Generations...
 

O.K. this may seem silly but I'm a little unsure where Gen X stops and Gen Y begins. Is a generation 10 years or 20? Can anyone clarify this for me. Thanks.:o

Greek Love,
shopgirl :)

Technically a generation is 20 years, but there is an overlap. Generation X was born between 1961 and 1981. But I would venture to say that those on the tail end have much more in common with generation Y which was born between 1981 and 2001. Incidentally, the cover of Time magazine is calling today's children Generation 9-11, in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

What would be considered generation z?

I think it changes depending upon the source. My sociology book says that Gen Y is 1977-above. Gen X is 1960-1976.

I've heard the terms Generation X and Generation Y but I've never found out exactly they mean? Could someone fill me in please? According to my age, I am supposed to be a Generation X'er and I was just curious if I fit the definition.

Thanks!

The term Generation X came from a book of the same name by Douglas Coupland. He came up with that name because this generation really had nothing to "define" it, it was just kind of there. No major wars or life altering events.

Generation Y came from being the generation after Generation X. We really are losing some originality. ;)

I learned the same thing in a Marketing course. I think that this is the "official" line for whatever that's worth. I'm a border rat too. I feel like Gen X was more about people becoming adults in the 90's but Gen Y is more like my brother's group, around the age of 21. Kinda sucks being stuck in the middle. I guess around '76 there was dip in the number of babies born though.

OKIE DOKIE:cool:

I was born in 1977...so I'm still confused!!!:confused:

Will we ever know the truth??!!?? How will I ever know which generation to identify with? Oh the humanity!!!

HAHAHA!!!:D Just kidding around!!!
Thanks for the replies.;)

LOL - Are you more Britney Spears or Reality Bites?

I'm a 1977 baby too, and I've often wondered which generation I'm in too.

Ex, you need to be a zzzzzzz!:D

I guess I am the Baby Boomer class even though I mind think in what ever generneration we are in now!:D

What the heck is it anyway?:confused:

Hell last I heard you are born and you die! In the middle you give it hell for election!;)

WINE&BLUE...my fellow 77'er...

I definitely identify more with Reality Bites.:cool:
You're too funny!!!

Tom I guess I would have to consider myself generation zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. :cool:

Then we'll consider you Gen-X! LOL :D

In my history of population course last year I had to read this awesome book called Boom, Bust and Echo 2000, which is all about Canada's demographic make up. According to B,B and E GenX is actually the tail end of the Baby Boomers: "It's important to grasp this point because the mass media have thoroughly confused it. Newspaper articles, media pundits, and even StatsCan often confuse Gen X with the baby bust generation (1967-79) that followed it. The media are still calling Gen-Xers "twenty somethings" although all of them have celebrated their 30th birthdays. Some writers are so confused they seem to thing Gen X is the children of the boomers, even though most boomers weren't yet old enough to have children when Gen X came along" (page 26, Foot)

If you were born between 1947 and 1966 you are a boomer; if you were born in the boomer era between 1961-1966 you are a Gen Xer:

Boomers make up 1/3 of Canada's population!! This generation is called the boom gen for that reason - so many babies were being born. The Gen-Xers were given this title by Douglas Copeland "because they were faced with horrendous obstacles in the labour market and had a hard time of getting their careers on track." (Foot, 28). Basically because they were born at the end of Canada's largest generation there was nothing left for them and this is why we often associate Gen-X as being depressed and bitter because there were few opportunities left for them.


If you were born between 1967-1979 (I was born in 78) you are a buster:

My generation is Canada's smallest generation. This is due to the sudden popularity and availability of the birth control in the late 1960's and the fact that so many women were entering the work force. We are often compared to the frnt end boomers because they are many opportunities availible for us - epsecially with the boomers heading towards retirement.


If you were born between 1980-1995 you are a Boom-Echo:

Echos for the most part are the children of the boomers (however there are tail end busters, like myself, who are also children of boomers). Basically this gen is slightly larger than the busters but are said to not have it is as easy as the busters, but won't have it as hard as gen-X. They are also known as Gen-X II.


And for those born between 1996-2010 are millennium busters:

These are the children of the baby busters - fewer children are being born in Canada today giving us one of the lowest birth rates in the world.

Ok I'm finished now :). Hope that answers some people's questions. And while this is based on Canadian demographics a lot of it can be applied the US, and other nations similar to Canada.