My Two Cents: Generational Perspectives on Life and Work
As an elder millennial, I feel stuck between the apathetic “put your head down and get your work done mentality” of Gen X and the “live your passion (then realize there is no money in your passion so you end up going through an existential life crisis at 26)” of younger millennials. Of course, these are blanket statements and there is an exception to every rule. Just so we are on the same page, this is how I see it. This is an opinion blog – I’ve seen enough to make some assumptions, I think.
Gen X
As a transition coach, I have observed a shift in what motivates this generation to work. From climbing the corporate ladder and working yourself to the bone for a six-figure salary, to “what am I doing with my life?” and looking for more values-aligned work. Gen Xers are our last generation where it wouldn’t be surprising to see them stay with an organization for 30 plus years and retire with a pension. The “put your head down and get to work” was rewarded with a cushy (or humble) retirement. Without that guarantee, younger generations have a harder time planning for the future and finding value in devoting their life to a company.
Xennial
The Oxford English Dictionary identifies this micro generation as “a person born between the late 1970s and early 1980s.” It is significant to classify us (I am a proud Xennial) because we’ve had an analog childhood and a digital adulthood. I have worked in roles where data was shared via paper – files, snail mail, fax machines - but now I have to google where the closest post office is and have yet to learn the full functionality of my Mac. With technology progressing towards the hypothetical singularity, we have happily transitioned to embracing technology at work – but I have observed (in myself as well) that we have a hard time shedding the idea that our identity is validated by the work that we do, and like prior generations, that the harder you work, the better person you are. Also, we still know how to sacrifice logic to make our customers happy. “The customer/consumer is always right” still haunts my dreams. The next generations will put us in check with that noise. Accountability is important, even when dealing with those who use our services.
Millennial (to include the Xennial sub generation)
Understandably, this generation should be bitter. College became a scam for some. There were promises of “if you work hard and do your best, you will have a big house and a happy life” - like those before them did. Instead, this generation has a ton of debt. More and more adults do not see the purpose of buying into a society that works them to death and costs way too much. As I am writing this, I am getting reminders of our good pals the boomers, who challenged societal norms and expectations back in the 60s and 70s. As the saying goes, history repeats itself.
Gen Z.
Y’all! This is the generation! This generation is not afraid to address and call out racism, harassment, inequities and complain without pause. The idea of “respect your elders” is a phrase that doesn’t have nearly as much weight as it did and I AM HERE FOR IT. No offense, elders, but my take is that we should not get the luxury of respect based solely on seniority - myself included. This generation will also be the most connected to one another through social media and technology. They grew up with it. They can easily connect with people outside of their area and see a bigger world to be influenced by. Of course, the internet has upsides and downsides – but I have witnessed lots of people attaching to movements they would not otherwise have access too, learning about things that they would not have otherwise, and finding community.
*Insert loud screechy sound*
As I was writing this blog, Roe v. Wade was overturned. This caused my thought process to shift, and I began thinking about how changes within our society, not relating to technology, are impactful to generational traits. As previously mentioned, Gen X are perceived to be head down, bitter, “get your work done and suck it up” types, but they were coming into adulthood in the 80s and 90s. With the war on drugs and the beginning of what would become the creation of the biggest prison population in the world - they either didn’t have the subsequent studies and statistics to understand what was really going on and/or they were the ones filling the prisons or families losing their loved ones. I’d keep my head down too.
So, people experience generational trends differently.
Talking about generational attitudes and lumping groups of people into categories may be wrong, and we should be cognizant of not centering the viewpoint of any dominant demographic. We can’t talk about these generational trends without taking into consideration how major events and societal changes have affected each group’s experience - mass incarceration, the AIDS epidemic, the rise of concentrated poverty, the school to prison pipeline, multiple economic downturns, the climate crisis, the uprising of mass shootings, COVID, and most recently the overturning of Roe v. Wade. These, and more, have shaped our society and perspectives, and will continue to do so.
With all of that said, I guess my point is, that we should strive to see everyone’s perspectives and experiences and how these events impact people differently. This is a country where two neighbors can have extremely different experiences
Lastly – we will get through this. Take care of yourself. Focus your energy to where it matters, and stay realistically positive. We will only get through this mess if we stay true to our values and not back down to adversity. Cheers.