Many factors contribute to your underlying basic behaviors.  Things like geographical culture, genetics, role models, living environment and so on.

Over the last week the behaviors of some younger acquaintances of mine got me thinking about social generations.  Social generations are cohorts of people who were born in the same date range and share similar cultural experiences.   The four most prominent North American social generations alive today are:

– baby boomers  (1946 to 1964)

– generation X   (early 1960’s to early 1980’s

– generation Y/millennials  (early 1980’s to early 2000’s)

-generation Z  (mid 2000’s to today)

At the risk of stereotyping …….

It is impossible (and probably stereotyping) to pin specific behaviors on a generation – as I noted there are so many factors beyond just your social generation influencing how we behave.

Still,  putting genetics, upbringing, cultural background and role models aside, I do observe some commonalities among these social groups derived from the period in which they were born.

This concept led to and reinforced my earlier observation about common behaviors among my young friends from generation X.  I have no empirical data supporting these subjective observations but here they are anyway.

My observations

There is a different attitude to accountability and responsibility and the term I have often term coined that this is the “me” generation really does seem to apply.  (And I thought it was all about me.)

One thing I really admire though is the laid back demeanor so often observed.   Oh, I am envious.

My suspicion is because this was an entitled generation (many from single child families) and as they grew up there was not that much to worry about (nuclear Armageddon was passe), the economy was relatively stable  (their parents were well and stably employed) and when they needed something it was there.

And of course the most obvious trait though is for generation Z for whom mobile devices are virtually an appendage.  What you want to talk face to face, that’s what texting is for.

And the disclaimer

Today’s post is very subjective and I am just sharing my thoughts.  Categorizing any group (by color, age, ancestry, etc) is absolutely wrong and I do not buy into it.  Fun to speculate a little occasionally though.