Monday, January 21, 2008

This Week's News

Baby Boomer : person born between 1945 and 1961

Generation X : person born between 1962 and 1976

Generation Y : person born between 1977 and 1989

This technically makes me a Boomer (1961) and Mr. Jazz a GenXer (1962). I’m living with a whole other generation!

Hell, who’m I kidding, I live with a man – I live with a whole different species!

Today, the Journal de Montréal came out with the results of a survey they sponsored along with a local FM radio station: The Generational Shock Survey (please insert your own ominous music here… dum dum da dumm). Though personally, I think shock is way too strong a word. 'Course shock sells.

Big surprise. Boomers think the younger generations are lazy and impolite.

C’mon, has there ever been a generation who didn’t think the “youngsters” were lazy and impolite? Our parents thought we were lazy, their parents no doubt thought the same…

For this we need a survey and all the attendant pseudo news (because this is the theme this week, and all the other new sources will obviously pick it up since there’s nothing much going on except the usual wars and mayhem and we’re all sick of war and mayhem, aren’t we? And we really shouldn't be subjected to it anymore, should we? *le sigh*).

So this is what masquerades as news?

And when did a generation become 12 to 14 years? Isn’t a generation supposed to be 25 years?

So what is the generation from 1989 to 2004 (rounded up to an astounding 15 years for the sake of convenience)? Generation Z?

And what will they call them after 2004? Generation XYZ? Generation Lets-Start-The-Alphabet-Again-Because-We-Were-Dumb-Enough-To-Start-At-X?

Mondays make me feel old and confused.

13 comments:

Cycling Goddess said...

From a boomer to another one, I am also feeling old and confused today if this can make you feel better :)

geewits said...

This boomer is also married to another generation. As far as the kids, MY kid was impolite and lazy. I tried. Well okay she's polite and lazy. And We ARE old and confused. At least I am. I can also do lazy.

Ian Lidster said...

Well as a boomer married to a considerably younger boomer I would say that we are both talented, innovative, hard-working and I think the absolutely last generation to contribute to the worth of society and the planet in general.
And what I really like about us is that we are tolerant of the inanities of the generations that follow us.
How's that?

Jo said...

The younger generation now are called "tweenies" and everything is geared to them - movies, TV, fashion, music, technology... All the other generations from Boomers to Xs to Ys are the older generation, and are irrelevant.

Tweenies rule the world, and Hannah Montana is their leader.

Rachel said...

The younger generation is tentatively being called "Generation Me" due to their upbringing in the Self-Esteem movement and susequent rise in narcissim and related behaviors. For more information (and the answer of why generations are 12-14 years, rather than 25) read Jean M Twenges's "Generation Me:..."

http://www.amazon.com/Generation-Americans-Confident-Assertive-Entitled/dp/0743276981/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201001712&sr=8-1

choochoo said...

I live with The Pooch, and that's a whole different species, as well. And looking back on my exes, I have to say that I understand The Pooch better than I did most of them...

ticknart said...

As one of the members of the supposed Generation Y, I think the generations before me and after me are lazy and impolite. Hell, I think my generation is lazy and impolite, too.

We're all human, after all.

Jazz said...

HD - this is gearing up to be a confusing week all around.

Geewits - I do lazy really well too.

Ian - Your tolerant of the inanities of following generations because previous generations were tolerant of yours.

Josie - Who is Hannah Montana and how do you know about her?

Rachel - I seem to remember the boomers also being called the Me Generation.

Choochoo - Yeah, dogs are a much easier species to understand.

Ticknart - Yep. I gotta say I know plenty of lazy and impolite people in all the generations.

Jill said...

Several years ago I read something that said "baby boomers" were people born between 1945 and 196. I remember it because my mom was born in 1945 and I was born in 1965 and I thought it was weird that we were both baby boomers. But now I find out that I'm not a baby boomer at all. I'm "a generation X" person. Who changed their mind? And how is a person supposed to keep up?

Dave said...

"C’mon, has there ever been a generation who didn’t think the “youngsters” were lazy and impolite?

Nope!

Reminds me of the phrase ... "Now, when I was a kid...!"

CS said...

I've seen different cut-offs for baby boomers, some draw the line at 1964. So depending on which definition I'm that or Gen X. Boomer X, perhaps?

Joe Jubinville said...

I'm a lazy and impolite boomer with an X-rated mind. Talkin bout my g-g-g-generation...

Miss Awesome said...

I'm generation Y, and I think everyone born after 1989 should be sent to mandatory, GET OFF YOUR LAZY BUTT AND GET THE OLD FOLKS A SODA! camp.