We often talk about generations. There’s a generation gap. There’s your parent’s generation, or “the younger generation”. But what do we really mean when we use the word?
As folks know, I’ve started up again working on my family tree. In doing this, I noticed a pattern. “My” generation consisted mostly of people born in the 1955-1965 timeframe; our kids were all born in the 1985-2000 timeframe. My parent’s generation? Born in the 1920s-1930s. Grandparents? All around 1890-1910. Great-grandparents? Around 1860-1870?
See the pattern here? A generation appears to be around 25-35 years, or about 3 generations per century. Your years may differ, but the timespam, I’ll bet, will be about the same. So, putting this in perspective, ellipticcurve (although she thinks I’m old) and I are only about ½ generation apart: our difference in years is only about 15 years. zarchasmpgmr and I are the same generation; we have the same cultural touchstone such as Dr. George and Sheriff John. I’m not sure there is anyone on LJ of my parent’s generation, whose cultural touchstones are WWII and the depression.
So, although a generation gap may be large in terms of culture and references and styles… it isn’t that large in terms of time.
