The 20 Differences Between The Baby Boomers And Generation-Y
LIFE • EDDIE CUFFIN •
This generation is not like any other generation in history. We are evolving fast due to the rise in technology and it is changing the way we go about things. Our own evolution has been coupled with the evolution of society as a whole, because we are coming of age and beginning to fill in the roles that past generations have left for us.
The way things worked in the past is changing drastically and we are introducing a new way of doing things. This is not to say that the way things have progressed have always been for the better. Some changes have actually regressed our impact on society, while others helped us move forward.
We are an entitled generation that is used to being spoon fed everything while those before us worked hard for everything that they currently have. Some fundamental differences include the way we communicate with one another to the way we date. Let’s see how our generation fares with that of the Baby Boomer generation. Here are the 20 differences between the Baby Boomers and Generation-Y.
They work for theirs
The Baby Boomer generation understood that the world doesn’t owe them anything. No one is going to be there to spoon feed you through life and it is your responsibility to make something of yourself. They were a more independent generation, as they didn’t really have much of a crutch to lean on in comparison to our generation.
We feel entitled to everything
We are such an entitled generation, we’re babied by our parents and society and it has really damaged our work ethic and the way we go about life. We expect things to be done for us and if something requires a little extra work or concentration, we are easily deterred from doing it. If we want to be successful in this day and age, it is required of us that we move past this idea of entitlement and actually get to work.
They’re more inclined to listen to what they are told and to follow the laws of society.
They have totally bought into this whole idea that society knows what’s best for them. Many Baby Boomers did the whole high school, to college, to 9 to 5 with benefits and retirement thing and were completely fine with it. Although this may have worked for them, we must understand that times are different now. Because of the way it worked back then, they are more inclined to follow the rules and live the way society has shaped them to.
We are more rebellious
Our generation has this chip on its shoulder that for some reason makes it difficult to respect authority. Now this is not to say that we are a wild generation full of barbarians, but we are a generation that has trouble keeping within the guidelines that society has laid out for us. Then again this could stem from the fact that we see that the road society has paved for us leads to a menial 9 to 5, with a bunch of student debt to pay off.
They deal with what they have
The Baby Boomers saw both a time of great need and great prosperity. Many of these people witnessed the tail-end of the Great Depression, as well as the end of WWII. Times were hard and it has helped the Baby Boomers appreciate all that they are given. They know that resources are limited and that they have to be more resourceful with what they have.
We constantly want more
Our generation has been given everything since we were born. We never really had to work hard for anything and that has translated into the habits we develop today. Being that we were always given what we wanted, many of us don’t appreciate the simple things around us. We are very wasteful and are always looking for more, rather than being content with what we have.
They got beatings
The Baby Boomers had it rough when it came to punishment; however, there is nothing quite like tough love. It actually whipped them into shape and made stepping out of line seem daunting, as there would be consequences for your actions. If you had a fresh mouth with your parents back in the day, you would receive a quick slap to the mouth, now this would make you rethink being wise to your parents next time you were presented the opportunity.
We get timeout
We are one of the softest generations because we have trouble listening to rules and regulations. This is in part due to the consequences of our actions. Now when we get in trouble, instead of getting a swift slap to the mouth, we get timeout. Now we all know time out is a slap on the wrist compared to actually getting a beating. Our generation takes full advantage of these light punishments and that is why we are more inclined not to listen after.
They have great attention spans
The Baby Boomers have been blessed with the gift of great attention spans. Although they may not be working on a project that they wholeheartedly are interested in, they still somehow find a way to dig deep and get the work done. For them, paying attention isn’t really a problem, as they are used to taking time with their projects and don’t seek instant gratification for their work.
We have no attention span
Apparently everyone in our generation has some form of ADHD. Many of us claim that we can’t even complete work without Adderall. This is kind of pathetic as ADHD has only become a prevalent issue in our time and no generation seems to milk this more than ours. It is time we stop using this as an excuse not to get our work done. Although it is understandable that if we are not passionate about something, we won’t be able to pay attention to it; we can’t always choose the things we want to work on.
They smoked weed and used psychedelics to get high
Even down to the drugs of choice, our generations are different. The Baby Boomers were a chill generation that loved to smoke weed and use psychedelics. They sought amusement in mind-altering states, hence the reasons why they used the drugs they did. They liked to see things in a different light and raise questions as to why society works the way it does.
We take prescription drugs to get high
As society and technology evolves, so does the drugs that we consume. With the advancement of medicine, the modern day drug of choice has slowly evolved from weed smoking and psychedelics to full on prescription drugs. Kids these days are addicted to pills, like pain killers and even uppers like Adderall. We do like to party hard and can’t help, but take a few pills here and there to get us going.
They had to trust someone to meet them at a location
Since cell phones were not in existence yet, it was extremely important for people to trust each other. Once people agreed upon meeting at a certain location, they had to rely on the other person to be there as well. This left a lot of rendezvous up to trust, relying on the person to be there on time.
We text someone to meet them at a certain location
Today it is hard to trust someone to meet you at a location on time. Therefore, even after we decide on a location and time we still text each other multiple times to confirm and follow up. This shows that we are less trusting and more reliant on our technology than our ability to actually be on time.
They experienced real life flirting and dating
The Baby Boomers were never concerned with being catfished, as everything they did in regards to dating and flirting was done in person. If you wanted to date someone, you had to be there to actually meet them and talk to them. Although phones did exist, people still had to meet in order to spend time with each other.
We experience more online dating and we rely on social networks
Catfishing is a huge part of this generation, and some people seek enjoyment in catfishing others. This is due to the fact that we heavily rely on the internet and social media for dating and meeting people. Before we even get to know someone, we know something about them because of social media. People can search you up without ever meeting you and this leads to many fake accounts and time spent talking to fake people.
They marched
When it came to speaking out against any injustices in society, the Baby Boomers were out in full force to march and protest. Due to the lack of social media, many relied on the strength of their unified voice rather than the strength of a unified comment or status. By actually putting in the effort and marching or protesting issues that needed to be questioned or changed, they were passionate enough to make things happen.
We advocate through Facebook statuses
Our generation relies heavily on social media. This also extends into the way we voice ourselves on social issues. Instead of getting down and dirty and marching or holding a protest, we are more inclined to voice our opinion directly on a Facebook status or Twitter. This was especially evident in the whole Kony 2012 ordeal, where nothing was really done besides that fact that people put up these amazing supportive statuses in hopes of results.
They say it to your face
Back in the day when someone had an issue with you, they would either keep to themselves or personally confront you. This was the proper way of dealing with issues because if you weren’t ready to brawl to protect yourself, then you were in trouble. This was an error where people had no problem settling things face to face, which is a far cry from what goes on today.
We say it on Twitter
Today there are hardly any face-to-face confrontations. There’s no longer a sense of honor, as now everyone hides behind a computer screen. In our generation, there is a huge population of ‘Twitter thugs.’ These people use tweets and subtweets to actually handle issues — which is extremely soft. There is nothing worse than someone who decides to handle issues over Twitter. It just proves that you are soft and it also blows up everyone’s feed with nonsense.
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