| Which event made the most impression in your | | | | make up of today's teens and twenty-somethings. |
| life? | | | | They love fame, celebrities, technology, brand |
| - MTV debuts | | | | names, and six degrees of separation through social |
| - Grunge was fashionable | | | | networks. Somewhat ironic, Millennials inherited and |
| - American Idol | | | | benefited from the creation of Gen X platforms such |
| - Paris Hilton in jail | | | | as Google, YouTube, MySpace, and Amazon which |
| The answer depends on your age or which | | | | are largely responsible for classifying this generation |
| generation you relate to most. Each generation is | | | | as the Internet Generation. This is a large population |
| shaped by events, developments and trends of its | | | | of 76 million people who are technically savvy and |
| time. And the media plays a big part in transforming | | | | can be powerful because of their ability to connect |
| and shaping the perception of generations. | | | | to each other. With their sense of empowerment, |
| Generation X: the letter "X" originally suggested the | | | | they demand “I want what I want when, where |
| ambiguous, misunderstood, disheartened generation. | | | | and how I want it.” Quick access to |
| The ambiguity has since been clearly defined, so its | | | | information, to communication equate to instant |
| alternative name Thirteenth Generation (we are the | | | | gratification. This generation’s easy access to a |
| thirteenth generation since the founding of the | | | | plethora of information can be an overload. This trend |
| country) should be more appropriately used. Gen X | | | | will continue to a great degree onto Generation Z. |
| can be described as growing up with MTV, Pac Man | | | | Generation Z: the future of our tomorrow who are |
| and The Breakfast Club. Pressed between two large | | | | predominantly the children of Gen X. This is a very |
| generations of the Baby Boomers and Gen Y, Gen X | | | | young generation with the oldest at 12 years old. |
| is also characterized with having the middle child | | | | Despite their young age, the characteristics of this |
| syndrome - always being ignored and | | | | generation are quite apparent. They are exposed to |
| underappreciated. Like sibling rivalry, with Boomers as | | | | technology very early in their lives and most already |
| the self-righteous eldest and Millennials as the | | | | have an online identity. They are considered the most |
| pampered baby with a sense of entitlement. The | | | | stressful generation for their involvement in too |
| media has focused a lot of its attention on the Baby | | | | many extra-curricular activities – piano lesson, tap |
| Boomers entering into retirement, social security | | | | dancing, swimming, soccer practice, singing class, etc. |
| problems, health issues and the rise of biotech. With | | | | With the rigid schedule of daily activities, they |
| even more spotlight, the media is fascinated with | | | | sometime forget to be children. |
| tabloids of today’s youth, their lifestyle, their | | | | There is no doubt that each generational difference is |
| relationships, and more of the same monotony. Gen | | | | marked uniquely. The previous generation lays the |
| X are feeling overlooked and invisible. So we have a | | | | path for the next. Of course, conflicts between |
| generational chip on our shoulders, but how about | | | | generations are commonplace as one |
| coverage on success of a X turning 40, X icons, or X | | | | generation expects conformity from the other |
| as a technologically influential generation? Is it too | | | | generation. This would indubitably make our |
| much to ask for more face time, more visibility, more | | | | relationships less complicated, but that is not reality. |
| recognition? | | | | The reality is that generational differences should be |
| Generation Y: the offsprings of the Baby Boomers | | | | embraced, accepted and respected. |
