Hello everybody! There is an interesting theory about similar values and behaviors of generations, that is, groups of people who are born in a certain period of time and are brought up under the influence of some large-scale events. These groups of people are called generation xy and z, and today I want to talk about each of them in more detail.
The emergence of the theory
In 1991, William Strauss and Neil Howe put forward this idea about the similarities of certain groups of people who have come under the influence of economic and political events, or because of rapidly developing technologies. It was originally used to increase the level of sales, in order, given the characteristics of a certain age of a person, to have an idea how to offer him a product so that he would be bought by him.
In general, to this day it finds application in business, among team builders, PR people and managers. It also helps a lot in relationships when misunderstandings arise between different age groups. When you understand about the conditions of life and development, for example, of a grandmother, you are more accepting of her behavior style, habits, values, and even ultimatums. After all, she grew up in a completely different environment, and this is not her personal behavior, but her whole generation.
There are only 4 generations, and they replace each other approximately every 80 years. Scientists managed to trace the connection of times only for the last 500 years, but if we continue the research, it is likely that there will be a similarity of character traits with people who lived a millennium ago. So, there is a generation of baby boomers, x, y and z.
I will talk about the conditions for the formation of the value system and the character of people in Russia. Because each country has its own historical events, political and economic situation, which have left their imprint on the life of the population. We are closer, clearer and more familiar with the conditions in which our relatives lived and we live.
Baby boomers
A strong generation of people who were born between 1943 and 1963. This period included the victory in the Great Patriotic War, achievements in the conquest of space, and the living of the Khrushchev «thaw». They are named so due to the fact that at this time there was a huge surge in the birth rate due to the rebalancing after the war. They are distinguished by their patriotism, because they had to restore their country, in which they believed and considered a superpower.
Awards, diplomas, medals and all kinds of certificates are valuable. They are active, and even now, who is still alive, they try to maintain their health with the help of at least minimal, but physical exertion. They work well in a team, commonality is very important to them. They are active, do not stop in their development, as they have a great interest in learning something new. Their whole life was devoted to work, which they started at an early age, striving for independence.
Iksy
This is exactly the generation that charged water through the TV when Chumak became popular in the 90s, or was coded from alcoholism thanks to Kashpirovsky’s performances. The period of birth fell on 1964 — 1984. At this time, the number of divorces and the number of single mothers who worked in factories to raise children on their own began to increase, as a result of which the birth rate fell. There were drugs and AIDS. The war in Afghanistan also affected the quality of life and the value system.
Xs are hyper-responsible, so they put care for others in the first place, sometimes even sacrificing their own interests. Due to the fact that their parents lived in difficult times, many of whom were children of war, they did not learn how to care and give love. Therefore, Xs, having not received affection and attention in childhood, are already looking for them in a partner. They wanted love and family so much that many women were ready to endure the beating of their husband, or his addiction to alcohol.
The difference with their predecessors is that they were not ready to work for the public good, preferring to engage in self-education and self-knowledge. It is believed that this generation is more prone to depression. Since for the most part in life they experienced anxiety, anxiety and a feeling of internal conflict, emotional instability. Apparently due to the fact that they ignored their own desires and needs, preferring to satisfy others.
Players
They call the generation of zero or millennium (1984 — 2003). The formation of their values was influenced by the collapse of the USSR, the emergence of new technologies, terrorist attacks and military conflicts. They prefer the Internet to newspapers and books, where they can get any knowledge and learn about the news in the world. These people are distinguished by their naivety, due to the fact that the information is available, they do not need to look for censored literature, while the Xs had no publicity at all, and they had to study any materials with suspicion.
The Greeks value their freedom, they are optimistic and cheerful. The baby boom generation, having achieved the goal of lifting up an entire country, does not understand the Y-boys who are ready to obey and adapt, and especially for their rejection of the shortcomings of other people. Millennials differ from the rest in that for family life they strive to choose an equal partner who will inspire to achieve any goals, who knows how to support.
They pay attention to the level of quality of their life, wanting to receive pleasure and satisfaction. Therefore, for them, a career is more important than creating a family. They do not rush with the birth of children, and do not seek to plan their future. Because the economic crisis, which “broke” many people, showed zero that it is worth taking care of the present and living here and now, due to the fact that the future is changeable and unreliable. They are flexible and able to adapt to new conditions.
They do not value knowledge, believing that success can be achieved thanks to their resources, acquaintances and the ability to «cool». This depreciation was due to the fact that they watched how parents who had higher education, scientists and doctors of science, were forced to go to trade in the market due to the restructuring in the country in order to survive.
Zeta
Now they are still children, our near future, which was born or will be born in the period 2003-2023. They do not know what a famine is, they feel the care and love of their parents, who strive to provide them with a quality life. It can be assumed that favorable conditions for their “cultivation” will contribute to the development of a healthy value system, the ability to build relationships that do not destroy the personality, but help it to reveal its capabilities.
The Zetas, unlike the X’s, will understand that, above all, they need to learn and gain knowledge. And that they can rely on them. And they already differ even from zero in that they grasp new information very quickly. And the development of technology is not at all difficult for them. A child born during this period learns to handle a phone or tablet very early, sometimes even without being able to speak.
Sometimes their age and style surprises, because with the development of the fashion industry, a huge amount of beautiful clothes are freely available, and kids from an early age attach importance to how they look, wanting to be fashionable and beautiful. They are very freedom-loving and from an early age they try to defend their opinion, demanding that it be taken into account. A huge number of opportunities around, in addition to what develops, but also affects the style of behavior.
The Zetas are prone to tantrums and whims, they just demand what they want. Experts believe that this generation will not be able to find compromises, let alone make efforts to achieve their goals. In addition, when faced with failure, these children will give up in the future, instead of looking for solutions. And this will contribute to the development of self-doubt, they will not take risks in order to succeed.
Conclusion
You may be interested in reading previously published articles:
- “How, according to Maslow’s pyramid theory, human needs should be realized”
- “Real stories of people who have achieved success through their work and perseverance.”
That’s all, dear reader! Regardless of how old you or your loved ones are, and what type they belong to, it should be remembered that this characteristic is general, which does not exclude individuality in manifestations, perception and character traits. It’s just that the conditions in which we and our relatives lived are very different, and if you understand this, then you will be able to accept the other as he is, without trying to impose your vision.