More generations than you thought, right?
Media outlets and marketers often address the “generation gap” as if there was only one division among the American populations. But, as anyone with grandparents or great-grandparents knows, there aren’t just two generations living in America.
Nor are there only thee or four.
As this Buzzfeed video, Generations: Past, Present, and Future is quick to point out, there are seven generations alive today in America, resulting in six generation gaps.
In all likelihood, you’re curious as to what eras comprise these generations. Although there’s a fair amount of contention on the division, they break down something like this:
The Greatest Generation (born 1901–1927)
The Silent Generation (born 1928–1945)
Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964)
Generation X (born 1965–1980)
Millennials (born 1981–1997)
Generation Z (born 1998–2010)
Generation Alpha (born 2011–2025)
Anytime a class of people is labeled a “generation,” there’s inherently stereotyping and generalization at hand, but the classifications, nonetheless, prove useful in the context of shared experiences, circumstances, and culture.
To that end, the video offers a fairly subjective look at both how and why these generations are delineated, which could prove useful in the event that someone wants to blame something on a generation other than baby boomers or millennials.
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