Are you a baby boomer feeling like the world has never been more strange? A parent to a Gen Zer who cringes when you try to be ‘woke’? Generational gaps have always existed but in today’s day they seem to be further apart than ever! Here’s your tribe guide simplified.
The Silent Generation: 1926 – 1945
Raised to be ‘seen and not heard’, those who lived through the Second World War have steel in their spines. We start the tribe guide with the Berts and Marys who married young, worked hard and saved money in the bank. Or under their mattress as they repeated the mantra ‘Take care of the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.’
Their homes were their castles and Mary would don her housecoat to cook, dust and polish every day. You never know when someone might pop round for tea! (Oh weren’t those the days, when people could just pop in without asking what your house’s COVID status was!)
Experiencing food shortages and then rationing gave them lifelong determination not to waste a scrap. In her hayday Mary could even make the Sunday joint of meat last into the week, boiling up bones to make stock for soup and gravy.
Pet: Cat or a straightforward breed of dog like a terrier or a collie.
Food: Meat pie, steamed pudding (such as treacle sponge) with custard.
Drink: Endless tea, from a teapot of course.
Exclamation: Hell’s bells! As I live and breathe! Crikey!
Who: Born in 1942 makes current American President, Joe Biden a man of the Silent Generation. Other Silent Generation celebrities include Martin Luther King Jr., Elizabeth Taylor, Bruce Lee, Sylvia Plath and Jackie O.
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Baby Boomers: 1946 – 1964
Motivated and highly competitive (perhaps because there are so many of them), the next stop on the tribe guide redefined old values. This is the generation that swapped churchgoing for pop music. Baby boomers David and Susan marry, though they are more prone to divorce than their parents.
At their prime in the 1980s, they loved having dinner parties to show off their shoulder pads, new curtains (‘I just love swags and tails’), cooking skills (‘Thanks, it’s a Delia Smith recipe’) and getting their teeth into a debate.
Pet: Dog. Pet ownership is at an all-time high among today’s boomers, who can afford vet’s bills.
Food: Once fond of a garnish and a fiddly canapé, they now love nothing better than a summer braai. Or a Sunday roast with proper gravy, traditional sauces and of course the potatoes.
Drink: A Lion Larger around the fire for the guys will do nicely, thanks.
Exclamation: In the style of arch boomer Jeremy Paxman stopping himself blaspheming on University Challenge, they might be heard saying: ‘Oh my Godfathers!’
Who: Everyone’s favourite actress, Meryl Streep is a Baby Boomer, born in 1949. Other Baby Boomer celebrities include Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Diana Spencer, Dolly Parton, Pierce Brosnan and the Queen of Pop herself (which all makes sense now!) Madonna.
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Generation X: 1965 – 1980
The in-betweeners of the current tribe guide are those who grew up with, but got overtaken by technology. Marks, sarahs and Claires have the advantage of understanding both the digital and non-digital world, meaning they are comfortable with the workings of the latest iPhone, but can still fold a newspaper and don’t pass out if they overhear a joke that’s less than woke.
They’ve witnessed the passing of many familiar things from their youth: CDs, DVDs, answering machines, the Yellow Pages, MTV and video shops. They tend not to be as status-conscious as those who came before (and after). They’ll make choices about their home, car or underwear based on what’s practical, rather than the image it projects. It’s no coincidencce that advertisers tend to pass them by.
Pets: They don’t need a status symbol on the end of a leash, preferring a low-maintenance cat or hamster for the kids.
Food: Sushi, because they actually like it, or anything by Gen-X hero Jamie Oliver.
Drink: Less targeted by ads, they’ll drink what they darn well like, which tends to be wine, in generous quantities.
Exclamation: OMG or even OMAG (A for ‘actual’)!
Who: Our very own Charlize Theron is a Generation X, born in 1975. Other Generation X celebrities include, Will Smith, Julia Roberts, Halle Berry, Leonardo Dicaprio, as well as October ’21 W&H cover star Kylie Minogue and January ’22 cover star Drew Barrymore.
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Millenials (Generation Y): 1981 – 1995
Being the first ‘digital natives’, most were born with their fingers attached to a keyboard, giving Joshua and Ashley the kind of confidence that attracts attention. The media taunts them for being lazy and entitled, spending on beard oil and avocado toast when they should be saving for a deposit on a house.
In reality, non-millenials feel intimidated by their careers as statisticians or influencers – and a little jealous that they will never know the fear of setting up a new laptop without losing all the family photos. They are cautious about choosing a ‘life partner’ and wouldn’t meet anyone who hadn’t been rigorously assessed by a dating site’s algorithms.
Pet: French bulldog (or any other breed with a massive Instagram following).
Food: Cauliflower rice, overnight oats and Buddha bowls.
Drink: Artisan beer.
Exclamation: My bad! (Translation: ‘Oops, I got that wrong!; ‘Sorry, not sorry’ (delivered with an upward inflection).
Who: American singer-songwriter and change-maker (let’s never forget that she was the first black woman to headline music festival!), Beyoncé, was born in 1981 making her one the most famous Millenials. Other Millenial celebrities include Adele, Roger Federer, Alicia Keys, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Emma Watson and inventor of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg.
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Generation Z (iGen): 1996 – 2009
This is where most of us start to get confused in the tribe guide. They hate to be put into boxes, but there’s no getting away from the fact Gen Z (‘Zee’ not ‘Zed’) will soon be the most populous on Earth. Young Mia and Alfie are feeling the legacy of the computer chip. With so much time spent online, they are stressed and depressed about their academic performance and job prospects.
They are more likely to be sleep deprived as they swipe between Snapchat and TikTok, have higher rates of allergies and mental health issues, and their attention span is calculated to be eight seconds – officially less than a goldfish. They’re not risk-takers, have fierce ethics when it comes to the environment and diversity, and prefer ‘kick backs’ at home to all-night partying.
Pet: After a lifetime watching animals singing and dancing on YouTube, your average pup is a bit dull.
Food: Anything, so long as it’s plant-based. Burger King launched its Impossible Whopper for these guys. (NB: Gen Z does not say ‘guys’).
Drink: Matcha (green tea), kombucha (fermented tea), flavoured gin.
Exclamation: ‘I’m dead!’ (where they’re really just dying of laughter); ‘Extra!’ (when someone or something is simply over the top).
Who: Born in 2003, brave environmental activist Greta Thunberg is an exemplary Gen Zer. Other Generation Z celebrities include Kylie Jenner, Naomi Osaka, Lil Nas X, Malala Yusafzai, Billie Eilish and Maisie Williams.
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Alpha: 2010 –
Time does not stand still and the next generational tribe guide continues, just when you thought you were getting the hang of it all. While generation Alpha are still growing, social researchers predict that the children of Gen Xers and millenials will be super-enagaged, as comfortable with tech as they are breathing.
Calebs and Harpers are entering a world where labels mean less and people won’t be referred to as Black/white/gay/straight or female/male. They’ll be in full-time education for a few years and, for all our sakes, let’s hope they’re using their lessons learnt on climate change to pursue careers in this area. This lot might just be the game changers who save the world. No pressure…
