Do you know what the problem is with your generation?
No, this is not a rant about the hoodlum neighborhood kids. This is a rant about my (possibly our) parents generation. Sometime in the 1960’s the Baby-Boomer generation realized that there is power in numbers. During their idealistic youth they tried to use this power for high minded goals, ending war and bigotry and doing copious amounts of drugs. Now that they are growing older this ‘strength in numbers’ attitude seems to have morphed into a sense of entitlement. I say this because just this morning I read yet another letter to an advice columnist regarding the wants of the Baby-boomer generation. They write in and DEMAND larger print on packaging, easier to open containers and building codes with their age group in mind. I probably wouldn’t be so irritated by these letters if they didn’t present their case like they are holding the market hostage. If the letters were written saying things like “Now that the Baby-Boomer generation is growing older manufacturers would do well to change their packaging so that it is easier for older people to read/open. They are loosing a large market share due to many older people not wanting to buy products they can’t read, recognize or open.” Now, such a thing STILL doesn’t belong in an advice column BUT it is far better than examples such as this (from today’s Dear Abby): As the "Baby Boom" generation is now growing older, when will food product manufacturers wise up to the fact that printing cooking instructions on their products is no longer acceptable? No longer acceptable ?!? Sorry, the market isn’t some recalcitrant child who didn’t do his/her chores and needs a talking to.
There seems to be a pervasive attitude in the Boomer generation that the world MUST change to conform to their wants and needs as they grow older. At some point ‘Strength in numbers’ warped their minds into thinking that each Baby-Boomer is vitally important to the world and following generations should kowtow to their wants and needs. You have a problem with packaging? Write to the manufacturers. Start a letter writing campaign. IF your market share is large enough and it is commercially viable to do so, they might change their packaging to suit your needs. Simply demanding that the world and market change because you want it is unacceptable.
Oh, and please remember according to the 2005 population estimates only 12.4% of Americans are over the age of 65 and 24.8% are under 18. So … we out number you. That is right silly boomers, you went off and had kids of your own. Following population tends you can see that there is actually a second population bubble right around the time you all decided to put down your protest signs and start families.* (I call it the Baby Boom Echo**) The only real differences between the Baby Boomers and the Echo are that 1. We are a BIT more spread out 2. We are not constantly being told how powerful our numbers are.
We are just as powerful … and even now as I think about it there are more parallels. Protesting an un-winnable war? Check! Working for civil liberties (Same Sex unions and rights)? CHECK!
I hope to GOD learn from your mistakes and don’t end up with the same arrogant sense of entitlement you have.
*if you are interested the easiest way to look at this phenomenon locally is to look at area schools. Most communities had to build new schools to house the Baby Boom generation resulting in many area schools being built in the 50’s through the 70’s. These schools were plenty large enough to house the following generations until the echo hit in the 80’s and 90’s when these schools were often given large additions or scrapped entirely and rebuilt.
** The Echo population bubble is masked by dividing the echo bubble into multiple generational divisions. (I don’t think this is some great conspiracy to keep the Echo generation down, it just is how it is) While the Boomer generation is defined as anyone born between the end of WWII and the start of Vietnam (a LARGE chunk of time and actually multiple generations) the Echo generation is divided into Generation X and Generation Y, with a ten year overlap between the generations. It is through this division of generation names that some of the power of the Echo generation is usurped.
posted by TheAmber at 11:28 AM
5 Comments:
"The Baby Boom Echo" - Amber, you should trademark that term and turn this posting into a publishable social commentary. I'm serious.
O.K. well ... if you are serious ... how do I do that?
Err... I don't know... I was trying to think of a journal or something, or maybe you could write an editorial for a local newspaper or mag? But I find this a really interesting line of thought and I think you could generate a good exchange of ideas!
See, because I like the "Baby Boom Echo" label because it connects us with that generation, something that the Gen X/Y label doesn't do.
I also like the term Baby Boom Echo, I mean, like I said there is a measuable population bubble starting aroung 20 years after the Baby Boom population bubble starts and ending around 20 years after the Baby Boom population bubble ends. It isn't quite as big and obvious as the Baby Boom (hence my choice of the work Echo rather than calling it the Baby Boom two or something) Simply put we ARE deeply connected to that generation, we are their children.
I understand people not thinking about census figures and what not to extrapolate out that there are continuing population events that can be traced back to the Baby Boom. But if anyone spends a moment thinking about it it becomes pretty obvious... you can't have a giant population surge and then continue your growth pattern as though nothing happened ... there are going to be Echos and ripples (I fully expect another population bubble, smaller than the echo, starting about 40 years after the Boom started and ending 40 years after the boom ended we shall see though. That data is JUST starting to come in)
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