What Is a Generation and How Long Does It Last? Your Questions Answered!

What’s considered a generation?

A generation is a group of individuals born and living around the same time, sharing common experiences and characteristics that define their collective identity.

Defining specific generations, however, can be a bit challenging – and there is a lot of disagreement among researchers regarding when a generation begins or finishes.

So…How long is a generation?

At its fundamental level, it endures until an individual is born, matures, and produces offspring. Although the years it takes for children to be born and grow up typically define generations. Your parents were likely born 20-40 years after your grandparents grew up and had children. Defining generations within families is usually done by using this time frame.

So, around 30 years is generally agreed upon as the length of a generation by most research centers.

Types of Generations

Biological generations and social generations are the two main types of generations. Although both generations are composed of people who were born and lived during the same period, they vary in terms of their priorities and the influences that shape them.

• Biological generations: The familial relationships between parents and their children form the basis of biological generations. The period between the birth of parents and the birth of their children is what we refer to as a generation in this context.

  Normally, 30 years is used to define a generation since at this age people usually have children and a new generation is born, which in turn probably 30 years later will have left offspring and will start another generation.

• Social generations: Social generations are individuals who were born and raised during a specific time period and share common experiences, values, cultural norms, and beliefs, forming cohorts with shared experiences.

  Social generations are shaped by influential factors such as historical events, technological advancements, economic conditions, and other sociocultural factors.

Common generational groups

Here are some of the generational groups that are widely recognized today:

• The Silent Generation: This generation, which was born between 1928 and 1945, experienced significant events such as the Great Depression and World War II during their formative years. Valuing stability and security, they are frequently characterized as hardworking, resilient, and conformist due to the difficult times they lived through and helped build a prosperous era.
• Baby Boomers: Named after the significant increase in birth rates following World War II, Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. The Civil Rights Movement, significant social and cultural changes, and economic prosperity were experienced by this generation. Ambitious, optimistic, and materialistic are often used to describe Baby Boomers who were able to enjoy the great benefits and sacrifices offered by individuals who lived through the previous generation.
• Generation X: Growing up during a time of economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and rapid technological advancements, Generation X was born between 1965 and 1980. Independent, adaptable, and skeptical of authority are often words used to describe them.
• Millennials: Millennials, also referred to as Generation Y, were born between 1981 and 1996. During the late 2000s, when the internet and digital technology were on the rise, they also came of age amidst an economic downturn. Tech-savvy, idealistic, and focused on work-life balance are how Millennials are often characterized.
• Generation Z: Having been exposed to digital technology and social media from a young age, Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, has grown up with these tools. In a world with increased global connectivity, environmental concerns, and social movements, they have also grown up.
• Generation Alpha: The first generation to be born entirely in the 21st century is Generation Alpha, which began in 2013. Due to their early exposure to advanced technology, they are expected to be highly tech-savvy and globally connected, although it is still too early to define their characteristics.
  
  And with the rise of artificial intelligence and all the technological developments expected for the 21st century, this generation will likely usher in the greatest technological breakthroughs to come throughout the 21st century.

Generational differences and how to deal with them

Navigating key generational differences is challenging, and people have to overcome certain barriers such as:

Wrapping up

Ultimately, a generation lasts about 30 years and will be marked by different historical events that will shape their personality – and adapting to each of the generations will depend on our empathy and ability to understand the context in which they grew up.