GENERATION TIMELINE: The Basic Differences Between Boomers, Millennials and GenZ

You must have heard many people using, read many articles mentioning, and seen many memes and social media posts reading words like GenZ, Boomers, Millennials, etc.  On coming across such words, you must have asked yourself what these really mean. You are probably still struggling to know the meaning and difference between Genz, Millennials and, boomers, even when you are one of these. 

Through this article, we have tried to help you understand the timeline of different generations which though seem confusing, is actually very easy to understand. 

1. Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers or simply boomers refer to the generation of people who were born between 1946-1964. This period was followed directly after the great depression and the second world war. It experienced shooting up of birth rate as a result of which the population increased by a significant number, hence the people from this generation are called baby boomers. One of the reasons for this active rise in population was that people were finally relieved of the burdens of war.  Baby boomers were brought up in a prosperous time in as compared to their parents (the silent generation) who lacked resources owing to the great depression. People abided by traditional ways and their faith in God was undeviating. The rise of consumerism in this generation lead to fuelled world economies. 

2. Generation X

People who were born between 1965-1980 belong to this generation. It is also called ‘baby bust’ generation or ‘gen bust’ because their birth rate was far less than the previous generation. This was also because of the many successful birth control policies launched by the government at that time. People of this generation were more serious about getting a formal education. A variety of occupational fields were extensively explored. Orthodoxy was declining but faith was still strong among people of this generation. Native writers and other artists for the first time started getting international recognition. Humanities emerged as a popular domain of study. Influence of cinema and western civilisation was on the rise and represented all things golden for this generation. 

3. Generation Y

Popularly known as ‘Millennials’, this generation is constituted by the people who were born between 1980-1994. Many of these people had telephones and televisions in their homes, some of them even had the luxury of owning a computer. People of this generation were seen as lazy by the older ones, who often forgot tasks and were ignorant of deadlines. The coincidence of the emergence of popular technology like computers and televisions and rising ignorance of kids of that time is quite notable. Relaxed views of the world and politics were characteristic of this generation, hence millennials are viewed as more carefree compared to their predecessors. This is the time when the culture now popularly called pop-culture actually became popular. With the advancement and development of technology, global warming emerged as a global crisis during this time. This time also saw the emergence of thousands of successful big and small companies, most of them based online, including Facebook, Google, LinkedIn and eBay which also justifies the changing trends in work culture among Millennials. 

4. Generation Z

This is the generation that is the present youth of the world. It is also called as ‘igen’ or ‘genz’. People born between 1995 and 2012 are a part of this generation, popularly called igen’ers. The younger ones in this generation are still in schools, planning their careers and jobs. Igen’ers are generally more tolerant of different sexual orientation, races and different cultures and can be seen as more inclusive. A huge part of this generation is atheist and do not believe in holy authorities of temples, churches or mosques. The binge-watch culture is as popular as dating in the teens in this generation. Heavy indulgence in video- gaming, late-night use of smartphones and increased activity on social media are very characteristic of igen’ers. This generation is also committedly raising questions to challenge traditional ways, government and orthodox beliefs. Environment and Mental Health is a major concern among people of this generation. Healthcare, Technology and Beauty industries are booming fields and a big part of this generation seems to explore it. 

Now, you know what they mean, when your peers tirelessly talk about millennials and Genz. While there are no definite boundaries between these generations as far as characteristics are concerned, this timeline is actively studied to come with trends while defining the target audience in trade and while discussing pop-culture too.