#15 Quick definitions – Generation Y, X, Z, Boomers & Generation C
July 13, 2009 by Jake Pearce
This video is 4minutes 30 seconds long.
There is a lot of confusion over the the differences between all the different generations and how Generation C fits with them.
To start defining them, I look at the demographic/age based generations briefly, Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z. Unlike Generation C, which is a psychographic generation that is ageless, the following generations are typically defined in generational studies based on common experiences in their late teens/early twenties.
A quick and useful start to check what generation someone belongs to, is to ask them what their formative music format was 
- Boomers – Vinyl was their format 33’s and 45’s
- Gen X – Tapes were dominant format
- Gen Y – CD’s for older Gen Y
- Gen Y – mp3’s/itunes for younger Gen Y
- Gen Z – Work In Progress as they are ‘generationally’ born from 2001 onwards and haven’t hit late teens yet!
- Gen C – like digital online formats and enjoy sharing and comparing for example to Last FM
Generation C is the global, ageless Digital Generation – no accident then that they love Twitter
In short, Generation C is more important than any other generation because it’s not defined by a narrow demographic – do you agree or disagree?
Comments
2 Responses to “#15 Quick definitions – Generation Y, X, Z, Boomers & Generation C”
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Interesting blog, Jake, but it’s missing an important part of the equation: Generation Jones, born 1954-1965, between the Boomers and Generation X. Google Generation Jones, and you’ll see it’s gotten a ton of media attention, and many top commentators from many top publications and networks (Washington Post, Time magazine, NBC, Newsweek, ABC, etc.) now specifically use this term. In fact, the Associated Press’ annual Trend Report chose the Rise of Generation Jones as the #1 trend of 2009.
It is important to distinguish between the post-WWII demographic boom in births vs. the cultural generations born during that era. Generations are a function of the common formative experiences of its members, not the fertility rates of its parents. Many experts now believe it breaks down more or less this way:
DEMOGRAPHIC boom in babies: 1946-1964
Baby Boom GENERATION: 1942-1953
Generation Jones: 1954-1965
Generation X: 1966-1978
Here is an op-ed about Obama as the first GenJones President in USA TODAY:
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20090127/column27_st.art.htm
And this page is a good overview of recent stuff about GenJones:
http://generationjones.com/2009latest.html
Mountain 55555!!!
Thanks so much for bringing this up – I will at the start of the next vlog acknowledge – hey we’re simplifying here – then we’ll build up. (There is no’Einstein’ generation) adn of course the picture in the developing world is totally different which is ¾ of the place that is ‘ignored’!!!!
I am not sure who you are but I am intrigued. You are of course right – in fact there are many generations I have ‘glossed over’ – and generations in generations.
I am trying to give people some simple ‘posts’ at first and then populate them. I hope you will forgive going ‘simple’ before building the picture up. The reason being that so many people seem so confused by the basics of the basics that I have decided to err on the side of ultra simple at first.
Once I have achieved that I would like to fill in all the many, many important gaps.
Cheers
Jake.