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Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents―and What They Mean for America's Future
A groundbreaking, revelatory portrait of the six generations that currently live in the United States and how they connect, conflict, and compete with one another—from the acclaimed author of Generation Me and iGen
The United States is currently home to six generations: the Silents, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z, and Generation Alpha. They have had vastly different life experiences and thus, one assumes, they must have vastly diverging beliefs and behaviors--but what are those differences, what causes them, and how deep do they actually run?
Professor of psychology Jean Twenge does a deep dive into a treasure trove of long-running, government-funded surveys and databases to answer these questions. Are we truly defined by major historical events, such as the Great Depression for the Silents and September 11 for Millennials? Or, as Twenge argues, is it the rapid evolution of technology that differentiates the generations?
With her clear-eyed and insightful voice, Twenge explores what the Silents and Boomers want out of the rest of their lives; how Gen X-ers are facing middle age; the ideals of Millennials as parents and in the workplace; and how Gen Z has been changed by COVID-19, among other fascinating topics. Surprising, engaging, and informative, Generations will forever change the way you view your parents, peers, coworkers, and children, no matter what your generation.
The United States is currently home to six generations: the Silents, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z, and Generation Alpha. They have had vastly different life experiences and thus, one assumes, they must have vastly diverging beliefs and behaviors--but what are those differences, what causes them, and how deep do they actually run?
Professor of psychology Jean Twenge does a deep dive into a treasure trove of long-running, government-funded surveys and databases to answer these questions. Are we truly defined by major historical events, such as the Great Depression for the Silents and September 11 for Millennials? Or, as Twenge argues, is it the rapid evolution of technology that differentiates the generations?
With her clear-eyed and insightful voice, Twenge explores what the Silents and Boomers want out of the rest of their lives; how Gen X-ers are facing middle age; the ideals of Millennials as parents and in the workplace; and how Gen Z has been changed by COVID-19, among other fascinating topics. Surprising, engaging, and informative, Generations will forever change the way you view your parents, peers, coworkers, and children, no matter what your generation.
560 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2023
About the author
Jean M. Twenge
13 books248 followersDr. Twenge frequently gives talks and seminars on teaching and working with today’s young generation based on a dataset of 11 million young people. Her audiences have included college faculty and staff, high school teachers, military personnel, camp directors, and corporate executives. Her research has been covered in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, and The Washington Post, and she has been featured on Today, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Fox and Friends, NBC Nightly News, Dateline NBC, and National Public Radio.
She holds a BA and MA from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She lives in San Diego with her husband and three daughters.
She holds a BA and MA from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She lives in San Diego with her husband and three daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews
May 21, 2023
There were some things in this book that were thought provoking and educational. It gave me a deeper appreciation for some of the struggles of my grandparents' generation (the Silents). But I've read several books on modern generational differences and this one was my least favorite.
The data and definitions used were cherry-picked to fit the author's thesis. The book ascribes many things to rampant individualism that strike me as being very community minded (LGBTQIA cultural values, for instance, or even a lot of social media use). The strawman arguments in the discussion about declining birthrates were especially infuriating. If you think that women should be having more babies, that smartphones and social media are overwhelmingly terrible, and that younger generations have an unfounded victimhood complex, you will probably really love this book. And regardless of your beliefs this book will probably offer some new perspectives on at least some topics. But I did not find it persuasive and was irritated at the way many of the arguments were presented.
I think it's important to note for purposes of my review that I'm a Millennial (born 1988) who in some ways has had a very typical experience for those in my generation (pursued higher education with student loans, used AOL instant messenger and subscribed to YM, throws birthday parties for my dogs, etc.) but in other ways did not (was homeschooled, married at 20 and then divorced eight years later, bought a home when I was 24).
The data and definitions used were cherry-picked to fit the author's thesis. The book ascribes many things to rampant individualism that strike me as being very community minded (LGBTQIA cultural values, for instance, or even a lot of social media use). The strawman arguments in the discussion about declining birthrates were especially infuriating. If you think that women should be having more babies, that smartphones and social media are overwhelmingly terrible, and that younger generations have an unfounded victimhood complex, you will probably really love this book. And regardless of your beliefs this book will probably offer some new perspectives on at least some topics. But I did not find it persuasive and was irritated at the way many of the arguments were presented.
I think it's important to note for purposes of my review that I'm a Millennial (born 1988) who in some ways has had a very typical experience for those in my generation (pursued higher education with student loans, used AOL instant messenger and subscribed to YM, throws birthday parties for my dogs, etc.) but in other ways did not (was homeschooled, married at 20 and then divorced eight years later, bought a home when I was 24).
December 17, 2023
Interesting, important, and long book with some challenges. My dad used to say "Statistics, what they tell you is interesting. What they hide is essential to understanding." or something along those lines. My father was a member of the silents and he did not trust statistics on their own. He would always question what someone is trying to say by simply presenting statistics and spouting very, large vague statements about them. This is what Twenge is essentially doing in this very ambitious book.
I liked the book and admired the efforts to identify and define the different generations. There are significant differences in the generations, specifically the result of their environment and culture in which they are raised. Twenge does a respectable job of giving characteristics of the various generations: Silents (1925-1945), Boomers(1946-1964), Gen X (1965-1979), Millennials (1980-1994), Gen Z (1995-2012) and the Polars (2013-2029). Overall I found the book fascinating and broadly in the vaguest possible way, true-ish. Such is the nature of statistics. But I think when one picks a subject as huge as this and wants to keep a page count down, it restricts stating specifics and seems to push for centrality or averages. This became hugely problematic when Twenge starts trying to detail some social dynamics. Specifically, many of her comments associated with race, gender, sexual orientation, mental health etc, subjects that may elicit an emotional response; Twenge flexes towards neutrality and staying in the middle. She's trying desperately not to be offensive to her target reading audience when spouting these statistics. She is sometimes defensive in her text and oftentimes glosses over social injustices that were/are generational or environmental characteristics of times. In short, she whitewashes. As a reader who looks for equity of treatment in historical texts, it was off putting.
A few examples:
There was a whole lot to like in this book as well. It was fascinating! Some interesting stats that I had no idea:
Overall, a mixed bag but more good than bad. Twenge is generationally around my age. I think she was attempting to present an unbiased account but often the conservatism cannot help but surface. The problem with that is that it seeps into interpretations of the statistics and often ends up presenting opinions as facts. Sure, everyone does, but in a world where uncontested opinions are thrown as facts, we have authoritarian creep and a society that continues to be confused about cause and effect. Social, political, and health issues are not quite as malleable towards mathematics and statistics as some economic issues are, so I find myself hypervigilant of books like this. Twenge is very compelling but deserves scrutiny.
3.5 Stars rounded up…feeling charitable
Read on kindle
I liked the book and admired the efforts to identify and define the different generations. There are significant differences in the generations, specifically the result of their environment and culture in which they are raised. Twenge does a respectable job of giving characteristics of the various generations: Silents (1925-1945), Boomers(1946-1964), Gen X (1965-1979), Millennials (1980-1994), Gen Z (1995-2012) and the Polars (2013-2029). Overall I found the book fascinating and broadly in the vaguest possible way, true-ish. Such is the nature of statistics. But I think when one picks a subject as huge as this and wants to keep a page count down, it restricts stating specifics and seems to push for centrality or averages. This became hugely problematic when Twenge starts trying to detail some social dynamics. Specifically, many of her comments associated with race, gender, sexual orientation, mental health etc, subjects that may elicit an emotional response; Twenge flexes towards neutrality and staying in the middle. She's trying desperately not to be offensive to her target reading audience when spouting these statistics. She is sometimes defensive in her text and oftentimes glosses over social injustices that were/are generational or environmental characteristics of times. In short, she whitewashes. As a reader who looks for equity of treatment in historical texts, it was off putting.
A few examples:
"Whites accepted racial segregation as normal, while today it is considered morally repugnant."Ummm, schools today in the US are still quite segregated. One of the biggest acts of public fraud is the selling of the idea that Brown vs the Board of education desegregated public schools in the US. There is a standing record of atrociousness in this regard. There are tons of statistics to support this fact, but you won't find it in this book. So, while whites may find racial segregation morally repugnant, they are finding it repugnant from their overwhelmingly white public schools.
"The disorientation and suffering of war veterans once called “shell shock” we now know as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is linked to mental distress, depression, and suicide. Although some writers have lamented that the Silent generation missed out on the glory of World War II heroism, they also missed out on its horrors."I don't know what the heck Twenge is trying to do here but what about Korea and Vietnam wars? As the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, I can tell you that the horrors of war were very much experienced.
"As the popular saying predicts, “If you are not a liberal at 25, you have no heart. If you are not a conservative at 35, you have no brain.”Not attributed but comes from conservative circles. Purported to be (in more modern times) Benjamin Disraeli.
"Over the same time, though, White adults’ happiness declined. Is happiness a racial zero-sum game, with Whites less happy because they felt they were losing out to Blacks? That seems unlikely based on timing: Black adults’ happiness rose the most between the 1990s and the 2000s, but White adults’ happiness fell the fastest after 2000, when Blacks’ happiness also fell slightly."Wow, there are some mathematical gymnastics going on here, but basically the ratio of white happiness compared to black happiness during the same period as a stand-alone statistic doesn't prove or disprove anything. While it may be interesting, it's just weird to present it as evidence that it isn't a zero-sum game. Without knowing what else was going on during this period that might have affected the happiness index of white people and black people, it's representative of nothing. Feels like fan-waving and dismissive.
"Thus, those born in the 1980s—the first two-thirds of Millennials—were more narcissistic on average than Gen X’ers and Boomers. However, Millennials born in the 1990s were not more narcissistic than most Gen X’ers.Umm what!?! And WHAT!! My lived experience does not validate these findings. Nor do the presented statistics here. Especially the last statement. Cater to the target reading audience much?
"Narcissism tends to decline with age"
"However, it’s a far cry from the narrative that Black and Hispanic Millennials are falling behind previous generations. Instead, for the most part, they are surging ahead."A tremendous amount of gaslighting and faulty logic here. Depends on the types of statistics you choose to apply. High school/college graduation stats is one thing. Adequate employment commisserate with the level of education, raising a family is quite another. Not to much mention of those types of statistics. The ones presented were not compelling. Twenge is getting iffy.
"Well, in the Boomers’ day the University of California was tuition-free for state residents."Only true for the beginning of the boomer set, by the 1980s, free college was long gone, but yes still much more affordable than the insane current costs.
"Instead, mental health struggles increased over the years in both California and Texas [sic]. And again, the rise began before Trump was elected, around 2014 or 2015."Another bit of whitewashing here where Twenge decides to frame on Trump rather than the political environment. Attempts to absolve folks who didn't support Trump but contributed to the environment that fomented the increased mental health struggles. Again, a catering to the reading audience and directing the way you should consume the statistics.
"Chris Harrison (b. 1971), longtime host of The Bachelor, lost his job after defending a contestant who attended an antebellum-themed party as a college student."This is incredibly dismissive of the issue at hand. Needless to say, this wasn't near as frivolous as Twenge makes it sound. It is charitable to say there is significant omission. It is fair to say, it was an out and out lie. Why was this even in the book? I have my suspicions.
"Still, anonymous surveys also generally show that liberals are less happy and more anxious than conservatives. Thus, it appears there is a mental health gap based on political views, particularly among young people."This didn't age well and the book was first published this year. Again, with the vagueness of statistics and findings. I could just as easily say that liberals were more honest about their happiness than conservatives and probably use the same stats she used to back up that assessment.
"Managers now have the difficult task of preserving an atmosphere in which people can freely and respectfully discuss issues with each other without risking someone being effectively “canceled.”And towards the end of the book, Twenge finally gives away her personal political leaning, though frankly it wasn't well masked throughout the book. It's been my experience that people who use the following terms casually are generally conservative: "woke", "CRT", and/or "canceled". The language of the entitled and embittered. And yes, I am fully aware that all three terms can be and often are used in ways that are not intended to be derisive or dismissive. That's not what Twenge did here.
There was a whole lot to like in this book as well. It was fascinating! Some interesting stats that I had no idea:
In addition, the number of adults 55 to 64 who had never been married doubled between 1990 (Silents) and 2020 (Boomers). Only 1 out of 22 middle-aged women in 1990 had never been married, compared to 1 out of 10 in 2020. One out of 18 middle-aged men had never married in 1990, compared to 1 out of 9 in 2020.
Boomers were the first generation to grow up with TV, and from early on they saw a wider world
Instead of Boomers pulling the ladder up after them, leaving Millennials fighting for scraps, a large portion of Boomers never climbed the ladder in the first place.
By 1993, it was 1 in 3, and the average age of a woman giving birth to her first child dipped below the age of first marriage for the first time.
The divorce rate fell after the 1980s, with the divorce rate in 2019 about half of that in 1981—partially because Gen X’ers married later, and those who marry later are less likely to divorce.
Millennials are the most educated generation in American history.
In 1992��1993, when Gen X’ers were in college, only 1 out of 3 college students took out loans; by 2015–2016, when the last class of traditional-age Millennial college students graduated, more than 1 out of 2 did.
The average amount of student loans has doubled since the 1990s even after correcting for inflation
Gen Z teens are less likely to fight with their parents than Gen X’ers were at the same age, and less likely to try to run away from home.
The 2020 Census found that the number of multiracial Americans nearly quadrupled from 2010 to 2020, from 9 million people to 33.8 million.
Overall, a mixed bag but more good than bad. Twenge is generationally around my age. I think she was attempting to present an unbiased account but often the conservatism cannot help but surface. The problem with that is that it seeps into interpretations of the statistics and often ends up presenting opinions as facts. Sure, everyone does, but in a world where uncontested opinions are thrown as facts, we have authoritarian creep and a society that continues to be confused about cause and effect. Social, political, and health issues are not quite as malleable towards mathematics and statistics as some economic issues are, so I find myself hypervigilant of books like this. Twenge is very compelling but deserves scrutiny.
3.5 Stars rounded up…feeling charitable
Read on kindle
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May 25, 2023I've been researching and studying these topics for some time. Did not learn anything new.
Mostly just statistics.
Mostly just statistics.
January 17, 2023
I was utterly captivated by this deep dive into the six currently living generations in America. It was helpful to learn more about my elders' generation along with the younger generations I am raising and working with. Learning about the trends and technologies that shaped each generation as well as debunking long held stereotypes were well worth the read. Twenge is a masterful researcher and storyteller!
June 3, 2023
This books is a disappointment. I was looking forward to reading it as a millennial working in higher education who does not want to repeat past mistakes of elders in antagonizing, diminishing, and failing to understand subsequent generations. If that is also you, friend this book is NOT what you are looking for.
This is a dumb man's "smart" book, which is ironic as the author takes a lot of time to wax poetic about how Millennials think they are smart and have confidence but are actually dumb and don't have work ethic. The book is just poorly done, from cherry picking arguments (i.e. discussing the comparatively high income level of millennials as a poor explanation of low birth rates instead of the high cost of health care, childcare, and the blurring of lines between professional and personal life by employers), to incredibly sloppy charts and graphs (figures 5.10 and 5.11 are just one example, they are comparing Narcissistic Personality Inventory scores, one uses a 0 to 17.5 scale and one uses a 0 to 18.5 scale), and failing to identify long term trends due to outlier events (the cost of housing HAS gone up for millennials and will likely be worse for Gen Z, Twenge includes a chart clearly showing this. It is also true that a Gen Xer who bought a house at the height of the biggest housing bubble in American history paid more for housing in that particular point in time. No large conclusions should be made from that unique and temporary event).
This book does nothing to help me understand Gen Z, in fact I am confident I understand them better than Dr. Twenge does as she never once mentioned school shootings and brushed over climate change as being important to them, but she did write a dozen pages about gender fluidity, LGBTQIA identity, and claims Gen Z suffers from failure to launch and are risk adverse (using evidence that more supports the fact Gen Z had better parents and a stronger foundation, rather than being inherently dependent or scared of the world).
This is a dumb man's "smart" book, which is ironic as the author takes a lot of time to wax poetic about how Millennials think they are smart and have confidence but are actually dumb and don't have work ethic. The book is just poorly done, from cherry picking arguments (i.e. discussing the comparatively high income level of millennials as a poor explanation of low birth rates instead of the high cost of health care, childcare, and the blurring of lines between professional and personal life by employers), to incredibly sloppy charts and graphs (figures 5.10 and 5.11 are just one example, they are comparing Narcissistic Personality Inventory scores, one uses a 0 to 17.5 scale and one uses a 0 to 18.5 scale), and failing to identify long term trends due to outlier events (the cost of housing HAS gone up for millennials and will likely be worse for Gen Z, Twenge includes a chart clearly showing this. It is also true that a Gen Xer who bought a house at the height of the biggest housing bubble in American history paid more for housing in that particular point in time. No large conclusions should be made from that unique and temporary event).
This book does nothing to help me understand Gen Z, in fact I am confident I understand them better than Dr. Twenge does as she never once mentioned school shootings and brushed over climate change as being important to them, but she did write a dozen pages about gender fluidity, LGBTQIA identity, and claims Gen Z suffers from failure to launch and are risk adverse (using evidence that more supports the fact Gen Z had better parents and a stronger foundation, rather than being inherently dependent or scared of the world).
November 25, 2023
Like many of us, I suddenly find myself old enough to have become the work mom of a bunch of people who are either in the younger segment of my own generation or in different generations younger than I am. I love my crazy work kids so much - what can I say, I believe the children are our future! I think it’s our job as, like, “elders,” and the wise thing to do, to listen attentively and compassionately to members of younger generations and learn about what they are dealing with and where they are coming from, and to take them seriously instead of just defaulting to some kind of self-referential lament about the current state of humanity, which unfortunately seems to be the tendency. And, likewise - although I admittedly find it much harder to do - I also think it’s important to try to understand the perspectives of and cultivate empathy for older generations instead of just writing them off with a snide and dismissive remark that shall go unnamed here.
This book is a fantastic resource for accomplishing all the above because - unlike many “About Generation ______” books that are just usually self-centered essays about the experiences and opinions of one person trying to speak on behalf of that entire generation - this book draws upon Actual Researched Evidence and solid psychological, sociological, and historical content to debunk armchair philosophizing and stereotypes in favor of conveying useful, substantial, and substantiated information about the characteristics and utility (or not) of generational constructs currently used to organize and describe the human experience.
Surprisingly fascinating read that I highly recommend!
This book is a fantastic resource for accomplishing all the above because - unlike many “About Generation ______” books that are just usually self-centered essays about the experiences and opinions of one person trying to speak on behalf of that entire generation - this book draws upon Actual Researched Evidence and solid psychological, sociological, and historical content to debunk armchair philosophizing and stereotypes in favor of conveying useful, substantial, and substantiated information about the characteristics and utility (or not) of generational constructs currently used to organize and describe the human experience.
Surprisingly fascinating read that I highly recommend!
May 27, 2023
I find this interpretation of data reductive and honestly, dangerous. Reductive because she frames what are mostly legitimate questions with the narrow lens of technology and collectivism v individualism…she gets dangerous when somehow using CBT to diagnose an entire generation with “mental health issues/depression” and “victim mentality” because they don’t see their country as great, aren’t proud to be Americans, and aren’t having children. By the time I got through Gen X , the more I didn’t trust the conclusions drawn in the older generations I have as much familiarity with. HUGE gloss over of influence of school shooting on Gen Z. This is just very few examples of the issues with this data interpretation.
January 10, 2024
Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z., Millennials, Gen X., Boomers, and Silents–and What They Mean for America's Future is solid statistical analysis of generational differences in the US. The dataset utilized by Jean Twenge is vast. The analysis is solid and insightful. The author is a Gen X and professor of psychology. I am also a Gen X, but since I was not born and raised in the US, the Gen X characteristics described in the book are only somewhat relatable to me. However, this book helps me to understand my Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z colleagues and my Gen Z children. What I find reassuring is that the author’s tone is professional and neutral.
In the Gen Z chapter, as in her earlier book iGen (2017), Jean Twenge emphasizes the use of digital media (including social media, online browsing, video and computer games) on Gen Z’s behaviors, view of the world, and mental health. This time she backs up with more data. There are a lot of trends that match what I’ve noticed. According to the author, Gen Z’s more diverse sexual orientation and fluid gender identification are the continuation of the individualism trend started since the Boomers.
If you don’t have time to read the entire book, I highly recommend you read the last chapter (Chapter 8), where the author attempts to predict America’s near future, such as family, housing marketing, social security, politics, etc.., by the trends showing in Gen Z.
However, I think it’s too simple to think technology is the root cause of generation differences. In Chapter 1, the author applies the analogy of “turtle all the way down” in her argument and says: “For generational differences, that origin is technology. Technology does always cause generational differences directly. There are intervening causes as well, which we can think of as ‘daughter turtles’ resting on the back of the big mother turtle of technology. Two of these intervening causes are individualism (more focus on individual self), and a slower life trajectory ( taking longer to grow into adulthood and longer to age). ” I find this explanation too linear. Rather than one causes another in a linear fashion, technology, individualism, slow life strategy, and perhaps other elements, are intertwined. Generation differences are manifestations of the changes in a complex system that is our modern society.
In the Gen Z chapter, as in her earlier book iGen (2017), Jean Twenge emphasizes the use of digital media (including social media, online browsing, video and computer games) on Gen Z’s behaviors, view of the world, and mental health. This time she backs up with more data. There are a lot of trends that match what I’ve noticed. According to the author, Gen Z’s more diverse sexual orientation and fluid gender identification are the continuation of the individualism trend started since the Boomers.
If you don’t have time to read the entire book, I highly recommend you read the last chapter (Chapter 8), where the author attempts to predict America’s near future, such as family, housing marketing, social security, politics, etc.., by the trends showing in Gen Z.
However, I think it’s too simple to think technology is the root cause of generation differences. In Chapter 1, the author applies the analogy of “turtle all the way down” in her argument and says: “For generational differences, that origin is technology. Technology does always cause generational differences directly. There are intervening causes as well, which we can think of as ‘daughter turtles’ resting on the back of the big mother turtle of technology. Two of these intervening causes are individualism (more focus on individual self), and a slower life trajectory ( taking longer to grow into adulthood and longer to age). ” I find this explanation too linear. Rather than one causes another in a linear fashion, technology, individualism, slow life strategy, and perhaps other elements, are intertwined. Generation differences are manifestations of the changes in a complex system that is our modern society.
September 16, 2023
It's a rare gem when you stumble upon a book that genuinely changes the way you perceive others, especially when the subject at hand has been excessively debated - the characteristics of different generations. Jean Twenge’s “Generations” is that gem. Twenge has undertaken the admirable task of explaining the nuances that set each generation apart, and she does so in a way that is both enlightening and refreshingly insightful.
The first point that struck me was how Twenge took the time to systematically debunk the cliché stereotypes about the various generations. We've all heard those overused jokes and assumptions about Baby Boomers and their tech knowledge or the “avocado toast-loving” Millennials. But what Twenge offers are authentic glimpses, backed by in-depth research, into what shapes these generational divides. It was incredibly refreshing to see someone tackle this topic from a lens of authenticity and respect, and not the usual stereotyping.
And speaking of research – wow, this woman has done her homework. I genuinely appreciate when an author goes the extra mile to ensure their narrative is based on actual studies, as opposed to personal biases. This book is brimming with data, and yet it never once felt like a dry research paper. Kudos to Twenge for achieving that balance.
Reading “Generations” has changed the way I view those around me. From neighbors to colleagues, and even close friends, I have found myself observing them with a fresh perspective. The insights Twenge provides aren’t just surface-level observations; they're deep-seated, societal, and cultural shifts that have shaped (and been shaped by) each generation.
Twenge provides clarity on the many inexplicable narratives that have surfaced over the years. I always found myself puzzled by the chasm of understanding between my parents and me. But after diving into Twenge’s description of their generation, it’s like I was handed a pair of glasses that made so much of our interaction clear. Understanding the world they navigated through, it’s no wonder we saw things from such different lenses.
The section on Generation Z was particularly eye-opening. One can't help but feel for this generation. Considering the major events they've witnessed and experienced – the 2008 economic crash, the shaming & misinformation of emergencing social media, the polarizing political climate of 2016, and then the global pandemic – it's almost as if they've been in the trenches of a relentless battle. Their apprehensions about the future suddenly make all the more sense, and it’s easy to empathize with their perspectives.
“Generations” by Jean M. Twenge is a must-read for anyone keen on understanding the complexities that divide, and at times, unite, the various generations. It's a deep dive, backed by robust research, and delivered in an engaging narrative. Whether you're a Boomer trying to understand your Millennial child or a Gen Z'er curious about the world of the Silents, there’s something in this book for everyone. Twenge has truly outdone herself with this offering.
The first point that struck me was how Twenge took the time to systematically debunk the cliché stereotypes about the various generations. We've all heard those overused jokes and assumptions about Baby Boomers and their tech knowledge or the “avocado toast-loving” Millennials. But what Twenge offers are authentic glimpses, backed by in-depth research, into what shapes these generational divides. It was incredibly refreshing to see someone tackle this topic from a lens of authenticity and respect, and not the usual stereotyping.
And speaking of research – wow, this woman has done her homework. I genuinely appreciate when an author goes the extra mile to ensure their narrative is based on actual studies, as opposed to personal biases. This book is brimming with data, and yet it never once felt like a dry research paper. Kudos to Twenge for achieving that balance.
Reading “Generations” has changed the way I view those around me. From neighbors to colleagues, and even close friends, I have found myself observing them with a fresh perspective. The insights Twenge provides aren’t just surface-level observations; they're deep-seated, societal, and cultural shifts that have shaped (and been shaped by) each generation.
Twenge provides clarity on the many inexplicable narratives that have surfaced over the years. I always found myself puzzled by the chasm of understanding between my parents and me. But after diving into Twenge’s description of their generation, it’s like I was handed a pair of glasses that made so much of our interaction clear. Understanding the world they navigated through, it’s no wonder we saw things from such different lenses.
The section on Generation Z was particularly eye-opening. One can't help but feel for this generation. Considering the major events they've witnessed and experienced – the 2008 economic crash, the shaming & misinformation of emergencing social media, the polarizing political climate of 2016, and then the global pandemic – it's almost as if they've been in the trenches of a relentless battle. Their apprehensions about the future suddenly make all the more sense, and it’s easy to empathize with their perspectives.
“Generations” by Jean M. Twenge is a must-read for anyone keen on understanding the complexities that divide, and at times, unite, the various generations. It's a deep dive, backed by robust research, and delivered in an engaging narrative. Whether you're a Boomer trying to understand your Millennial child or a Gen Z'er curious about the world of the Silents, there’s something in this book for everyone. Twenge has truly outdone herself with this offering.
September 13, 2023
Omg, I was prepared to give this 5 stars for the first two thirds or so. The sections on silents, boomers, and gen x were great. I especially took a lot from the gen x chapter and feel like I understand my dad better. The first three generations are painted complexly and the positives are highlighted. I was thinking, what a great book for us all to understand each other better. 🥺💜
When we get to the millennial chapter, the tone shifts dramatically. The conclusions (maybe because the millennial generation is so new) feel like leaps. The pieces about millennial wealth made me feel like ???? because it’s so dramatically out of step with the lived experiences I’ve observed as a late millennial. But I was still like, maybe I’m just being defensive because I’m a late millennial, and maybe the harshness feels heightened. I was still ready to send this to my dad who would love this book!
BUT THEN… we get to Gen Z which focuses heavily on gender identity and the trans community. The way this information was conveyed was so incredibly lazy I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The feeling you are left with is that the author personally believes that there is a small number of legitimately transgender people but that gen z trans numbers cannot be “real,” especially among FTM and non-binary people. For example, the author is like ‘most gender affirming surgeries performed on late adolescents are mastectomies, food for thought’ and it’s like — no sh—, that’s the “easiest” one, in terms of the actual procedure and insurance coverage. The author makes a little comment early on about how women have been allowed to wear “traditionally male” clothing, but men wearing “female clothing” is only a new development because it’s judged more harshly. The author spends no time discussing how trans women have been absolutely vilified constantly in the media as millennials came of age and gen z are coming of age, and then is like ‘how weird that MTF rates haven’t grown at the same pace.’
So then I was like, okay I definitely can’t recommend this to literally anyone. Which is a shame because there’s so much good here. I feel like I learned a ton. At the same time, the way the gender conversation was handled, I can’t help questioning every other conclusion we were led to throughout.
When we get to the millennial chapter, the tone shifts dramatically. The conclusions (maybe because the millennial generation is so new) feel like leaps. The pieces about millennial wealth made me feel like ???? because it’s so dramatically out of step with the lived experiences I’ve observed as a late millennial. But I was still like, maybe I’m just being defensive because I’m a late millennial, and maybe the harshness feels heightened. I was still ready to send this to my dad who would love this book!
BUT THEN… we get to Gen Z which focuses heavily on gender identity and the trans community. The way this information was conveyed was so incredibly lazy I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The feeling you are left with is that the author personally believes that there is a small number of legitimately transgender people but that gen z trans numbers cannot be “real,” especially among FTM and non-binary people. For example, the author is like ‘most gender affirming surgeries performed on late adolescents are mastectomies, food for thought’ and it’s like — no sh—, that’s the “easiest” one, in terms of the actual procedure and insurance coverage. The author makes a little comment early on about how women have been allowed to wear “traditionally male” clothing, but men wearing “female clothing” is only a new development because it’s judged more harshly. The author spends no time discussing how trans women have been absolutely vilified constantly in the media as millennials came of age and gen z are coming of age, and then is like ‘how weird that MTF rates haven’t grown at the same pace.’
So then I was like, okay I definitely can’t recommend this to literally anyone. Which is a shame because there’s so much good here. I feel like I learned a ton. At the same time, the way the gender conversation was handled, I can’t help questioning every other conclusion we were led to throughout.
June 5, 2023
This is a deeply researched work with a lot of statistics about how 5 generation of Americans are faring. The author is a professor of psychology whose thesis is that technology is the driving force between different generations which is especially clear for gen z and polars. Advances in technology allows for individuals to live alone and therefore focus om themselves rather than on the community at large.
The author's definition of individualism differs quite a bit from my definition of the word as she uses the term without any connection to the concept of responsibility. This is the key reason for why generations get more egocentric and therefore gradually lose their connection to the community at large. Individualism in this respect has a much more negative connotation and also leads to more people getting depressed. Their sense of their position in the world is inflated and depression follows once these people make contact with the demands of reality.
I often found myself thinking about the Unabomber manifesto and how technology has the possibility to really alter our society for ever. I am sure there are other arguments for the positive impact technology has on society. I am also critical of questionaires asking people how happy they are... I mean isn't it difficult to objectively rate your own happiness? How can we therefore rely on these first hand accounts for scientific research?
Overall an interesting read and summary of current research on generations. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the future of US.
The author's definition of individualism differs quite a bit from my definition of the word as she uses the term without any connection to the concept of responsibility. This is the key reason for why generations get more egocentric and therefore gradually lose their connection to the community at large. Individualism in this respect has a much more negative connotation and also leads to more people getting depressed. Their sense of their position in the world is inflated and depression follows once these people make contact with the demands of reality.
I often found myself thinking about the Unabomber manifesto and how technology has the possibility to really alter our society for ever. I am sure there are other arguments for the positive impact technology has on society. I am also critical of questionaires asking people how happy they are... I mean isn't it difficult to objectively rate your own happiness? How can we therefore rely on these first hand accounts for scientific research?
Overall an interesting read and summary of current research on generations. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the future of US.
May 16, 2023
This is a deeply informative book about the six different generations living in America now. The book uses facts and statistics to bring the reader to a sense of understanding and empathy for each of the generations and I found my eyes opened to a reality that I couldn't really see because I was currently living it. It’s amazing how there are so many stereotypes about each generation that are factually the opposite of the actual generation statistics. While technology is the main driver of differences in generations it is not the sole contributing factor and it was nice to dive in and see what really changes society over time. I wish there was a way to get everyone to read this book or at the very least the last chapter that deals with the future. The gap that is developing between American's is only going to get worse if we can't find a way to come together collectively. Once again this is an amazingly researched book and while some of the statistics are hard to get through it is worth the read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the chance to read this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the chance to read this book.
October 20, 2023
This is a non-fic that tries to define generational differences based on large sets of statistical date gathered over last 70 years or so. I read it as a part of the monthly reading for October 2023 at Non Fiction Book Club group. The book chiefly is based on US data but for newer issues like the use of social networks international data are presented as well.
The book defines the following generations to look at in detail: Silents (born 1925–1945), Boomers (1946–1964), Generation X (1965–1979), Millennials (1980–1994), Generation Z (aka iGen or Zoomers, 1995–2012), and an as-yet-unnamed generation born after 2013 (Polars or Alphas). In the preface the author correctly admits that (1) borders of each generation are somewhat arbitrary and that far from every person born within a generation has all or even most strait of that generation, either stereotypical or based on data.
There are just a few (there are much more) interesting tidbits about each generation:
Silents are actually not that silent, most ‘Boomer’ 60s revolutionaries, The 1964 genesis of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, where students at the University of California demonstrated for the right to fund-raise on campus on behalf of the civil rights movement, was led by Mario Savio (b. 1942). Other prominent figures of the ’60s counterculture were also Silents, like antiwar activists Abbie Hoffman (b. 1936) and Jerry Rubin (b. 1938), “acid test” promoter Ken Kesey (b. 1935), and feminist Gloria Steinem (b. 1934). Muhammad Ali (b. 1942), who gained fame not just for his boxing but for his opposition to the Vietnam War, was a Silent. The musicians most associated with hippie culture were mostly Silents, like Jimi Hendrix (b. 1942) and Janis Joplin (b. 1943). Even the Beatles, whose music traveled the trajectory of the ’60s from upbeat early in the decade to psychedelic later on, were all Silents. Also Silents are represented in the US politics even if they had only one president – the current one. They married younger than generations both before (!) and after, and while Boomers were often their kids, it turns out tat the peak fertility was not in 1946 but in 1957 (notably higher than say 1900-1940). With them the highest growth of high school graduations is linked – kids to went to work at the age of 12 now finished collage, both whites and blacks. They also have the lowest share of adults with mental distress and lowest suicide rates (lower than preceding too!).
Boomers assumed to be revolutionaries, but actually married young, had kids… right now they have problems - excess deaths of “deaths of despair”: suicide, drug overdoses, and liver disease (which is often caused by alcohol abuse), especially among former blue collar workers w/o higher education. Also they have the lowest percent of U.S. adults who are very happy. However, it is true that they were more politically active than later generations.
GenX, who grew with constantly working TV at home and the last of analog generation, creator of computer age. It is stereotyped that most were from a divorced family, but if in 1960, when most children were Boomers, 88% of children lived with two married parents and by 1980, in the heart of the Gen X childhood, it was down to 77%. Yes, lower but still, just ¼, not almost all. They were more self-reliant because during their childhood the percent those, whose mothers worked most of the time when they were growing up was on the rise, so started with most women as housewives and ended with them at work. The first generation that really married later (from 21 for women, 23 for men for Boomers to 25 for women and 27 for men) but had their first sex earlier. In 1991, a shocking 1 out of 10 teens said they’d had sex for the first time when they were 12 years old or younger. Also having children started to become uncoupled from being married.
Millennials are much more protected, which led to peculiarities, e.g. even a formation of a new language, mostly unspoken before the 1990s. In the Google Books database of millions of books, phrases like “believe in yourself” and “just be yourself” became strikingly more common in American books during Millennials’ childhood and teen years, the use of singular first-person pronouns in American books compared with plurals skyrocketed. They got prizes for participation! No surprise that their share of believing they are above average in intelligence and school ability also increased (it is always above 50% because most people of all ages overestimate themselves but for them it was 2/3 as of 2010). This led to high expectations so quite adequate performance is considered by them as a failure.
GenZ protection turns extreme - As high school seniors (17 or 18 years old), they are less likely to drink alcohol, date, and work for pay than previous generations of teens. They are also less likely to have sex: When Gen X’ers were teens in 1991, 67% had had sex by 12th grade; by 2021, only 47% had. While the majority of 8th grade Gen X’ers in the 1990s had dated, tried alcohol, and worked for pay, only about 1 in 4 8th grade Gen Z’ers had done the same in 2021. A great quote: When I told one Gen Z’er that Gen X’ers in the 1990s drank alcohol by the 8th grade, she said, “Old people sometimes scare me.” They also risk less – less injuries but more overweight. Use of the phrase “stay safe” more than quadrupled in American books between 1995 and 2019, as did the more emotionally focused “safe space”. This changed attitudes toward free speech: In the 1970s, the ACLU, usually seen as a liberal organization, supported the right of neo-Nazis to march in a Jewish neighborhood of Skokie, Illinois. The liberal position was generally in favor of free speech as a form of self-expression, as noxious as it sometimes was. The conservative position was generally in favor of restricting speech that was disruptive to campuses or societies in general. By the 2010s, young liberals began to demand the opposite: that speech be regulated. In the 1980s, only 1 out of 4 Gen X entering college students thought extreme speakers should be banned, but by 2019 the majority of Gen Z incoming college students thought so. Most strikingly, tolerance for controversial speech switched its political ideology. Among Silents and Boomers, liberals were slightly more likely than conservatives to support the free speech rights of someone with racist views, but by the Millennial birth years support among liberals began to decline, dipping decisively below conservatives’ support among those born in the 1990s and plummeting among Gen Z liberals.
There is much more!
The main minuses of the book are twofold:
Firstly, too little info about generations outside the USA. Yes, lack of data and I guess less interest too. For my experiences as a GenXer from the then-USSR are quite different, from TV to internet.
Secondly, why the author stresses that stereotypes about generations are often wrong, she uses not only data but anecdotes, which highlight her position. E.g. she writes: In 2018, 8-year-old Dorothy Widen was walking her dog Marshmallow around the block near her home in Wilmette, Illinois, when a neighbor called the police. Although the police took no action, the state Department of Children and Family Services opened an investigation into the family. Thankfully, it was dropped. It’s unlikely to be the last time, however: Illinois law states that leaving any child under the age of 14 alone constitutes child neglect. Not that long ago, 13-year-olds worked as paid babysitters for younger children; now they are believed to need babysitters themselves. That is how slow the slow life has become. This support her position that kids are overprotected, but (1) we aren’t told who called the police – it could have been even a Silent and that quite possibly if we dig old newspapers we also find stories about worried neighbors calling the police about strolling kids. So, one should segregate her position and biases (we all have them!) from data, which, once again show trends and averages, not all people within any group.
Definitely a worthy read!
The book defines the following generations to look at in detail: Silents (born 1925–1945), Boomers (1946–1964), Generation X (1965–1979), Millennials (1980–1994), Generation Z (aka iGen or Zoomers, 1995–2012), and an as-yet-unnamed generation born after 2013 (Polars or Alphas). In the preface the author correctly admits that (1) borders of each generation are somewhat arbitrary and that far from every person born within a generation has all or even most strait of that generation, either stereotypical or based on data.
There are just a few (there are much more) interesting tidbits about each generation:
Silents are actually not that silent, most ‘Boomer’ 60s revolutionaries, The 1964 genesis of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, where students at the University of California demonstrated for the right to fund-raise on campus on behalf of the civil rights movement, was led by Mario Savio (b. 1942). Other prominent figures of the ’60s counterculture were also Silents, like antiwar activists Abbie Hoffman (b. 1936) and Jerry Rubin (b. 1938), “acid test” promoter Ken Kesey (b. 1935), and feminist Gloria Steinem (b. 1934). Muhammad Ali (b. 1942), who gained fame not just for his boxing but for his opposition to the Vietnam War, was a Silent. The musicians most associated with hippie culture were mostly Silents, like Jimi Hendrix (b. 1942) and Janis Joplin (b. 1943). Even the Beatles, whose music traveled the trajectory of the ’60s from upbeat early in the decade to psychedelic later on, were all Silents. Also Silents are represented in the US politics even if they had only one president – the current one. They married younger than generations both before (!) and after, and while Boomers were often their kids, it turns out tat the peak fertility was not in 1946 but in 1957 (notably higher than say 1900-1940). With them the highest growth of high school graduations is linked – kids to went to work at the age of 12 now finished collage, both whites and blacks. They also have the lowest share of adults with mental distress and lowest suicide rates (lower than preceding too!).
Boomers assumed to be revolutionaries, but actually married young, had kids… right now they have problems - excess deaths of “deaths of despair”: suicide, drug overdoses, and liver disease (which is often caused by alcohol abuse), especially among former blue collar workers w/o higher education. Also they have the lowest percent of U.S. adults who are very happy. However, it is true that they were more politically active than later generations.
GenX, who grew with constantly working TV at home and the last of analog generation, creator of computer age. It is stereotyped that most were from a divorced family, but if in 1960, when most children were Boomers, 88% of children lived with two married parents and by 1980, in the heart of the Gen X childhood, it was down to 77%. Yes, lower but still, just ¼, not almost all. They were more self-reliant because during their childhood the percent those, whose mothers worked most of the time when they were growing up was on the rise, so started with most women as housewives and ended with them at work. The first generation that really married later (from 21 for women, 23 for men for Boomers to 25 for women and 27 for men) but had their first sex earlier. In 1991, a shocking 1 out of 10 teens said they’d had sex for the first time when they were 12 years old or younger. Also having children started to become uncoupled from being married.
Millennials are much more protected, which led to peculiarities, e.g. even a formation of a new language, mostly unspoken before the 1990s. In the Google Books database of millions of books, phrases like “believe in yourself” and “just be yourself” became strikingly more common in American books during Millennials’ childhood and teen years, the use of singular first-person pronouns in American books compared with plurals skyrocketed. They got prizes for participation! No surprise that their share of believing they are above average in intelligence and school ability also increased (it is always above 50% because most people of all ages overestimate themselves but for them it was 2/3 as of 2010). This led to high expectations so quite adequate performance is considered by them as a failure.
GenZ protection turns extreme - As high school seniors (17 or 18 years old), they are less likely to drink alcohol, date, and work for pay than previous generations of teens. They are also less likely to have sex: When Gen X’ers were teens in 1991, 67% had had sex by 12th grade; by 2021, only 47% had. While the majority of 8th grade Gen X’ers in the 1990s had dated, tried alcohol, and worked for pay, only about 1 in 4 8th grade Gen Z’ers had done the same in 2021. A great quote: When I told one Gen Z’er that Gen X’ers in the 1990s drank alcohol by the 8th grade, she said, “Old people sometimes scare me.” They also risk less – less injuries but more overweight. Use of the phrase “stay safe” more than quadrupled in American books between 1995 and 2019, as did the more emotionally focused “safe space”. This changed attitudes toward free speech: In the 1970s, the ACLU, usually seen as a liberal organization, supported the right of neo-Nazis to march in a Jewish neighborhood of Skokie, Illinois. The liberal position was generally in favor of free speech as a form of self-expression, as noxious as it sometimes was. The conservative position was generally in favor of restricting speech that was disruptive to campuses or societies in general. By the 2010s, young liberals began to demand the opposite: that speech be regulated. In the 1980s, only 1 out of 4 Gen X entering college students thought extreme speakers should be banned, but by 2019 the majority of Gen Z incoming college students thought so. Most strikingly, tolerance for controversial speech switched its political ideology. Among Silents and Boomers, liberals were slightly more likely than conservatives to support the free speech rights of someone with racist views, but by the Millennial birth years support among liberals began to decline, dipping decisively below conservatives’ support among those born in the 1990s and plummeting among Gen Z liberals.
There is much more!
The main minuses of the book are twofold:
Firstly, too little info about generations outside the USA. Yes, lack of data and I guess less interest too. For my experiences as a GenXer from the then-USSR are quite different, from TV to internet.
Secondly, why the author stresses that stereotypes about generations are often wrong, she uses not only data but anecdotes, which highlight her position. E.g. she writes: In 2018, 8-year-old Dorothy Widen was walking her dog Marshmallow around the block near her home in Wilmette, Illinois, when a neighbor called the police. Although the police took no action, the state Department of Children and Family Services opened an investigation into the family. Thankfully, it was dropped. It’s unlikely to be the last time, however: Illinois law states that leaving any child under the age of 14 alone constitutes child neglect. Not that long ago, 13-year-olds worked as paid babysitters for younger children; now they are believed to need babysitters themselves. That is how slow the slow life has become. This support her position that kids are overprotected, but (1) we aren’t told who called the police – it could have been even a Silent and that quite possibly if we dig old newspapers we also find stories about worried neighbors calling the police about strolling kids. So, one should segregate her position and biases (we all have them!) from data, which, once again show trends and averages, not all people within any group.
Definitely a worthy read!
May 25, 2023
Jean M. Twenge, a psychology profession at San Diego State University, has added another work to her ouevre on American generations. This book profiles six of them: the Silents 1925-45, Baby Boomers 1946-64, Gen X 1965-79, Millennials 1980-94, Gen Z 1995-2012, and the current unnamed generation 2013-29 that she calls Polars. The work dedicates a robust chapter to each generation, punctuating them with major events. She also makes a respectable and moderate case for generational analysis. The criticism of this perspective is that the groupings are arbitrary, and Twenge's response is that we use these types of somewhat arbitrary groupings regularly in social analyses (e.g. any binning of different aged people together).
The major thrust of the book is exploring the differential psychological impact of technological change across the generations and the trend of increased individualism over time. These two themes also contain the shift toward a "slow-life strategy," where youth is prolonged. This is just an academic way to refer to the phenomenon of successive generations taking longer to complete education, enter the workforce, get married, have children, etc.
Twenge is a collaborator of Jon Haidt's. For those unfamiliar with Haidt, this means that Twenge is a critic of social media and smartphones and their impact on our psychology. The shared hypothesis between Twenge and Haidt is that the increased opportunity for social comparison, other related performance pressures, and the psychological incentives created by the structure of social media applications generally exacerbate anxiety and depression in teens and some young adults. These types of claims are hotly debated in the literature, and the parsimonious conclusion doesn't favor the Twenge/Haidt position. However, I like that Twenge takes measured and cautious positions on these trends she identifies generally. She's a reasonably balanced and quantitatively oriented as an analyst, which this topic requires.
I recommend this book. It was an engaging and compelling read. I think a lot of readers will find interesting and useful knowledge in this book.
Extended commentary on Twenge's book is available at my Substack Holodoxa
The major thrust of the book is exploring the differential psychological impact of technological change across the generations and the trend of increased individualism over time. These two themes also contain the shift toward a "slow-life strategy," where youth is prolonged. This is just an academic way to refer to the phenomenon of successive generations taking longer to complete education, enter the workforce, get married, have children, etc.
Twenge is a collaborator of Jon Haidt's. For those unfamiliar with Haidt, this means that Twenge is a critic of social media and smartphones and their impact on our psychology. The shared hypothesis between Twenge and Haidt is that the increased opportunity for social comparison, other related performance pressures, and the psychological incentives created by the structure of social media applications generally exacerbate anxiety and depression in teens and some young adults. These types of claims are hotly debated in the literature, and the parsimonious conclusion doesn't favor the Twenge/Haidt position. However, I like that Twenge takes measured and cautious positions on these trends she identifies generally. She's a reasonably balanced and quantitatively oriented as an analyst, which this topic requires.
I recommend this book. It was an engaging and compelling read. I think a lot of readers will find interesting and useful knowledge in this book.
Extended commentary on Twenge's book is available at my Substack Holodoxa
July 10, 2023
Jean Twenge is one of the foremost social scientists in America right now, and this is is arguably her magnum opus. Twenge has put together a stunningly comprehensive, data-driven, and illuminating documentary of the five living American generations. What sets this book apart from other cultural analysis pieces is how relentlessly researched it is. Rather than getting 500+ pages of Twenge's personal opinion, you get 500+ pages of surveys, demographic shifts, and other invaluable info. The result is a book that lets Silents, Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Polars (Gen-Z) speak for themselves. But don't think this book is page after page of boring charts. Twenge's observations about economics, history, and technology force the generations to talk to each other. Her synthesis of the cultural ingredients that shape us as people is compelling and materially valuable for anyone doing leadership. A highly recommended book.
June 20, 2023
Pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a center-right Gen X’er writing a book on generations.
It was a pretty data-driven, objective approach to studying the generations, especially the Silents through X. Then it turned into a bit of a statistical tirade against Millennials and Gen Z, and telling them they shouldn’t complain about their financial circumstances, because on paper they’re doing just fine. This was disappointing to me, because the previous book by Twenge that I read, iGen, was a much more objective approach to the younger generation and less complaining about how smartphones are making them depressed and how they like to state their pronouns (Okay, she didn’t technically complain about these things, but you could tell that behind the pages and pages she wrote about gender she was wanting to scream, “I DON’T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS AND I HATE IT!!!!”)
Also, the graphs. So. Many. Graphs. They had some interesting information at times, but after the first chapter or so I gave up trying to read the 5,000 different graphs she included to prove her points.
One final quibble, but you could tell that Twenge comes from a Christian right-wing perspective, despite her never saying as such. When discussing the decline of religion, she spoke as if Christianity is the only religion that exists, and posits that with all the loneliness there is in younger demographics, maybe it’s not such a good thing that churches are declining. Sorry, but there are good reasons that younger generations are leaving the church, and simply getting your feet into the door of a building where all the people are going to judge you for who you are isn’t going to fix loneliness.
I’ve done a lot of complaining, but I still give it three stars because there’s good information in there. It’s pretty introductory information; anyone who pays casual attention to the differences in the generations could have probably written this book. Still, I did learn some things and you could tell Twenge did her homework in order to put together a good source on the differences between the generations in the US.
It was a pretty data-driven, objective approach to studying the generations, especially the Silents through X. Then it turned into a bit of a statistical tirade against Millennials and Gen Z, and telling them they shouldn’t complain about their financial circumstances, because on paper they’re doing just fine. This was disappointing to me, because the previous book by Twenge that I read, iGen, was a much more objective approach to the younger generation and less complaining about how smartphones are making them depressed and how they like to state their pronouns (Okay, she didn’t technically complain about these things, but you could tell that behind the pages and pages she wrote about gender she was wanting to scream, “I DON’T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS AND I HATE IT!!!!”)
Also, the graphs. So. Many. Graphs. They had some interesting information at times, but after the first chapter or so I gave up trying to read the 5,000 different graphs she included to prove her points.
One final quibble, but you could tell that Twenge comes from a Christian right-wing perspective, despite her never saying as such. When discussing the decline of religion, she spoke as if Christianity is the only religion that exists, and posits that with all the loneliness there is in younger demographics, maybe it’s not such a good thing that churches are declining. Sorry, but there are good reasons that younger generations are leaving the church, and simply getting your feet into the door of a building where all the people are going to judge you for who you are isn’t going to fix loneliness.
I’ve done a lot of complaining, but I still give it three stars because there’s good information in there. It’s pretty introductory information; anyone who pays casual attention to the differences in the generations could have probably written this book. Still, I did learn some things and you could tell Twenge did her homework in order to put together a good source on the differences between the generations in the US.
March 19, 2023
Generations: The Real Difference Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and the Silents - and What They Mean for America's Future will be released on April 25, 2023. Atria Books provided an early galley for review.
When I saw the listing for this title, I knew it was something I needed to check out. I am clearly a Gen X member, though cusping on the Baby Boomers' end. I was curious to see what Twenge reveals about this. But I also want to know a lot more about the more recent generations too. I have a Gen Z kid, for example, but he definitely does not identify to his group much (often mocking and rejecting their "ways"). I am curious about that too.
After setting the stage with an overview chapter, Twenge dives right into the meaty details. A chapter is devoted to each of the six groups, presenting tons of interesting facts backed by supportive gathered data. Everything from birth rates to political views to substance usage to mental health are noted. Each section also includes popular birth names and famous folks belonging to that group.
As a Gen X who got his start in the technology field, I really appreciated how the author devoted time to talk about the various changes in technology which, in turn, had major effects on each of the groups. I also found interesting the evolution of self-focus that occurred across the generations and how that created dynamics and behaviors.
If you're someone who likes to swim around in the social studies pool, this book is for you. It is definitely one I'll be going back to for reference.
When I saw the listing for this title, I knew it was something I needed to check out. I am clearly a Gen X member, though cusping on the Baby Boomers' end. I was curious to see what Twenge reveals about this. But I also want to know a lot more about the more recent generations too. I have a Gen Z kid, for example, but he definitely does not identify to his group much (often mocking and rejecting their "ways"). I am curious about that too.
After setting the stage with an overview chapter, Twenge dives right into the meaty details. A chapter is devoted to each of the six groups, presenting tons of interesting facts backed by supportive gathered data. Everything from birth rates to political views to substance usage to mental health are noted. Each section also includes popular birth names and famous folks belonging to that group.
As a Gen X who got his start in the technology field, I really appreciated how the author devoted time to talk about the various changes in technology which, in turn, had major effects on each of the groups. I also found interesting the evolution of self-focus that occurred across the generations and how that created dynamics and behaviors.
If you're someone who likes to swim around in the social studies pool, this book is for you. It is definitely one I'll be going back to for reference.
June 5, 2023
Relevant for every facet of my *and probably your* life. Would recommend to everyone.
July 2, 2023
This is a good book with some serious oversights. To its credit, it is filled with data (though some can/should quibble over how some of the information is quantified) that very helpfully paints a portrait of each generation. Twenge marshals together an unbelievable amount of information. As a resource for information, this book is impressive and extremely useful for understanding America's generational shifts.
That being said, there really isn't a "story" here. The data is more or less plopped onto the page for the reader. Moreover, Twenge treats "individualism" (nebulously understood) as an almost mythical and monocausal force for all kinds of social pathologies across all generations. This unhelpfully short circuits deeper analyses of the data. Her treatment of religion and spirituality in Millennials and Gen Z is surprisingly superficial and shallow, especially in an age where spirituality has taken on such obvious economic dimensions. I was also shocked to find almost nothing on gun violence, school shootings, and the increasing relationship between violence and political radicalization on the right and the left.
Though her idea that technology is the driving factor for generational difference is interesting (and almost certainly correct), a better book would have looked at how technology mediates perception of the world, and how that perception has shifted across generations.
In the end, though, this book is worth reading because of its broad approach, and legitimate insights (of which there are plenty).
That being said, there really isn't a "story" here. The data is more or less plopped onto the page for the reader. Moreover, Twenge treats "individualism" (nebulously understood) as an almost mythical and monocausal force for all kinds of social pathologies across all generations. This unhelpfully short circuits deeper analyses of the data. Her treatment of religion and spirituality in Millennials and Gen Z is surprisingly superficial and shallow, especially in an age where spirituality has taken on such obvious economic dimensions. I was also shocked to find almost nothing on gun violence, school shootings, and the increasing relationship between violence and political radicalization on the right and the left.
Though her idea that technology is the driving factor for generational difference is interesting (and almost certainly correct), a better book would have looked at how technology mediates perception of the world, and how that perception has shifted across generations.
In the end, though, this book is worth reading because of its broad approach, and legitimate insights (of which there are plenty).
October 4, 2023
A thoroughgoing demographic analysis of American culture. A must-read for pastors, youth pastors, and church planters.
April 28, 2023
After spending an eternity telling us what's in the book, the author then proceeds to read an agonisingly long list of the studies (and numbers involved) the book uses. Because we aren't already pulling our hair out, we are then treated to more long lists of names, stating their birth year,
every
single
time
listing the year for each individual. It is painful and pointless.
I loved iGen and Narcissism Epidemic, but this one was driving me insane. Pulled the pin two hours in. Seriously, did an editor actually edit this?
every
single
time
listing the year for each individual. It is painful and pointless.
I loved iGen and Narcissism Epidemic, but this one was driving me insane. Pulled the pin two hours in. Seriously, did an editor actually edit this?
April 15, 2024
I find the differences between generations to be a very interesting area of study. Twenge is the goat in this area fr. By reading that last sentence she could immediately identify what generation I belong to as well as what forms of technology have impacted me.
She presents absolutely fascinating research around each generation from silents to the present Polar’s. As she described each one and their tendencies, I could feel the accuracy lol. She backs everything with graphs and research.
Twenge shows that through the advancement of technology, their is a rise in individualism which leads to all sorts of what I think are negative things (I couldn’t help but get that vibe from her as well, although she stayed pretty unbiased throughout the book letting the research do the talking). Obviously Twenge, outside of Christ, cannot present a hope for combatting the negative things technology creates in humans which can leave the reader hopeless.
I read her book on igen awhile back and it sparked my interest to read this one. As I was reading I realized that there is someone in the church I serve at in every one of these generations. Learning more about them through this will help me serve them better I hope.
She presents absolutely fascinating research around each generation from silents to the present Polar’s. As she described each one and their tendencies, I could feel the accuracy lol. She backs everything with graphs and research.
Twenge shows that through the advancement of technology, their is a rise in individualism which leads to all sorts of what I think are negative things (I couldn’t help but get that vibe from her as well, although she stayed pretty unbiased throughout the book letting the research do the talking). Obviously Twenge, outside of Christ, cannot present a hope for combatting the negative things technology creates in humans which can leave the reader hopeless.
I read her book on igen awhile back and it sparked my interest to read this one. As I was reading I realized that there is someone in the church I serve at in every one of these generations. Learning more about them through this will help me serve them better I hope.
January 22, 2024
4.5 stars. I was fascinated by this information in this book especially as a person who interacts with all of these generations in my work as well as my children and parents. I found myself recommending to people who also work with people in all generations to better understand the characteristics and reasoning behind them.
May 25, 2023
The author tries to make two arguments and neither one quite landed with me. One argument is that social generations are a thing. She uses data from 24+ dataset to reinforce the traditional generations we are used to. But more data is not always better. She says 39 million people altogether were surveyed, but I suspect that the same groups of people were surveyed more than once - seniors in HS, freshmen in college, people with a stable home address. The data that she does have is used to make arguments based on percentage changes between the averages among generations that she's defined. Sometimes these percentage changes are VERY small, and the graphs are zoomed in so that you don't notice right away that the left axis is in increments of 0.5%. She attributes traits to each generation based on this iffy data and also specific social events that usually have players from multiple generations. She talks about certain court cases being pivotal. Is that the result of the generation that the plaintiff belongs to, or the judge? Should it be the first generation to bring a case to court, or the first to get a favorable verdict? The same thing with TV shows - are those more a reflection of the generation of the producers, the screenwriters, or the viewers? I like reading about social generations, but I think they are about as useful for policy decisions as reading horoscopes or relying on Myers-Briggs tests.
Her other argument is that the divisions in the generations are caused more by tech changes than the major political events noted by Strauss and Howe in their generations books. She argues that the tech changes impacted generations in two ways, by increasing individuality and by enabling a "slow life strategy." That phrase is used over and over. By it she means that if parents protect their kids longer into adolescence, they are slowing down their childhood. And if teens put off "adult behaviors" like drinking, drugs, having sex, taking on jobs, or having kids they are slowing down their adolescence. (She is very worried about how little sex people are having, and attributes this to smartphone distractions, porn culture, and an unfortunate unwillingness to sleep with someone you don't actually like very much.) I don't like the word "strategy," because I don't think people are choosing their actions with some kind of grand plan in mind. I do agree with her comment that even if people want their children to be more self-sufficient, it can easily result in more neighbors calling Child Protective Services.
One of the things that she is very concerned about is depression and self-harm being on the rise since 2010 or so. She believes that this is also causing a lack of optimism that results fewer being being wanting to have kids. The author blames smartphones for making negative content more present in people's lives. Since the people in her datasets cite a desire for independence as the reason for childlessness, she dismisses financial concerns as being a reason. (Another reason why I think her dataset might be skewed.) She doesn't suggest that some of the legal and social barriers for gay parents should be addressed, just smartphones. Her recommendations for dealing with this are not helpful - enforce age restrictions and raise them to 16 or 18, require companies to tweak their algorithms and show "negative" content less often, and restrict "misinformation" online. My concern is what she counts as negative content and misinformation. Regarding Gen Z, she complains that 40% of them see US founders as villains more than heroes, and are less willing to say that the US is "a fair society." Is she suggesting that posts that point out flaws in US past or present actions be limited somehow? She says that Gen Z girls especially have a "victimhood" culture, and have an irrational belief that women are discriminated against in college even though 50% of college degrees are earned by women. BOTH things can be true at the same time! She is bothered by the number of efforts by students to disinvite people with racist views from college campuses, even though the number of disinvitation ATTEMPTS peaked in 2019 at only 40, out of THOUSANDS of invitations. She accuses this generation of "crybullying" tactics to "get attention." I would like to see depression and self-harm go down too (for its own sake, rather than as an attempt to stoke breeding) but I would not want the algorithms on social media changed to suit her views of what Gen Z should be exposed to.
Her other argument is that the divisions in the generations are caused more by tech changes than the major political events noted by Strauss and Howe in their generations books. She argues that the tech changes impacted generations in two ways, by increasing individuality and by enabling a "slow life strategy." That phrase is used over and over. By it she means that if parents protect their kids longer into adolescence, they are slowing down their childhood. And if teens put off "adult behaviors" like drinking, drugs, having sex, taking on jobs, or having kids they are slowing down their adolescence. (She is very worried about how little sex people are having, and attributes this to smartphone distractions, porn culture, and an unfortunate unwillingness to sleep with someone you don't actually like very much.) I don't like the word "strategy," because I don't think people are choosing their actions with some kind of grand plan in mind. I do agree with her comment that even if people want their children to be more self-sufficient, it can easily result in more neighbors calling Child Protective Services.
One of the things that she is very concerned about is depression and self-harm being on the rise since 2010 or so. She believes that this is also causing a lack of optimism that results fewer being being wanting to have kids. The author blames smartphones for making negative content more present in people's lives. Since the people in her datasets cite a desire for independence as the reason for childlessness, she dismisses financial concerns as being a reason. (Another reason why I think her dataset might be skewed.) She doesn't suggest that some of the legal and social barriers for gay parents should be addressed, just smartphones. Her recommendations for dealing with this are not helpful - enforce age restrictions and raise them to 16 or 18, require companies to tweak their algorithms and show "negative" content less often, and restrict "misinformation" online. My concern is what she counts as negative content and misinformation. Regarding Gen Z, she complains that 40% of them see US founders as villains more than heroes, and are less willing to say that the US is "a fair society." Is she suggesting that posts that point out flaws in US past or present actions be limited somehow? She says that Gen Z girls especially have a "victimhood" culture, and have an irrational belief that women are discriminated against in college even though 50% of college degrees are earned by women. BOTH things can be true at the same time! She is bothered by the number of efforts by students to disinvite people with racist views from college campuses, even though the number of disinvitation ATTEMPTS peaked in 2019 at only 40, out of THOUSANDS of invitations. She accuses this generation of "crybullying" tactics to "get attention." I would like to see depression and self-harm go down too (for its own sake, rather than as an attempt to stoke breeding) but I would not want the algorithms on social media changed to suit her views of what Gen Z should be exposed to.
June 23, 2023
Twenge approaches the differences between generations via the lenses of technology and individualism, specifically considering how advancements in technology help us connect with one another and define ourselves.
A quick breakdown of the generation through these lenses:
SILENTS (Born 1925-1945): "Movements" - Silents launched Civil Rights, Women's Lib, Labor Rights, and Stonewall Inn protest movements with the belief that the individual deserved social equality. They married young and had lots of kids.
BOOMERS (Born 1946-1964): "MORE!" - Boomers comprised the "lots of kids" from Silents, and they were done with the price of equality. They fought against traditional values and Vietnam. They lived recklessly while young, but they made up for it as adults swinging full tilt towards button-downed, credit card loving suburbanites in the '70s and '80s. Their individualism expressed itself in retail and real estate. They married young and had lots of kids...mostly conceived in their later years.
GEN X (Born 1965-1979): "meh" - Gen X, the latchkey generation, felt overlooked and ignored by their Boomer parents who worked hard and still wanted to party. Boomer opulence, the sexual revolution and AIDS epidemic, and urban crime marked Gen X's formative years. Therefore, raised by television, the individualism of Gen X played out in a severe independence that was unimpressed and distrustful of authority. For this reason, they gravitated towards responsibility and stability early in life, even if they were drastically unhappy about it.
MILLENNIALS (Born 1980-1994): "ME!" - Two massive parental shifts worked in favor for Millenials: some Boomers, after they settled down, had kids late in life and many Gen Xers, who'd felt abandoned by parents, had kids early in life. Both sets were ready to coddle their Millennial children, giving them everything they as parents did not have. As a result, Millenials' individualism became self-focused, even narcissistic. Raised on the internet, their entire landscape became personalized to their own tastes and demands. Gender shifts allowed for more acceptance of LGB rights.
GEN Z (Born 1995-2012): "MOMMY!" - Bless their hearts, Gen Z has been raised with severe oversight and helicoptering. Many states adopted laws not allowing children to be left alone until almost teen years. Where Gen X would have been hired at 13 to babysit, Gen Z still needed babysitters at the same age. Their individualism has veered towards self-protection and demands that others, including school officials and employers, be just as vigilant about their protection. The gender shifts of Millennials erased all concept of gender with Gen Z, protecting any form of whatever one could imagine for their self-conception. However, Gen Z, thus far, reveal themselves to be more politically active than their Millennial, perhaps even their Gen X predecessors.
Twenge's book should be assigned reading for anyone working with wide populations. I loved every bit of this, conversationally forcing my insights on anyone pretending to listen.
A quick breakdown of the generation through these lenses:
SILENTS (Born 1925-1945): "Movements" - Silents launched Civil Rights, Women's Lib, Labor Rights, and Stonewall Inn protest movements with the belief that the individual deserved social equality. They married young and had lots of kids.
BOOMERS (Born 1946-1964): "MORE!" - Boomers comprised the "lots of kids" from Silents, and they were done with the price of equality. They fought against traditional values and Vietnam. They lived recklessly while young, but they made up for it as adults swinging full tilt towards button-downed, credit card loving suburbanites in the '70s and '80s. Their individualism expressed itself in retail and real estate. They married young and had lots of kids...mostly conceived in their later years.
GEN X (Born 1965-1979): "meh" - Gen X, the latchkey generation, felt overlooked and ignored by their Boomer parents who worked hard and still wanted to party. Boomer opulence, the sexual revolution and AIDS epidemic, and urban crime marked Gen X's formative years. Therefore, raised by television, the individualism of Gen X played out in a severe independence that was unimpressed and distrustful of authority. For this reason, they gravitated towards responsibility and stability early in life, even if they were drastically unhappy about it.
MILLENNIALS (Born 1980-1994): "ME!" - Two massive parental shifts worked in favor for Millenials: some Boomers, after they settled down, had kids late in life and many Gen Xers, who'd felt abandoned by parents, had kids early in life. Both sets were ready to coddle their Millennial children, giving them everything they as parents did not have. As a result, Millenials' individualism became self-focused, even narcissistic. Raised on the internet, their entire landscape became personalized to their own tastes and demands. Gender shifts allowed for more acceptance of LGB rights.
GEN Z (Born 1995-2012): "MOMMY!" - Bless their hearts, Gen Z has been raised with severe oversight and helicoptering. Many states adopted laws not allowing children to be left alone until almost teen years. Where Gen X would have been hired at 13 to babysit, Gen Z still needed babysitters at the same age. Their individualism has veered towards self-protection and demands that others, including school officials and employers, be just as vigilant about their protection. The gender shifts of Millennials erased all concept of gender with Gen Z, protecting any form of whatever one could imagine for their self-conception. However, Gen Z, thus far, reveal themselves to be more politically active than their Millennial, perhaps even their Gen X predecessors.
Twenge's book should be assigned reading for anyone working with wide populations. I loved every bit of this, conversationally forcing my insights on anyone pretending to listen.
February 23, 2024
Started out good. I appreciated more information on the silent generation and getting a more broader understanding of the boomer generation but with discussing more of the younger generations the tone seemed to become more snarky and dismissive. A bit of a "kids these days" vibe.
It also seemed like significant connections or influences on generational attitudes were either ignored or dismissed.
It also seemed like significant connections or influences on generational attitudes were either ignored or dismissed.
October 29, 2023
So much is missing from this book. So many dots unconnected, so many dots not even there, an apparent dislike of millennials and gen Z. So much just flat out missing.
Yet i'd be lying if I said I didn't learn anything from this book, that I didn't get anything out of it. That said, what I mostly got out of it, was frustration. For so many reasons but I am tired and do not give a fuck about trying to remember it all. I read it on Scribd, thankfully I didn't waste money on this.
Then again, i'm a 34 year old 1989 born millennial and an afab bisexual nonbinary trans man so... what the fuck do I know? #Sarcasm
Yet i'd be lying if I said I didn't learn anything from this book, that I didn't get anything out of it. That said, what I mostly got out of it, was frustration. For so many reasons but I am tired and do not give a fuck about trying to remember it all. I read it on Scribd, thankfully I didn't waste money on this.
Then again, i'm a 34 year old 1989 born millennial and an afab bisexual nonbinary trans man so... what the fuck do I know? #Sarcasm
October 23, 2023
interesting, informative, and accessible about the difference between these generations! twenge gives us a brief summary of each generation at the start of their chapter, followed by notable people, then goes in-depth into into data-driven insights about each generation, like why gen z are more depressed and why silents weren't actually that silent.
reading this as someone who is part of gen z — and even knowing that these insights are derived from actual data — i still feel that there could have been a more nuanced take on this generation. twenge thinks technology is why gen z are increasingly more depressed and struggle with mental health, but i think this chapter focussed a little too much on social media. with all this technology we're now in the information age, so things like doomscrolling global news and knowledge about impending climate disasters contribute to a steady level of background anxiety for me and the people i know.
reading this as someone who is part of gen z — and even knowing that these insights are derived from actual data — i still feel that there could have been a more nuanced take on this generation. twenge thinks technology is why gen z are increasingly more depressed and struggle with mental health, but i think this chapter focussed a little too much on social media. with all this technology we're now in the information age, so things like doomscrolling global news and knowledge about impending climate disasters contribute to a steady level of background anxiety for me and the people i know.
May 10, 2024
Despite what many readers may think of Twenge's conclusions about each generation, especially her predictions for the future, there's one thing that most can agree on: this is a well-researched, well-documented, work by an author with professional credentials whose opinions deserve to be considered.
If I was heavily involved in politics, business, or advertising rather than a retired Boomer - - I would place a copy of GENERATIONS on my bookshelf of valuable reference tools. Also, I would consider all her conclusions with "a grain of salt" - - not to believe them as absolute and gospel but worthy of further thought and perhaps, application.
Data heavy, with plenty of statistics and graphs to back up her conclusions, this was fascinating reading. The final chapter on the future was captivating. I'm also hoping that some of her predictions do not come to be realized.
If I was heavily involved in politics, business, or advertising rather than a retired Boomer - - I would place a copy of GENERATIONS on my bookshelf of valuable reference tools. Also, I would consider all her conclusions with "a grain of salt" - - not to believe them as absolute and gospel but worthy of further thought and perhaps, application.
Data heavy, with plenty of statistics and graphs to back up her conclusions, this was fascinating reading. The final chapter on the future was captivating. I'm also hoping that some of her predictions do not come to be realized.
May 15, 2024
“The more we understand the perspective of different generations, the easier it is to see we’re all in this together.”
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