Talkin' 'Bout My Generation

[fly girl]

I do live on a coast in a progressive state, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I “feel the same way”.

What I think gets into political territory so I’d rather not get into more than that here and now.

Understand. Fair enough.

I just honestly believe blanketing all of middle America as intolerant is asinine. Spend some time in the cities I listed and tell me they’re podunk.

Yeah, this fired me up! Coastal cities are not superior in mindset to ALL of middle America and that is how I read her post.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Understand. Fair enough.

I just honestly believe blanketing all of middle America as intolerant is asinine. Spend some time in the cities I listed and tell me they’re podunk.

Yeah, this fired me up! Coastal cities are not superior in mindset to ALL of middle America and that is how I read her post.

I sent you a PM.

 

[Wendy31]

Understand. Fair enough.

I just honestly believe blanketing all of middle America as intolerant is asinine. Spend some time in the cities I listed and tell me they’re podunk.

Yeah, this fired me up! Coastal cities are not superior in mindset to ALL of middle America and that is how I read her post.

As someone who grew up in the South & still living in the South, I understand what you’re saying.

I mean, there are ALL kinds of stereotypes formed around the South & the people from the South, & I too get tired of the NE coast & West coast thinking their areas are superior to & more progressive than the rest of the country.

That said, I do think where you grow up - the culture, the heritage, the traditions, the place itself - helps shape you - both individually & generationally.

But progressiveness & diversity does not belong solely to the NE & West coast cities - I’m probably bias, but I consider the South one of the most diverse & interesting places in our nation - but one has to look beyond the stereotypes to see it & appreciate it.

But I do think that some elements of society - fashion & other trends - begin in the larger cities & more metropolitan areas, especially along the NE & West coasts, & those type trends take a bit longer to arrive to the rest of the country.

 

[fly girl]

As someone who grew up in the South & still living in the South, I understand what you’re saying.

I mean, there are ALL kinds of stereotypes formed around the South & the people from the South, & I too get tired of the NE coast & West coast thinking their areas are superior to & more progressive than the rest of the country.

That said, I do think where you grow up - the culture, the heritage, the traditions, the place itself - helps shape you - both individually & generationally.

But progressiveness & diversity does not belong solely to the NE & West coast cities - I’m probably bias, but I consider the South one of the most diverse & interesting places in our nation - but one has to look beyond the stereotypes to see it & appreciate it.

But I do think that some elements of society - fashion & other trends - begin in the larger cities & more metropolitan areas, especially along the NE & West coasts, & those type trends take a big longer to arrive to the rest of the country.

Agree.

I went back and looked at the post again to see if I did read too much into it. Overall, no. I didn't.

However, you both are correct that where you live does help shape you with how you become. Growing up I lived in Michigan and Arizona. The culture of people surrounding me in both of those states was different. In Michigan, my classroom was predominately white and black, with an occasional asian or latino. Arizona, predominately white and hispanic. I consider myself fortunate to have a wide variety of friends that weren't the same as me.

That being said, that diversity and progressiveness was in middle America. It isn't solely tied to the coasts.

As for pop culture (fashion, music, etc), I think it used to take longer to migrate from the coasts. I remember listening to The Cure in AZ and when I went to Michigan in the summer, no one had heard of them. By the following winter it hit them. But now, with social media and instant everything the time is minimal.

 

[Wendy31]

Agree.

I went back and looked at the post again to see if I did read too much into it. Overall, no. I didn't.

However, you both are correct that where you live does help shape you with how you become. Growing up I lived in Michigan and Arizona. The culture of people surrounding me in both of those states was different. In Michigan, my classroom was predominately white and black, with an occasional asian or latino. Arizona, predominately white and hispanic. I consider myself fortunate to have a wide variety of friends that weren't the same as me.

That being said, that diversity and progressiveness was in middle America. It isn't solely tied to the coasts.

As for pop culture (fashion, music, etc), I think it used to take longer to migrate from the coasts. I remember listening to The Cure in AZ and when I went to Michigan in the summer, no one had heard of them. By the following winter it hit them. But now, with social media and instant everything the time is minimal.

Yes, I agree!

And I think that social media & the instant access to everything are also significant differences between the generations… someone who grew up in one of the “middle states” in the 80s & 90s had a much different reality when it comes to social & fashion trends that someone who is growing up in one of those same middle states today w/ easier & faster access to everything.

 

[Travel60]

I think there is a geographical element, too. The big cities on the coast are 5-10 years different from the so called "fly-over" states.

I grew up in small city in rural south. After I married, parents retired and moved to a farm to finish raising my brothers. I raised my kids in suburbs of major East Coast City, brothers' kids were raised on the farm. Their whole ways of thinking, working, education levels are as different as night and day. Now all the kids have kids and again, major differences in occupation, work styles, child raising, faith expression. One example, a nephew who is LGBTQ+ is basically ostracized from rural southern family. My kids and grands welcome him without a blink of the eye.

Just a few words and I'm out - yes the 5-10 years is overstated - with social media and internet streaming, ideas move faster today than a decade or more ago. But I still think there is a 1-5 year lag to the middle depending on the topic - topics touching faith don't change quickly. I never said the coasts are better or that the middle is backwards. I very deliberately used the word "different". And it is - not better, not worse,...different. I've lived in rural south, New Orleans, Memphis, Toledo and New York City and now outside DC. They each have very a distinct personality.

My point, which I obviously did not make very well, and which has been obscured by the "fly-over" argument, is that the various generational titles are not one-dimensional with date cut-offs. They are more like a matrix with geography being one more factor.

 

[pinkxray]

Agree with you and @Diznygrl - The Millennial designation has always been too vast. I didn't have a cellphone until college and no one I knew had one until the end of high school. We used AOL instant messenger in high school. Facebook didn't exist until I was graduating college. I grew up learning how to type and then we played Oregon Trail when the school got computers. That's a totally different experience than younger Millennials.

The same concept for worth ethic and all the negative things attributed to that generation.

However, I also had much older parents and family members so I think that does shape your experience greatly. I know a lot about "old people" stuff compared to my friends. Social references, music, etc.

Oregon Trail was so much fun. We used to have computer time once a week for 30 minutes. There was always a race to get a copy of Oregon trail vs the lame games that taught you typing.

 

[Aladora]

When anyone asks about my generation, I love to show them this:



So, I am a GenXer, born in 1972 and I really could not have been a more stereotypical GenXer if I tried. DH is also a GenXer, born in 1975, and we have a GenZ son who was born in 2005. I don't care to play the "which generation is the best, the worst, had it easiest, had it harder" game but I can say that my generation is one that gets forgotten and overlooked, as evidenced by the graphic above!

We also were really the first generation of latchkey kids and now we are a sandwich generation with many of us caring for both children and parents. We are an interesting generation, born before computers but using them during our youth.

Who here remembers the book "GenerationX: Tales for an Accelerated Culture"?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X:_Tales_for_an_Accelerated_Culture

 

[holden]

DH and I are GenXers and proud of it! I loved the PP who called us the "Red Dawn" generation. That's so true.

Our kids are GenZ I guess (2002 and 2007). I always tell them that I would never want to be a teen/young adult today. I really think they have it a lot harder than we ever did.

I loved our freedom (latchkey kids, no one knowing where we were or what we were doing) even though I was a "good" kid and never got into any kind of trouble/bad choices. I try to remember that when dealing with DD16. It's so easy to helicopter the kids today. I really try not to do that.

DD16 asks my why I always listen to 70s/80s music, and I say "because it's the best music there is!"

My mom (80yo) thinks she had it best as a teen. I think I did. I'm curious if my kids feel the same someday.