Before critiquing generationism, it is important to survey the categories into which it presumes to divide people. Among these are “Silents,” those born between 1928 and 1945; “Boomers,” 1946 and 1964; “Generation X,” 1965 and 1980; “Millennials,” 1980 and 1996; “Generation Z,” 1997 and 2012; and “Alphas,” 2013 and 2029. “Generationists” believe that the members of these different cohorts differ from one another in predictable ways that should inform what we expect and how we interact with them. Such differences are presumed to be rooted in the changing historical circumstances of their formative years.
Having been shaped by the Great Depression and World War II, the members of the Silent Generation are said to be thrifty, respectful, and loyal. As a result of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, Boomers are competitive, hardworking, and team-oriented. Having been shaped by increased maternal participation in the workforce and lack of adult supervision, Gen Xers are informal, skeptical, and independent. The Millennials, having experienced the birth of the personal computer and the rise of environmentalism, are digitally proficient and care more about experiences than possessions. Gen Z, having been shaped by the 9/11 attacks and the birth of smartphones, is socially aware, keen on activism, and prizes diversity and inclusion. Alphas, having experienced artificial intelligence and the COVID pandemic, are globally conscious, socially responsible, and concerned with sustainability.
Seemingly harmless jokes about the generations abound. Why did the Boomer have a no-coins policy in his store? He couldn’t tolerate change. Why is the age of 30 so significant for the members of Gen X? Because they were 30 at 10 and remain 30 at 50. What does a Millennial get for doing nothing? A trophy. Yet sheer repetition can make such stereotypes seem truer than they really are. For example, numerous educational experts have proposed that learners in Generation Z require short, highly visual content to thrive. Yet I just completed an undergraduate course composed entirely of Gen Z students in which we enjoyed lively discussions of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. What would have been lost had we heeded the advice of generationists?