Generation X and Y: Comparison of Values and Behavior

As the years go by, generations before and after us will and hopefully continue to grow and evolve the world. Some have had beneficial accomplishments while others did not but, what makes up a remarkable generation to always rely back to? Is it determined by their hard work, values, or intelligence that they had gained from the previous generation? What about the past generation who fought for their independence, rights, and equality, what happens to them? Compared to the six known generations out there, what effect did Generation X and Y have that was so different? These two generations are very different when it comes to social change, but they both have helped mold the way humanity is perceived, and these two generations will educate the next generation that follows. One is for certain, Generation X are the parents of Generation Y, yet they lived two different lives; comparing them by how they grew up and their relationship with the world. However, it’s Generation Y’s values that showed an inspiration and thrive for change to the people of Generation X so they could make to have just as big and widely spread impact on society.

Generation X is a group of people who were born in the years of 1964-1980. This generation is very different then the rest because it is often forgotten, the reasoning being that they are the smallest generation compared to the Baby Boomers and Generation X. During that time, the people from Generation Y didn’t grow up with their parents or grew up with one single parent as high rates of divorce became more common. Their attitude drastically shifted and since they are the offspring of Baby Boomers parents, they were the more recessive generation in the workplace. Layoffs were in the rise and the job market was very competitive and there weren’t many kids from back then working and operating the workplace like the Baby Boomers, which is how they gained the nickname, “Latchkey Kids”. This nickname was used to describe what was happening in the homes of many children at the time. The work field had adapted to accepting both genders which meant both parents are now providing for their kids, so they would often come home to an empty house.

With this new adaptation, parent/child relationship to grow a bit distant to one another. The children of Generation X didn’t have much to look forward to and had to grow up a lot faster than most. They began to read the newspapers and paying attention to television programs and became more interested in the political world during the Reagan-Bush or Clinton years. They are more conservative than millennials and less supportive than the Boomers. Their outlook was all shaped by their childhood and it was defined by broad-based domestic prosperity, relative racial harmony and social stability, and the American Cold War triumph over the Soviet Union.

Unlike Generation X, Generation Y, also known as Millennials, came into the world already wanting to change the way the world worked. Generation X and Millennials were strongly influenced by each other and it led the trend towards personal branding. With the world adapting, people from Generation Y have always been aware of what they can do with their own lives; not replying on your common stereotypes that were very used during the Baby Boom era. Freedom and equality make up a large part of the Millennials’ worldview and it is visible in their “support of political independent and protestor-formed government.” Generation Y regard education as necessary even though they had expensive goods; making it mandatory for everyone to attend school at the age of 5, making them the best-educated generation at the time. Education, poverty, and the environment are what cause them to care about most.

At this moment, six generations live together in one world, making learn from the same events no matter how old or young they are. But the generation of course do not experience historical events the same way, because they are molded together by the different influences of their time. Every member of a generation experienced the same collective process, but this does not relate to other factors. Generation X’s independence was shaped by rather negative events such as, Watergates, AIDS, drug abuse, and Chernobyl. They wanted to set themselves apart from their parents’ generation by embracing their culture in a unique and better way. The Millennials are the first group of people to have technology growing up, finding a new way to connected to the world. As visible, each generation influence each other, however, they are not the same and will never be the same. Growing up two different eras, having two different worldviews. But this is also necessary, otherwise, weld the world never develop into afire stage, they paly a huge role hand and hand.