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.
[youtube ratio=”0.5625″ position=”standard” ]
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.
