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wasn't sure where to put this so thought I'd start here. If it's in the incorrect place would a mod please move it. Thanks.
Anyway I had just got to pondering on a few things from a late Boomer perspective as I watch my granddaughter play Looney Tunes dust devil and thought I'd put the thoughts out there for discussion. I was comparing my personality and environmental aspects that formed me comparing characteristics to my Dad and Grampa and not really having examined that closely until this late in my life I wonder at the differences that still add up to the same thing.
Hope that makes sense but if not what I mean is the manner in which the three generations projected themselves is the same (in my case. perhaps not all) just the language and perhaps general demeanor were drawn from different sources. I came in during an audio/visual revolution that put at my fingertips what my Dad and most certainly Gramps had grown up seeing as something partaken in as an outing. Going to the movies. They grew up seeing news on reels at the showhouse. Gramps certainly adapted well to the beginnings of the tech boom as he did make a right smart living in the TV repair business. He rode the wave right up to where he plumb knew the repair business was done and cashed out. He saw the disposable TV craze coming a long ways off.
Still he took little time in front of a TV. It was still a concept he didn't quite cotton to. His speech and manner reflected a well read projection. When he used a quotation he would always credit who actually said it and it would be from literature. My Dad was much the same. He didn't grow up with TV media so much and preferred to read. Books with bindings often some classic piece found at a barn sale that needed ...dusting off. LOL yet in the same vein he was a heavy fan of the early American West classics by Zane Grey and Louis La'mour. Had both complete works in his library. His speech and manner was reminiscent of those works from both genres of literature.
I did have freer access to TV media abeit on a roof mount VHF/UHF antenna that picked up two local (as in 100 miles away) stations pretty regular and one (that all the stuff I wanted to watch was on) now and again. I didn't regulate the TV time though so even if I wanted to watch something if it conflicted with what my Folks had planned I'd best figure out what activities lay elsewhere. If they did let me have a time they usually had planned it was because I'd earned it. That didn't stop TV influence on my speech manner and general character. I still drew a LOT from literature (a fact to which I am grateful) but I was growing up in a time where the US was having a bit of a buckin' fest. Viet nam, the counter culture revolution, rednecks vs hippies then the 70s with that still sucks Disco culture and the Ford/Carter transition as we plummeted towards the 80s. As I grew into young adulthood my speech and manner drew heavily from A/V media. That was the 80s for me. Oh no I NEVER adopted the whole West coast "hey dude" surfer drawl though Fast Times at Ridgemont High is still a classic favorite of mine.
Still in a typical young adult male modicum of effort going into "fitting in" I had to find that niche. As we all did I suspect at least for those of us who grew up in those times. As it is for that age range now. Now just may be harsher in a lot of aspects. Softer in others. And so it is as time marches on.
So generationally so much is different yet so much stays the same. As Neal Piert of Rush wrote and Getty Lee sang "The more that things change...the more they stay the same." I would be remiss in not giving a nod to Alex Leifson on lead in that. LMAO certain members of my generation may be able to relate to that.
Now my Son has become a fully grown fully fuctional young man off on a very promising career path. I don't rightly recall what his generational tag is but he's not a Millenial. One past whatever that may be. I've lost count and not kept track so I'm lost. . He grew up quite different from me as there was I have to say a LOT more ...consideration?...given him than I and again admittedly much more...liquid resources. This was the beginning of the end of my marriage to his mother (my folks divorced MUCH more amicably) as well and he was thereby exposed to nastiness he NEVER should have been remotely close to. Still despite the I have to say spoiling and that rather tragic period he came out the other side a product of environment on the positive side. That's because I did have the reins on his upbringing. As a whole that is to say. Where he's drawing from now.
And so it is we pass from generational to generational line. One day we wake up old and take a hard look around after we have to try and grin at ourselves in the mirror and we realize just HOW old. . The last array being a nod to those on here much older than I who have earned the right to call me "kid", All said to be taken in all humor as this little opinion piece is NOT looking at the negative aspects between generations that have become so in our faces of late. I am merely offering up how it is our respective generations have been influenced by our respective "media" availability technologies and to what extent each generation has been influenced in speech manner and demeanor. So many things have become common and nonchalant that my folks and even I would have been shocked to see come across a TV screen.
Or even written in "literature" (graphic novels? Seriously) the parenthesis being known as "comic books" when I grew up but are mainstream library material now. I myself and taking some enjoyment in current tech myself as is evidenced by my typing this here. I get all my news and A/V media via my WiFi which allows me to have life out and away from it all. Yet still close and plugged in with my Son and my Lil' Scamp granddaughter. My Son and his family are also still quite rural. So it's not as if I am making any sort of claim to being immune to the effects of the technology advance. I'm diggin on the whole Mayberry meets Star Trek thing George Jones sang about. I had a niche for Star Trek in my upbringing and I still have it. Not to fond of of a few of the offshoots and ya know THAT'S a definite generational thing.
Anyhoo to any who actually do make it through this Sunny day but laid up (lamed up)sort of ramble thanks for your time. Please do comment if anything here strikes a chord bearing in mind I am NOT looking at what some perceive as "negative" aspects twixt respective generations of our USofA kind of folks. More just looking at how we all came to live together as it were. Know what I mean? At long last then I bid a good day to all folks who endured this wheresoever you hang your hats.
Hello again. I'm an early Boomer, born 1948. As the generations come and go some things stay the same, like morality, ethics, duty, honor, country, valor, gallantry and sacrifice to name a few. Regardless of the media (radio, movie newsreels, TV, internet, wifi, etc) they all support the teachings of timeless personal values -- as do the parents of all generations.
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Hello again. I'm an early Boomer, born 1948. As the generations come and go some things stay the same, like morality, ethics, duty, honor, country, valor, gallantry and sacrifice to name a few. Regardless of the media (radio, movie newsreels, TV, internet, wifi, etc) they all support the teachings of timeless personal values -- as do the parents of all generations.
If only what you say was true. I am your age, and I fear that those things are not valued by the younger generations.
If only what you say was true. I am your age, and I fear that those things are not valued by the younger generations.
Indeed. That opinion is a popular one with we folks in the Boomer group and more so with a lot of folks still around older than that. Such as say my Mom and Dad who are well into their 80s. But that's not what I'm looking at so much. I don't have any desire to rehash the whole "OK Boomer" mentality pervasive in the younger generations nor to go back over my generations counter arguments to that rather annoying phrase.
Rather I'm looking more at the life issues problems the "got to's" that have to be handled and how it all gets processed and handled. There certainly is at least the appearance of a bit of a slow down in levels of ambition desire to gain skills and knowledge (real knowledge not "woke" bilge) and so on but that is my personal observation and I seriously hesitate at this point to even think about absolute statements which I loathe at any rate. I do not believe in absolutes. Or coincidence.
Also I see plenty of younger people where I call home who's ethics values morals and outlook on life is not far off my own. If I was their age I would be hard to tell apart from these younger folks. Many friends and aquaintences I have are younger people who I've come to know by interacting with them at their work. Ya see, as I said the very same issues that plagued we older folks starting out these up and coming sorts have too. The very same. A body's gotta eat, it's rather a good thing to have a properly sheltered abode with heat and cooling, now and again everybody has to seek medical help, especially out her but not just her to be sure one needs wheels that run on gas (wheels that require regular maintenance and repair especially if one is unfortunate enough to own a Ford) you get the picture.
Each generation that's come up has had to dive into all that at some point. Much does depend upon upbringing which takes us in a direction I don't want to point my horses head. Rather I'm examining the differences in how say we dealt with those issues compared to how the subsequent generations (our kids for some there's grandchildren venturing into the world. My grandchild is only 5 but I have friends I went to school with who are already great grandparents. LOL ain't that a b!tc$? I may well never see grand parenthood. late starter.
All my sons friends have gainful employment mostly in skilled labor jobs. No different than I was myself. Perhaps geography (as in urban/rural) does make a difference in young folks' (and older) outlooks and life attitudes. My personal take is I believe country kids are tougher than city kids in a great many ways. But that's neither here nor there. There's all the stuff out there surrounding younger generations like the "basement dweller" thing which has become a metaphor for younger folks in some circles ( I use it to refer to specific cases) and such generalities get used as a blanket term sometimes.
I watch my son and his associates plowing into life pretty regular so they are who I have the most firsthand knowledge of as examples of whatever my Son's generation is handling life so I'm forming a hefty portion of my take on them. I had nothing on these kids when I was their age. They're go getters. Drive an hour and a half Northwest at 75mph and it's a different world all around however. That would be the Reno/Sparks metro. Also there is much debate about how young people are forming their political views. That's a big deal these days.
If we Boomer's children and their children's children are so eager to shed the traditional values and ethics they grew up with as we are being told to approach life from a totally different angle, ALL young folks (media absolutes) and especially dump any and all thinking that doesn't conform to cancel culture I'm sure not seeing that blanket absolute. There's been plenty of dead weight hauled around by each living generation and historical precedent that all the ones before were the same.
After taking a good hard look at young folks that are in my community I don't really see a whole lot of difference from how I was at their age. I actually lived pretty damn wild through my 20s. Wilder than my Son. He's gone into uniformed LE. As my Dad did. Me I worked for a bondsman. Back in the 80s THAT was the "LE" to be into from my house. Damn good coin and adrenaline to spare. Are young male Americans so different now. In many places maybe and of course individuals vary wildly. We Boomers had our share of basement dwelling lazy no accounts. They're still out there them that haven't drank or drugged themselves to death or swallowed their gun. Can't count all the people I went to school with who wound up thus.
So let me pose this question. Is an individual going to reflect their upbringing or their outside the home environment more when they reach adulthood? Generally speaking. Maybe I need to try to pin this down more.
First is the generational aspect. When you were born, and what you experienced growing up does shape who you are. There are common experiences and milieus that shape people of a similar age in similar ways.
Then there is the lifecycle aspect. How old you are regardless of when you were born. I am old enough to remember when those stuffy old boomers were still characterized as the Me Generation, who wanted it all and thought they could have it. People change as they age, and this is a more timeless process than generational differences.
I think old people will always say that young people are self-absorbed and irresponsible. And I think young people will always say that old people are stuck in their ways and fearful of change. The generational differences have to be separated from the age differences to get an accurate picture.
First is the generational aspect. When you were born, and what you experienced growing up does shape who you are. There are common experiences and milieus that shape people of a similar age in similar ways.
Then there is the lifecycle aspect. How old you are regardless of when you were born. I am old enough to remember when those stuffy old boomers were still characterized as the Me Generation, who wanted it all and thought they could have it. People change as they age, and this is a more timeless process than generational differences.
I think old people will always say that young people are self-absorbed and irresponsible. And I think young people will always say that old people are stuck in their ways and fearful of change. The generational differences have to be separated from the age differences to get an accurate picture.
OK now we're talkin'. Yes I totally see what you're saying and fully agree. Let me pose this. Concentrating specifically on the way I speak as opposed to my Dad. I went into this in the OP. I throw out certain quotes metaphors what have you in my speech no matter whether it's in humor general conversation or when I'm angry. Those certain speech mannerisms use a lot of what my Dad used himself of course but I picked up things from my music (NOTHING like my Dads) movies I'd seen in the showhouse and on TV of course things I picked up from friends and certain teachers I reckon.
So my general demeanor when interacting with others my age or older and even with my Son growing up is unique to me but does reflect outside influences I've been exposed to but my folks were not. Or if they were they were non sequitur factors. LOL especially when it comes to music. These outside factor differences twixt age groups are pretty specific in a lot of cases. And pretty large. The music gap twixt my folks and I is a bottomless unspannable chasm.
At any rate see what I'm driving at? Again I'm not really interested in age group schism related things specifically so as to compare who's generation rocked the house more or who's has a mindset to see us into the future. For now I'll pin it down to a point. Looking at the outside societal cultural artistic whatever factors twixt respective age groups how have those differences made the respective age groups who they are. I realize that's an individual analysis and that's fine. Personal takes are more than welcome. The thread is a personal take of my own so the doors wide open. Running whole age groups into a pen and calling it good is certainly not my intention.
First is the generational aspect. When you were born, and what you experienced growing up does shape who you are. There are common experiences and milieus that shape people of a similar age in similar ways.
Then there is the lifecycle aspect. How old you are regardless of when you were born. I am old enough to remember when those stuffy old boomers were still characterized as the Me Generation, who wanted it all and thought they could have it. People change as they age, and this is a more timeless process than generational differences.
I think old people will always say that young people are self-absorbed and irresponsible. And I think young people will always say that old people are stuck in their ways and fearful of change. The generational differences have to be separated from the age differences to get an accurate picture.
We were the flower children, the bra burners, and the war protesters. We were completely self absorbed and irresponsible. We wanted to have sex, take drugs, and NOT go to Viet Nam.
This being said, most of us still went to college, got married a few times, raised kids and bought houses. I have a feeling that this generation of appalling children will do the same eventually. I have 5 grown grandchildren. All either went to college or into the Army. They’re in their 20s and are responsible citizens. Kids like them don’t make the news though.
We were the flower children, the bra burners, and the war protesters. We were completely self absorbed and irresponsible. We wanted to have sex, take drugs, and NOT go to Viet Nam.
This type of behavior (at the time) was crisis level change. Probably more so than any other generational change that his come along since then.
Yet here we are, 50 years later and people of that generation are claiming the younger generation has gone to hell in a handbasket while wistfully reminiscing about that period when they were sending society to hell in a handbasket.
And the kids just say "Okay, Boomer" when listening to these diatribes.
It is actually pretty funny to watch every generation go through this waltz with their predecessors.
This type of behavior (at the time) was crisis level change. Probably more so than any other generational change that his come along since then.
Yet here we are, 50 years later and people of that generation are claiming the younger generation has gone to hell in a handbasket while wistfully reminiscing about that period when they were sending society to hell in a handbasket.
And the kids just say "Okay, Boomer" when listening to these diatribes.
It is actually pretty funny to watch every generation go through this waltz with their predecessors.
Yes it does seem the song remains the same twixt all generations through history back. But now in addition to things I've already listed where generational age groups are concerned as to speech demeanor appearance whatever and what factors it is that causes these differences twixt age groups I'll toss another thing in. Technology. The tech advances made just in the last 20 years is plumb amazing and has had a huge effect especially now and I believe especially on younger peeps.
What was once just web culture has Tronned out of the monitor. Young folks today interact with each other with things I used to have Gene Roddenberry dreams about. LOL see, my Dad would have used Jules Vern in that metaphor. i used Star Trek. And now I have no clue just exactly what influences may be acting on how younger and plumb young folks speak.
I think if we keep on the way things are in a few more decades the language we speak now may well have evolved beyond folks in my age bracket to understand even if someone in my bracket manages to live that long. i suppose it could happen but not to this kid methinks.
I think about these things (generational differences) often enough, and at seventy eight I've concluded that most of the generational friction is simply nature at work. Growing up back in the day wasn't the same as living today's much improved lifestyle, one that seems devoid of too much hard labor. But, in the days of a widespread agricultural existence, life was certainly harder and that took a toll on our parents and grandparents. A hard life tends to harden us to life's more difficult realities. Conversely, a soft life tends to make one indifferent to any sense of obligation. Past generations were forced to get beyond childhood as quick as possible. Most of my generation were married and parents by age twenty.
The one thing that stands out in the latter day cultural reality seems the fact of a late adult development for so many of our youth. I have grandchildren in their twenties that are single, well travelled, better educated, but seem lost when contemplating their future beyond next Tuesday. They want the life they had as children to last as long as possible I guess, and being continually entertained is paramount to their sense of well being. Is that bad? No, not when we consider that our lives were vastly different than our parents and we haven't destroyed the world--Yet.
My father grew up on a Montana ranch, mom's people were itinerant Montana ranch hands, both their lives were all about work so they naturally looked at us kids as being way better off, although lazy as well..Out of five kids none of us were basement dwellers, nor drug addicts, or criminals, all married young, had children early, all worked until retirement, and all have grown old. My grands are mostly college educated and prospering, although they have lived much different lives than me they all have that same drive to be self sustaining.
In response to the OP's query: I believe we humans have generally been creatures of our familial environment as kids, and then as adults, the world opens up, showing us all of it's good and bad norms. But how we deal with the world still has much to do with that thread that runs along the DNA of our familial ancestors. Being on the cusp of checking out has helped me see the future as just another changing of the guard, the younger generation certainly isn't the same as mine and that's how it's been going for thousands of years..
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. He grew up quite different from me as there was I have to say a LOT more ...consideration?...given him than I and again admittedly much more...liquid resources. This was the beginning of the end of my marriage to his mother (my folks divorced MUCH more amicably) as well and he was thereby exposed to nastiness he NEVER should have been remotely close to. Still despite the I have to say spoiling and that rather tragic period he came out the other side a product of environment on the positive side. That's because I did have the reins on his upbringing. 
As a whole that is to say. Where he's drawing from now. 
. The last array being a nod to those on here much older than I who have earned the right to call me "kid", All said to be taken in all humor as this little opinion piece is NOT looking at the negative aspects between generations that have become so in our faces of late. I am merely offering up how it is our respective generations have been influenced by our respective "media" availability technologies and to what extent each generation has been influenced in speech manner and demeanor. So many things have become common and nonchalant that my folks and even I would have been shocked to see come across a TV screen. 
So it's not as if I am making any sort of claim to being immune to the effects of the technology advance. I'm diggin on the whole Mayberry meets Star Trek thing George Jones sang about. I had a niche for Star Trek in my upbringing and I still have it. Not to fond of of a few of the offshoots and ya know THAT'S a definite generational thing.
