different views on money than the last couple generations. Those who lived through the 60s are probably going to have a different sense of importance when it comes to challenging the system and engaging in protests and vocally standing up for their views than other generations. That being said, I always get concerned about studies like this because it can perpetuate concern for those who don’t FIT IN. Especially in today’s culture as we strive for unity and acceptance , I don’t see a big purpose in summarizing the way certain generations are, unless it’s meant to show how generational differences are affecting the world what we can do to make the world a better place. I have never felt part of a generation, nor do I aspire to do so now. I suppose it’s no better to desperately want to fit in than it is to desperately NOT want to fit in – I am a member of the latter category. It’s a very interesting read, though, as I certainly see people I know from the different generations represented who certainly fit into their respective categories.