My Generation

For those that do not know, this writer is part of the so-called Millennial Generation, otherwise known as Generation Y, or, those of us born roughly between 1981 and 1996. Much hubbub has been made over this generation, and you would be hard pressed to find someone who was explicitly proud to be millennial, at least, not at all times in all companies. In fact, one of the most argued points about the millennial generation is the dubiously placed timeline, with members on either extreme seemingly desperate to extend or condense its limits. Gen X and Gen Z are fine, but who wants to be a millennial? The reasons for this are likely manifold, but it poignantly brings to focus the tension experienced between generations, tension caused by that most cataclysmic of forces; change.

If one was asked to pick the millennial’s most stalwart critic, it would likely be the Baby Boomer generation, often shortened, sometimes to the point of being derogatory, to “boomer”. The generation that came from the so-called Baby Boom after World War II, the boomer generation comprises those born between 1946 and 1964. At least for America, the post-war period was one of massive growth and increased affluence like the world had never seen. Returning G.I.s were ready to start families, work jobs in the booming new industries, and buy idyllic homes to raise their children in. Literacy was up, college attendance was rising, and so were wages. The 1950s are often thought to be one of the best times to grow up in America, with nostalgia for the time still persisting today. But the 50s didn’t last forever. Baby Boomers had to deal with some truly horrifying upheavals over the decades. The Vietnam War was “their war” but it was nothing like their parent’s war. Vietnam was the quagmire to end all others, with thousands of lives lost for little reason at all. The war sent shockwaves through society, contributing to the counter cultural revolution, often maligned by the boomer’s generational forebears. Baby boomers faced market crashes, fuel shortages, hostage crises, and the ever imposing threat of global nuclear war. Their generation faced challenges, and rose to face them as best they could, for better or worse.

Millennials were born during a similar period of growth, starting in the 1980s, a time synonymous with consumerism and abundance. The 90s would see this trend continue, with most millennials remembering happy childhoods marked with trips to arcades, little league games, and video rental stores. They saw the rise of the internet, and all the marvels and horrors it would bring, along with the thunderous surge of video entertainment of all stripes. But it was not all affluence and fun, with millennials likewise enduring their own wars, economic catastrophes, and cultural revolutions. The September 11th attacks and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan saw thousands of deaths and were likewise made meaningless by horribly inept leaders. The housing bubble of the 2000s contributed to a feeling of distrust in government and business that still lingers today. In addition, millennials have dealt with the explosion and near constant metamorphosis of internet culture, with its transmogrifying tentacles reaching into everything from music and style to the very concept of gender itself. The millennial generation has faced its own challenges, and rose to face them as well, for better or worse.

With such similarities, it would seem strange that no common ground can be found between these often warring generations, but that indeed seems to be the case. Both sides are belligerent to some degree, with equally intense insults and accusations coming from those that choose to fight this silly fight. “Ok Boomer”, “Snowflake”, and all manner of meme phrases are used to chide and poke fun at the other side, with little thought given to the implications of such spats. Boomers are the parents of millennials, by and large, so in a very real sense we are all fighting our families. Like adolescent children, millennials lash out at boomers with an obvious sense of misplaced teenage rebellion, blaming generations past for the troubles we face rather than taking responsibility into our own hands. Boomers similarly strike at their children’s generation with all the rage of a disappointed, uncaring parent, spouting vitriol that would be deemed abusive in a personal context. It is as if both sides have forgotten that they are intrinsically linked, sometimes by literal familial bonds, and that we are necessarily more alike than we are different. Perhaps the older generations can recognize that they helped mold their children into whatever they are, whether they meant it or not. Maybe the younger generations can remember that their situations are not so unique that they cannot be guided by the wisdom of their forbearers. But if the landscape we all view today is any indicator, these hopes may be unfounded, and we may be doomed to scrap and scuffle with each other forever.

Is this so unusual? Perhaps not. There is nothing more natural than children rebelling, inspiring the equally natural reaction of parents to correct and criticize. The young will do away with the old, and the old will resent them for it, bitterly resisting change and lashing out at a world they no longer feel a part of. All the wisdom of the past stands to lose its meaning, with all blame being foisted on those that came before us, without a thought to the similar, and dissimilar circumstances we have both faced. It makes sense, in a morbid way, that in this fast-changing society we would also do away with elderly wisdom faster in turn. The world of the 21st century cannot abide the archaic ways of yore, and the faster we can get rid of them the better. And does it not make further sense that, when fast forgotten, the generations past would grow faster and more deeply embittered? Perhaps all of this tension and malice is yet another side effect of the exponential growth of knowledge and technology we face today.

In the end, it seems more likely that all the hatred, disrespect and bitterness is merely a vice we take on willingly, choosing to resent rather than understand. When a chiding remark is made from either side, there is no attempt to control the response and try to learn and tolerate our differences. There seems to be a growing lack of unity in these United States, and the unity of generations is no different. If we have any hope of outlasting social decay and defying the hatemongers in our midst, we must resist the ease of blaming disagreement on age, and offer wisdom and grace rather than bitterness and rage. Avoid the offhand remark or the cliched insult, no matter the composure of your potential target and remember they are your children and parents. What good can we hope to achieve through bitterness and vitriol? Both generations are all grown up, and we cannot allow the cycle of pointless blame to continue.