Week 2: Why Generations Matter
(and why they don’t)
You are probably a Boomer (born 1946-1960) or Generation X (born 1965-1980). You might be sceptical. The North American language (this is very much a United States construct). The lazy analysis -a lot of generation research is fodder for sub-editors needing 250 words to fill an empty space in a newspaper.
So why we are building a movement around the Gen Z?
The best research on generation effects -the Pew Research Center is a good place to start- makes us look at the context in which children are raised. Social, economic and cultural context is important. Consider:
Silent Generation: Now aged 79 to 96 years, most of whom had some experience of the Second World War
Boomers: Now aged 60 to 78 years, the beneficiaries of progressive politics and a fully functioning welfare state
Generation X: Now aged 44 to 59 years and the first to experience radical changes in family structure
Millennials: Now aged 28 to 43 years and who encountered industrial and economic decline and the emerging internet.
Child development experts think of this in terms ‘non-shared’ and ‘shared’ environment. Generation Z experienced the 2008 Global Economic crash as a children. That is socially, intellectually and economically different from experiencing it towards the end of a working life, as did the Boomers.
In the months that come I shall examine the broad context into which Generation Z was born, and explore what it means for their health and development.
A generation approach also reminds us that young people lack political power -notwithstanding the U.K. Government’s commitment to extend the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds. As we reflect, we can be mindful that Generation Z will inherit political power and increasingly shape our lives. Another good reason to treat them with respect.
A generational perspective is not a panacea. It can lead to all kinds of false assumptions that follow from lumping together people with diverse experiences and life trajectories into a single group based on their date of birth.
Nor is the evidence ever clear cut. One example. Generation Z have been raised on social media. For all the risks this brings, and as will be seen there are many, these virtual connections seem to give Gen Z a deeper appreciation of climate and the imperative to protect the planet.
We will proceed with caution. But we believe there is a lot to learn, and that the learning will suggest new forms of social policy.
If you know this evidence base, and you want to join the movement behind the Gen Z Manifesto, get in touch.
Thanks for the comment Stephen. Both points we will address in the weeks that come. (On challenge is to know if an extensive online network functions anything like an orthodox social network. Probably not, but let's find out). We need your expertise in helping the system to make space for civil society led innovation like Gen Z Manifesto. Stick with us!
Hi Michael, a really interesting idea and I'm looking forward to reading more. Gen Z certainly inhabit a very different world from previous generations. I'm curious about a couple of things. First the impact of growing up in such a highly connected world with a human brain that evolved living in small groups. Second, and related, the narratives about roles and responsibilities in an envisioned future society (or community), with the hypothesis that young adults need a sense of both belonging and genuine contribution that is valued by the people around them, and that this becomes more of a struggle as work becomes more technical and fragmented.