Generations Discussion

[Eagle]

Hey SavingsAdvice! I came across this chart and wanted to get some input.

1. What generation are you a part of?

2. Does this reflect your generation formative experiences, aspiration, attitude towards technology/career, communication media, communication preference, preference when making financial decisions, etc.?



Note: I realize the percentage is for the UK workforce but I think the break-down is nice.

[disneysteve]

Those dates don't align with the ones I typically see, but that could be because it's a British graphic.

I'm a baby boomer by US standards but Gen X by that chart.

I definitely fall somewhere in between the two descriptions, especially when it comes to technology and communications. Years ago, I was totally into contact by telephone. I would talk to friends for hours. Today, I rarely make a phone call. I much prefer email, text, or facebook messaging to keep in touch.

As for "Aspiration", work-life balance is very important to me. I left a job in 2000 for just that reason and just made another job change this month also partly for that reason.

For financial decisions, I absolutely prefer to handle everything online.

[YULACU]

I belong to Generation Y according to this chart and I chuckled a bit at the idea that my generation prefers face-to-face meetings when making financial decisions. I have an online bank account and can't remember the last time I walked into a brick and mortar bank. Plenty of financial planners that work with millennial's work exclusively online. The part about not being loyal to an employer describes me and most of my friends. The longest I've been with an employer is 2.5 years.

[phantom]

I'm an older member of Gen-Y, and trying to break people into 20 year generations and derive meaningful trends drives me crazy. The formative experience section really highlights how weird these breakdowns are to me. Most of the things on the Gen-Y formative years list happened during my lifetime, but when I was a little too young to be fully aware of them. All of things on the Gen-X formative years list (except the Playstation and Reality TV) happened when I was already in college or later.

In the aspiration column, I value security, flexibility, and balance, and I don't feel pressure to choose one at the expense of the others. As for stuff like communication preference, how I choose to communicate really depends what I'm communicating. In the signature product department, I am equally attached to my laptop and my cellphone.

I can't figure out what this chart even means by "Preference When Making Financial Decisions." All the pictures seem to show types of communication, but aside from talking through things with my spouse, which I usually just do in person, I don't see what communication has to do with making financial decisions.

[Outdoorsygal]

Gen X

I was born 4 years too late to be a Baby Boomer but my husband is one.

[Sallyr70]

I'm Generation X. Also an introvert so I hate dealing with people on the phone or in person. I don't think it would matter which gen I was for that!

[Thrif-t]

I'm Generation X and everything is spot on for me except I still like to yack on the phone. I hate going back and forth over email or text unless it's a one sentence thing and done. But going back and forth, nope I pick up the phone.

[kork13]

I'm "Generation Y" ('86) according to that chart, for all that it means... What they list for Gen X describes me better though. For my wife (1 year older than me), she falls somewhere between what they list for Gen Y & Gen Z.

So basically .... I'm saying that I'm not a believer in this kind (or most other kinds) of broad generalizations. Why do people feel the immense need to label themselves as one thing or another? I'm ME -- I'm not everybody else.

Besides, I see this chart and in my head I see/hear something along these lines:

[bigdaddybus]

I am a Gen Xer

I don't find a lot of value in the chart, for example 9/11 that had a profound impact across GEN Y,X,BB, and M. Trying to label one gen is tough IMO. Communication preferences are inaccurate from my experience as well.

I do see work-life balance as a high priority, but I would assume that is the case for most in their late 30's early 40's with two working parents and especially those with several kids.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Gen X. I like to talk on the phone.

[bennkar]

Those dates don't align with the ones I typically see, but that could be because it's a British graphic.

I'm a baby boomer by US standards but Gen X by that chart.

I was thinking the same thing for me (Baby Boomer or Gen X?). Though the way they describe each group... I would be considered Gen X for sure. But yet in ways they don't deal with in this chart I have many people tell me I am old fashioned. This explains why I feel like I never fit in (either that or just the introvert part of me always has me feeling like I don't fit in).

[disneysteve]

in ways they don't deal with in this chart I have many people tell me I am old fashioned. This explains why I feel like I never fit in

Interesting. I feel the same way. In some ways, I've very old-fashioned. But in other ways, I'm very modern and progressive. I never thought of it as being because I'm in-between generations but maybe that is part of it.

[msomnipotent]

Gen X. I like to talk on the phone.

I still say "new album" when new songs come out. My daughter had no idea what I was talking about, so I showed her some records I had in a closet. How can she understand how music appears out of thin air when streamed, but can't understand the basics of a record?

[97guns]

In general but not definitive, I see em getting dumber, lazier and with more sense of entitlement as the generations evolve.

Kids working registers now days can hardly count, if it's not for the LCD display they couldn't give change, when driving they feel they should go first or how about when your shopping and they have their shopping cart blocking the aisle totally oblivious to anyone else and their surroundings