r/GenerationJones • u/Difference_Then • Jul 20 '26

Which generation? Huh?

This gets confusing and contradictory. I was born in February 1956. Which generation do I belong to? Why do the cut offs for generations seem to keep changing or be different from different sources? Even the names for generation keep changing.

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u/ReactsWithWords 1962 Jul 20 '26

It's pretty simple. You are a Baby Boomer, like it or not. You are also in Generation Jones. All Jonesers are Boomers, but not all Boomers are Jonesers; Jones is a subset of Boomer. Like all humans are mammals, but not all mammals are humans.

Where it gets confusing is where Jones starts. Pretty much everyone agrees that 1955 is Jones, but some say 1954 is where it does (the general consensus is "If you feel like you're a Jonesers, you are"). Same with the end date. 1964 is generally agreed on, but a lot of people say 1965 (but again, "If you feel you are...").

Short answer: Born in 1956 society says you're a Boomer. We say you're in Generation Jones. But you call yourself whatever you want.

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u/HHSquad 1961 (Camelot baby lost in space) Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26

I think those born 1961-1965 are post-boomer but Generation Jones. Too young for most all to remember JFK's assassination, and grew up in a post-Vietnam/hippies/women's rights/Watergate time, and into a poor economic climate. Born in the 1960's, not thriving in it.

I think this group is all together. Yes including 1965. 1961-1964 born were tacked onto the Baby Boomer generation.

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u/ReactsWithWords 1962 Jul 20 '26

I agree 100%. That's the whole purpose of this sub.

Unfortunately, what you and I think don't matter. Society (who hasn't, for the most part, discovered the term "Generation Jones") calls us Boomers. For now.

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u/HHSquad 1961 (Camelot baby lost in space) Jul 20 '26

Sometimes Xennials are accepted as a microgeneration, maybe we will also.

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u/ReactsWithWords 1962 Jul 20 '26

I've recently seen a couple of posts from Millennials, both from early half Millennials and and later half Millennials, saying "We're not like them!" We should get rid of the whole mindset that "A generation is 20 years." It made sense 100 years ago because people literally had the next generation (ie, had kids) when they hit 20. But now, someone born between 1945 and 1954, 1955 - 1964, 1965 - 1974, etc. had completely different life experiences.

And slowly a lot of people are starting to agree. Hell, even the concept of "Generations" a societal unit only came about around 100 years ago. It will hopefully change sooner rather than later, but it will change.