McDonough Editorial

In a society that is searching for solid ground day-to-day, we cope and organize things in any way we can. Unfortunately, that coping mechanism has gone farther than trying to get our individual lives in order. It’s become all too easy to shove people and their generations into defining boxes with a list of assumptions and keep them there. What has started as a historically bad habit is now in danger of becoming baked into our interactions if we don’t choose to break the cycle. 

From the few survivors  who fought for peace and democracy in WWII to the grade schoolers who learned about COVID-19 from their virtual classroom, each of us lives as a piece of the larger timeline that crafts our history. According to Pew Research Center as of 2019, there are five different generations, spanning from birth dates in 1928 all the way down to 1997. Adding three years to bring us into 2022, the Silent Generation (a.k.a the Greatest Generation) are now between 77 and 94 years old. Their kids, known as Baby Boomers are between the ages of 58 and 76. Next in line is Generation X currently between 42 and 57 years old. Pew Research gave a cap to the age range of Millennials making them between 26 and 41. This marks the start of Generation Z (Gen Z) for those who are currently between 25-10 years old. At the time of this study, there was no actual endpoint given to Gen Z but 2012 was given for the sake of analysis. 

While these labels serve a purpose for research, we as a society have twisted them into yet another tool that not only points out the generation gaps, but makes it hard for any bridges to be built in the future. The current level of tension between all five generations is a prime example of assumptions overtaking any communication. The Silent Generation are still held as the WWII survivors and  witnesses, who fought to give us the lives we have now.  Baby Boomers uphold their image of hard work. But as the world continues to move away from the familiar post-war structure, younger voices argue they both are too out of touch to have an opinion. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Generation X is described as resourceful but whiny, a trait that many of its members have fought.  Millennials and Gen Z have been labeled by public opinion as creative but entitled and lacking any kind of a work ethic. Is there any validity to a portion of these complicated descriptions? Sure, just as there is for any of us on our worst day. Yet, does that constitute our entire personalities? Of course not. Nonetheless, that is just the power of the categories and divisions we can speak into existence when we’re not thinking about it. 

To say that such a communication habit just happens without purpose, is to oversimplify a complicated problem. Whether we want to admit it or not, each generation is vying for control of the societal driver’s seat. Whoever can prove their superiority gets to pick the direction of our joined future. It’s what every generation before us has fought about for centuries. Now, all of our labels are getting thrown around to try and discount what our different experiences bring to the table. Yet, while we are all busy trying to come out on top, there is no thought of making any effective progress. If we’re only focused on trying to get back on a different trail, then there is never anything new. But when we give all our attention to moving forward, then we never recognize the patterns in the road. 

A beautiful part of our generational structure is the opportunity for personal lessons to create meaningful bridges. When there are so many historical moments within people’s lives, comparisons are almost unavoidable. In our current climate however, the reflex to try and make comparisons like we all have the same past, can cause more harm than good. Our world is still grappling with the effects of COVID-19 and an unpredictable future. The foundation beneath our feet is unprecedented for everyone. We are all having to carve out new paths without much of a map. It’s terrifying, but also a chance for new directions that will be a trail later on. 

If we want to learn from such a monumental shift, assumptions and reflexes can’t be the main communication tool between generations. Human beings, regardless of age, are too complex to live by one definition. It’s up to all of us to make sure that our hard work isn’t overshadowed by insults and lost possibilities of connection.