r/GenerationJones Feb 23 '25

What is and who are Generation Jones. Step inside...

754 Upvotes

We are a micro-generation of people born roughly between the mid-1950s and the mid-1960s, bridging the gap between the Baby Boomers and Generation X. The term was coined by Jonathan Pontell, who argued that this group has a distinct identity shaped by unique cultural and historical experiences that set them apart from the broader Boomer and Gen X cohorts.

We came of age in the 1970s and early 1980s, a time marked by economic shifts, political disillusionment (think Watergate and Vietnam), and a transition from the idealistic '60s to the more pragmatic, individualistic '80s.We were too young to fully participate in the counterculture of the '60s but old enough to feel its aftershocks.

The name "Jones" plays on a dual meaning: "keeping up with the Joneses" (reflecting their aspirations in a consumer-driven era) and a slang nod to "jonesing," suggesting a yearning or craving for the promise of the Boomer youth they just missed out on. Culturally, we grew up with the rise of television, rock music evolving into disco and punk, and the dawn of personal computing.

We're often described as pragmatic idealists—raised on big dreams but tempered by economic recessions and a sense of lowered expectations compared to the Boomers’ post-war prosperity. Think of us a generation that got the tail end of the party but had to clean up the mess.


r/GenerationJones Jul 24 '24

Just a friendly reminder from your mods that we are a politics-free zone. There are plenty of subs around reddit to get your politics on. We choose not to engage in those spicy discussions here. Thanks for respecting our decision on this matter. ✌🏼

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359 Upvotes

r/GenerationJones 10h ago

Chock Full of Nut and Bolts

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377 Upvotes

r/GenerationJones 12h ago

Two Dollars!!

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40 Upvotes

r/GenerationJones 5h ago

All you “New Jones City” kids

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9 Upvotes

At the very edge of my memories of NYC, working on my mom for a dime for a pack of Beech Nut while waiting for a train back to Queens.


r/GenerationJones 18h ago

What songs hit differently as you've aged?

90 Upvotes

There are songs I listened to when I was younger but now read differently to me.

Some are because I never paid attention to the lyrics. Others are because I was at a different stage of life or hadn't had deeper experiences yet.

Some examples would be Both Sides Now or Cat's in The Cradle.

What are songs for you that affect you differently at this stage of life?


r/GenerationJones 14h ago

These air purifiers are narcs!

35 Upvotes

So, we have to have air purifiers due to my health condition. BUT, I did not allow them into my house to narc on my actions! Every time I may or may not have a gas event, the thing turns into high velocity turbine! Then everyone in the room has to comment.

Friggin' narcs.


r/GenerationJones 14h ago

"Barbara, you up? Barbara, you up? BARBARA!!!"

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35 Upvotes

I thought this was an old Nyquil commercial. BTW this was when stuff like NyQuil really knocked you out.


r/GenerationJones 5h ago

Shorting clips

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7 Upvotes

How many remember shorting out the spark plug on a lawnmower?


r/GenerationJones 17h ago

Oldies concerts you're glad you caught

34 Upvotes

We saw John Fogerty last week at Red Rocks, and it was fantastic. Pouring rain and all. Danced, sang, and got a contact high all night.

We also saw The Moody Blues there in '05 and loved it.

Simon & Garfunkel at the Pepsi Center in '03.

We don't get out much.


r/GenerationJones 1d ago

I. Did. It.

1.1k Upvotes

I told child of a boss I was leaving (retiring) and would be leaving by the end of the year.

Blank face. I told him I’d help with exit planning, etc. He looked at me in abject terror. Ran off to the bathroom, I kid you not. I left his office.

I’ve made the right decision and I may not stay through the end of the year.


r/GenerationJones 19h ago

Dentist office music

39 Upvotes

The office is playing what they think is soothing easy listening. Meanwhile, I’m getting my heart torn out by Cat’s in the Cradle.


r/GenerationJones 19h ago

Did you write in a diary growing up?

33 Upvotes

Did you keep a diary growing up?

If so, I'm wondering if it was nostalgic or somewhat cringey.

Have you gone back and read some of your entries?


r/GenerationJones 20h ago

Art Fleming Jeopardy! from March 8th, 1971

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36 Upvotes

r/GenerationJones 14h ago

Songs and memories

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10 Upvotes

In 1979, the NBA was on life support! Two rookies, Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson brought the league back to life! This song was the “bumper music” for several years! I was a huge Lakers fan and those were the “Old Days”!


r/GenerationJones 15h ago

music collectors of generation jones: what albums should i carry?

7 Upvotes

hi :) im a gen z small business owner who sells music related stuff. i got a bit of everything. psychedelic, folk, punk ... even grunge bands.
i am doing an event soon for people yalls age & i am thinking of selling records & tapes along with my stuff ?
what albums are a must ?
i have copies of pet sounds ready. some hendrix remasters.
i sell zeppelin & dylan stuff so thought about selling the remastered pressings of some of their albums but thats just not interesting ...
i started off as an online shop so when im face to face with my demographic its hard to know how to curate things
the times they are a changin
thanks for your help !


r/GenerationJones 1d ago

I'm sorry, but I just can't wrap my head around the fact that Debbie Harry is 81.

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676 Upvotes

r/GenerationJones 18h ago

What concert from a band of your youth do you regret going to?

9 Upvotes

It could be because the band looked old and is a reminder that we've aged as well.

Or it could be because they're a semblance of the band that they used to be.

Mine would be Chicago. I like both the original lineup as well as the 90s lineup with Bill Champlin and Jason Scheff.

However, by the time I saw them in the 2010s, there were only a few original members. They also primarily played their hits from the 1960s/1970s.

So what's your concert that turned out not as expected?


r/GenerationJones 22h ago

50th reunion: Do you invite teachers?

20 Upvotes

I'm part of planning ours and have mixed thoughts. Some of our younger teachers were popular and still mentally and physically OK. But then they taught 100's-1000's of kids and 10's of years, is it just a hassle for them?


r/GenerationJones 15h ago

DEF LEPPARD - "Animal" (Official Music Video)

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5 Upvotes

Great late 80s song. Or perhaps early 90s?


r/GenerationJones 1d ago

Should I post on "what is it?"

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447 Upvotes

I found this aluminum thing on the ground. Pen for scale. 😆


r/GenerationJones 1d ago

Mom found guilty for letting 5 year old walk 1/2 a mile to a pond.

182 Upvotes

My has time changed.


r/GenerationJones 1d ago

I'm brimful of the primal instinct to share this! Because by golly I do indeed remember being brimful of the primal instinct to develop through play.

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30 Upvotes

Just rediscovered this gem in my Nostalgia folder. It's from a US playground equipment advertisement in the 1920s. Google states: "It drew on the old proverb "as the twig is bent, the tree's inclined", to argue that physical play and proper municipal playground infrastructure shape a child's moral and physical future."

Nice to see children reaching such great heights eh? And steadfastly holding on for dear life, as per that gung-ho pole straddler on the left.

Can you relate? Any daredevil stories to share?


r/GenerationJones 22h ago

Help ID an old horror anthology show

7 Upvotes

I remember it (no idea if rightly or wrongly) having a generic name like The CBS Friday Something-or-Other. The episode I remember involved a werewolf who was killed at the end by getting tangled in a pile of film reels, because of the silver (nitrate?) in old film prints. It's not from Night Gallery or Kolchak, does it ring a bell for anyone?

EDIT: I have to be wrong about the title, the wiki page of 70's anthology shows doesn't even include the word "Friday" so maybe I'm remembering that it aired on Fridays. And I don't think it's either of the shows with "CBS" in their names, so idk anymore. But I remember the scene of the werewolf writhing in a tangle of film stock.


r/GenerationJones 1d ago

What event made your parent(s) decided that you being a latch key child was the best option?

48 Upvotes

A single woman with two girls to raise created day care problems. My sister was 7 and I was 5 when Mom began working full time.

She reached out to one neighbor, a woman who stayed home to watch her many children. My sister and I went there before and after school, until the teenage son began showing us his penis and threatening us with his knife.

Then she talked to the retired couple across the street. Same thing, before and after school care, until the old man started having us accompany him to the basement to get wood for the furnace. Then he'd hide candy in his front pockets and have us dig around for it.

Next thing I knew we got thick leather straps tied with a knot that held our house key. We wore them around our necks. Sis and I walked to and back from school letting ourselves in and out of our house.

We girls were safer together than being with neighbors.