Generations by Jean M. Twenge

GENERATIONS by Jean M. Twenge (iGen) was just reviewed in today’s Wall Street Journal which reminded me that I, too, have been meaning to share some thoughts about Twenge’s latest work which looks at six generations of people: the Silents, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and those born after 2012 (whom she calls Polars). A professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, Twenge is often referenced (as she was in a recent Economist article) and provides critical insight on demographic and behavioral trends. In GENERATIONS she looks at the differences between the six groups and how that may be impacting America. Her argument that technology (in all its forms) is an essential shaper of successive generations, gradually pushing towards more individualism and a “slower life trajectory” would likely mesh with Suzy Welch’s opinion piece on “fun employment,” a concept new to me, but apparently not to Gen Z. Each of Twenge’s chapter is devoted to a cohort and she relays details of their experience (e.g., Boomers attending multiple elementary school as new ones were built to handle the population bulge or only going to high school in the morning or afternoon, again due to limited space or Millennials playing Oregon Trail online as the first generation to grow up with the internet and one which “originated the word parenting as a verb – and created a sense of judgment and competition around child raising”). Twenge’s work (also reviewed by NPR) is a fascinating read for anyone interested in demographics, mental health, and cultural shifts.