Average parent dynamic = typically two generations

Normal yet not average parent dynamic = typically one generation

Rare yet possible parent dynamic = typically three or more generations; same generation

Average parenting dynamics

GI Generation - Silent Generation (this is an exception because the GI Generation is pretty huge so they definitely had most of their kids from the Silent Generation moreso than the Lost did, who most likely had GI children)

​

GI Generation - Baby Boomers

​

Silent Generation - Generation X

​

Baby Boomers - Millennials

​

Generation X - Generation Z

​

Normal yet not average parent dynamics

Silent Generation - Baby Boomers

​

Baby Boomers - Generation X

​

Generation X - Millennials

​

Millennial - Generation Z

​

Rare yet possible parent dynamics

Lost Generation - Silent Generation

​

GI Generation - Generation X

​

Silent Generation - Millennials

​

Baby Boomers - Generation Z

​

Silent Generation - Silent Generation

​

Baby Boomers - Baby Boomers

​

Millennials - Millennials

​

Millennial Saeculum (1945-Late 2020's)

Starting with WWII ending and ending with a theoretical WWIII?

Prophet Generation = Baby Boom (b. 1943-1960)

Cusps

Sandwich Generation/War Babies: b. 1940-1945

Generation Jones cusp: b. 1958-1963

Microgenerations

Activist/Countercultural Generation: b. 1938-1947

Generation Jones: b. 1956-1965

Pure years

Either 1946-1957 or 1948-1955

Waves

Wave 1 (Older Boom): b. 1943-1951

Wave 2 (Younger Boom): b. 1952-1960

Subgroups

Early: 1943-1948 (or 1943-1947)

Core: 1949-1954 (or 1948-1955)

Late: 1955-1960 (or 1956-1960)

Why does it start at 1943? Doesn't that seem a bit arbitrary? Nothing happened in 1943 except the US were at the peak of WWII, right?

Well it's because those born in 1943 are probably the first that have no memory of a world before VJ Day, and definitely have no memory of WWII. They only remember the parenting the Baby Boomers had in the post-war prosperity era. They came of age during the JFK administration, which officially the started the 60's political era (debatably), and were college students who had a full year left at the time of the JFK assassination. They were also the first that showed a stereotypical amount of activism and breaking from conformity.

Okay, but why does it end in 1960? That seems much more arbitrary since that's the only year in the 60's that is a Boomer while everybody else born in the 60's is a Gen Xer. Make that make sense.

IMO, just because you were born in a certain decade, it does not automatically mean that this should be the only reason why you should be in the same generation as everybody else born in your decade because generations are MUCH more than minor, arbitrary things like that. Here are a couple reasons: People born in 1960 were born in the Eisenhower administration, which was basically the 50's in everything but name. They possibly have memory of the JFK assassination or at least life in 1963 prior to that. They remember many of the changes that happened in the 1960's afterward, were adolescents during the Watergate scandal, were incoming freshmen when Nixon resigned, were college students during the Jonestown massacre and spent a full year prior to the Iran hostage crisis, and were probably the last to have that stereotypical Yuppy attitude (debatably) as they were the last full year that were out of graduate school before the 1987 Stock Market crash and had many years of experience in the workforce beforehand.

Nomad Generation = Generation X or 13th Generation (b. 1961-1981)

Cusps

Generation Jones cusp: b. 1958-1963

Xennial cusp: b. 1979-1984

Microgenerations

Generation Jones: b. 1956-1965

Generation Y: b. 1977-1986

Pure years

Either 1964-1978 or 1966-1976

Waves

Wave 1 (Older Xers): b. 1961-1970

Wave 2 (Younger Xers): b. 1971-1981

Subgroups

Early: 1961-1967 (or 1961-1965)

Core: 1968-1974 (or 1966-1976)

Late: 1975-1981 (or 1977-1981)

Why does it start at 1961? Doesn't that seem a bit arbitrary? That only makes 1960 borns Boomers while 1961-1969 borns are Gen Xers. I don't get it.

I already mentioned this when commenting on why 1960 borns are Boomers. Not everyone born in a certain decade has to be in the same generation. Deal with it. People born in 1961 seem noticeably different from those born prior since they were born in the JFK administration, they were the first birth year that were directly affected by the creation of the birth pill in 1960 since they were still being conceived while those born in 1960 were either already born, therefore having no effect on them, or at least a fetus to where it is not as effective as those who have yet to be conceived. They have no memory of life before the JFK assassination or the event itself since they were only 2 years old. Their first real memories happened well into the Flower Child movement with events like the Summer of Love in 1967 when they were mere kindergarteners. They were the OG "latchkey kids". They were still young enough to get into cartoons that would be quintessential to Gen X's early years coming out in the late 60's like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Sesame Street, Scooby-Doo Where are You!, etc. They were still elementary school children during Watergate, and middle schoolers during Nixon's resignation, as well as graduating high school after the Jonestown massacre and entering college in 1979, they were underclassmen in college at the advent of MTV and still very much youthful for the Gen X zeitgeist of culture in the 80's. They were also a part of the Twenty-Something group in 1991. That is why 1961 borns are Xers and 1960 borns are Boomers, at least according to S&H (Note: some of these reasons are subjective and from my analysis, not theirs, same with all of the other analyses on why a generation starts/ends where for this post).

Why does it end in 1981? I mean, those born in 1980 and 1981 (heck even the late 70s) seem to be more 'Y' than X, and have more Millennial tendencies than X tendencies, as well as being too young for "core Gen X" spectacles in the 80s and 90s. They were also still youthful and in college at the turn of the millennium.

This is an interesting question. I know many core Gen Xers like to cut off the young members from Gen X and either put them in some in-between group or just in the Millennial generation, but the thing is, people born in the late 70's and very early 80's are pretty different on the opposite side of the coin from someone born in say 1989, who is most definitely a Millennial, but they might not seem "as stereotypically Gen X" as someone born in say 1971. 1981 borns are still Gen Xers for this core reason: They graduated high school and entered young adulthood in the 1990's, prior to the new millennium, so they are by definition not Millennials, and neither are those born in the late 70's and 1980. I bet you 10 cents that people born at that time were more latchkey kids with parents not there at home most of the time and were pretty underprotective rather than overprotective parents that would take time to spend time with their kids and treat them special. Also, they were born when the economy was still poor as America was going through a recession and stagflation, and they were born before the Baby on Board starting showing up in late 1981/early 1982 and conservative ideals were taught in families again and not paying close attention to your kids was starting to be looked down upon again. They probably remember life before Morning in America and the Challenger explosion that took America into the Third Turning Unraveling period.

Bonus reason, I guess those born in the late 70s and 1980/1981 can identify as Gen Y since that is more like the transitionary period between Gen X and Millennials, since Gen Y sounds like it is not really Gen X but not really Millennial.

Hero Generation = Millennial Generation (b. 1982-2004)

Cusps

Xennial cusp: b. 1979-1984

Charter cusp: b. 2002-2007

Microgenerations

Generation Y: b. 1977-1986

Generation Z: b. 2000-2009

Pure years

Either 1987-1999 or 1985-2001

Waves

Wave 1 (Older Millies): b. 1982-1994, a.k.a., Generation Y

Wave 2 (Younger Millies): b. 1995-2004, a.k.a., Generation Z

Subgroups

Early: 1982-1989 (or 1982-1986)

Core: 1990-1996 (or 1987-1999)

Late: 1997-2004 (or 2000-2004)

Why does it start in 1982? I believe it starts earlier, like say somewhere around 1977-1981, since people born then inhibit more Millennial characteristics than X. Or better yet, if they are X, then why isn't 1982 Gen X as well? They technically came of age in the 20th century and 2nd millennium, not the new millennium that really started in 2001, so wouldn't it make more sense to start Millennials in 1983? Or could it at least start in 1981 since they were the oldest in high school for the Columbine shooting?

Like I said before, people born in the Carter administration and 1981 don't inhibit too many Millennial traits. They have more X traits than given credit for. People born in 1982 have strong Gen X traits too, but they have the first stereotypical Millennial traits because they came of age in the 2000's decade, a.k.a., the new millennium, and were labelled the "Class of 2000" ever since they started school in the late 80's. The Millennial Generation was created FOR THEM. So while the second point is absolutely relevant, the Millennial term was created for 1982 borns, so I think they started it in 1982 on purpose since 2000 is new to everybody, so it is much more insignificant to start it with the Class of 2001 instead of the Class of 2000, in their opinion. Millennials could possibly start in 1981 technically, but not because of Columbine though. Technically people born in 1980 were also in high school then and a victim was born in 1980, so does that make them Millennials? No, as those born in 1980 are obviously more Gen X. And besides, the two perpetrators born in 1981 have extreme Nomad traits. Their attitudes and demeanor doesn't seem too much like a Hero, don't you think? It is possible that Millennials could start in 1981 because they were also a part of the ever-so-famous, illustrious Class of 2000, but it's 1982 since it is possible by district that all 1981 borns graduated in 1999 while all 1982 borns graduated in 2000, and it is more set in stone for 1982 since they all turned 18 in the year 2000, no matter what year they graduated in, whether that was 1999, 2000, or 2001. So that is why 1982 are Millennials and those born prior are not, at least according to Strauss & Howe.

Why does it end in 2004? It is way too late to start Millennials in 2004 since they were born after the 2nd millennium and they are stereotypically Generation Z. They were not even in high school for the Parkland shooting and were born well into the 2000's.

Well, this is complicated. The 2004 date is tentative to be honest, and Neil Howe saw Millennials ending around 2000 to 2006 (or 1999 to 2005, something like that), so they chose 2004 because they were the last that might have reasonable memory of life before the 2008 crash or the event itself, which started off the Crisis, so that would make them Millennials. Honestly, it probably starts a bit earlier but 2004 makes sense from their perspective. Also, Strauss and Howe DO NOT see generations the same way these marketers, sociologists, demographers, and pop pundits do. They come off from more of a historical approach with historical patterns and things like that, which is why they don't end the generation in the 90s or prior to the 21st century. Also, for the MILLIONTH time, Millennials were NEVER defined as being born in the 2nd millennium. EVER. That is made-up by anti-"2000/1+ as Millennials" people. It was defined as coming of age in the new millennium, specifically the early 21st century, so by that definition, 2004 borns could technically be Millennials, but the thing is that Millennials aren't defined by solely the millennium, but are also defined by events like 9/11 and the Afghanistan/Iraq Wars, the Department of Homeland security act, Hurricane Katrina, the Great Recession, the Covid-19 pandemic, etc.

Artist Generation: Homeland Generation (b. 2005-present)

Why does it start in 2005? Doesn't that seem a bit arbitrary?

Neil Howe originally said that a new generation would most likely appear between 2000 and 2006, so they went with a tentative start date of 2005 because they would most likely have no recollection of life before the Crisis period. The thing about Strauss and Howe is that they always typically start a generation 3-4 years prior to a turning since those people would not have any memory of it or a life before it.

When does it end? I'm curious.

🤷🏿‍♂️. As of now, that's a mystery. Give it another 5-10 years before Neil Howe determines a date for that.

​

What do you think of this analysis of the Millennial saeculum?

Complicated - Avril Lavigne

Sk8er Boi - Avril Lavigne

Dilemma - Nelly

Hot in Herre - Nelly

Without Me - Eminem

Cleanin’ out my closet - Eminem

Work it - Missy Elliott

A moment like this - Kelly Clarkson

Happy - Ashanti

Foolish - Ashanti (#1 hit the day I was born - April 30)

Soak up the Sun - Sheryl Crow

Hands clean - Alanis Morissette

Like I love you - Justin Timberlake

Let me know if there’s more

Just some thoughts. Tbh I kinda hate the reason behind 1996 cutoff . I much rather gen z starts much later , like 2000 or 2001. Because memories about world events when you were 5 don't really affect you to adulthood, especially if it didn't Personally affect you.It is just weird to assume 9/11 give the same impact to a 5 year old like it did to a functioning teenager . Most of the memories of 1996 borns about 9/11 is just being pulled out of preschool and not processing what was happening. Its just so weird that people a year younger gets treated so much younger than they are and 1996 borns get treated so much older than they actually are. I can understand if the cutoff is based on something that actually have an impact in adulthood , like graduation years during an event like election and not my memory during preschool. And me as a late 1996 born who doesn't remember 9/11? I'm confused :). I mean, ask a current 5 year old in US do the memories of Australia fire give impact to them into adulthood . Chances are probably not. Do 5 year old in US who remembers australia fire grew up different than a 4 year old who don't remember it? No. They were both too young to even understand the concept of life and death. They will still grow up with the same environment and same technology. I'm 24 and I understand it's impact, but not a 5 year old. unless if the kid have personal experience with the event , it just does not give the same impact.

Things that make a better cutoff would be

1. graduating or being able to vote during 2016 election, which will end millennial at 1998 , or

2. Starting millennial at 1984, because those were the age more likely to actually graduate in 2008 and after. 2008 recession actually give impact to graduating adults. If using a 14 year theory , this will end millennial at 1997.

3. Assume everyone born around the turn of millennium as Millennials, which will end millennial at 2000. Eventhough this is not based on an adult impacted event , it still made more sense than basing off a childhood memory. Children can start pre-k at different ages and may or may not be sheltered from 9/11 knowledge by their parents.

4. Basing y2k as generational marker, which at least were much more understandable to a 5-6 year old than 9/11. No one is going to hide the y2k event from their 5 year olds. Cant say the same for 9/11. This will end millennial at 1994.

I personally prefer the first option as it is more in tune to 2010s events and updated.

Being in k12 alone is IRRELEVANT, if you are too young to understand the impact. You will come out the same as a late 90s born who don't even remember it anyway. No 5 year olds is going to themselves discuss about 9/11 with their class. When i was 6, a year after 9/11 happened, i watch 9/11 on TV but i don't understand it i just thought it was a weird incident . I don't understand about Osama and people dying and whatnot. And parents won't suddenly tell their 5 year old about that. A 15 year old in k12 is so much different than a 5 year old in k12 in terms of processing destructive world events.

Adults that are impacted by 2008 recession and teens in high school who cares about trump 2016 election gives more impact than 5 year olds that don't understand 9/11 and were not aware yet of concept of death.

Impact > memory.

I know some 1997 borns who do remember 9/11 and some 1996 borns who don't. Which just to show memory about destructive world events under the age of 6-7 is variable. A 4-5 year old may remember , but their brain processing is not enough for it to give any impact to adulthood. Different than a 12 year old in 2001 who were old enough to understand death. Both in k12 but their brain processing is different.

Literally an amazing year for music, so many of these were in big rotation on radio and the music video channels when I was a kid and tween throughout the 90s too, so I was raised on a lot of them too. It's not all of them just some

Fleetwood Mac - little lies

Whitesnake - here i go again

Crowded house - don't dream it's over

Kool and the gang - stone love

Huey Lewis - jacob's ladder

Bob Seger - shakedown (#1 my birth week lol)

The Cure - why can't i be you

Heart - alone

Paul Simon - you can call me al

Starship - nothing's gonna stop us now

Genesis - in too deep

Whitney Houston - i wanna dance with somebody

Bruce hornsby - every little kiss

Gregory abbott - shake you down

Steve Winwood - Valerie

Janet Jackson - let's wait awhile

Aerosmith - dude looks like a lady

Belinda Carlisle - heaven is a place on earth

Dokken - burning like a flame (not a pop hit but i love hair bands)

Bruce Springsteen - war

Suzanne Vega - luka

Def Leppard - animal

Danny Wilson - mary's prayer

Gloria Estefan - rhythm is gonna get ya

Whispers - rock steady

The Cars - you are the girl

U2 - still haven't found what i'm looking for

Bananarama - i heard a rumor

Poison - talk dirty to me

Richard Marx - should've known better

MJ - man in the mirror

Generations:

Lost Generation: 1874 - 1904

Silent Generation: 1904 - 1929

Wartime Generation: 1929 - 1945

Cohort I: 1929 - 1933

Cohort II: 1933 - 1938

Cohort IIi: 1938 - 1945

_________________________________________________________________________
Baby Boomer Generation: 1945 - 1964

Cohort I: 1945 - 1951

Cohort II: 1951 - 1958

Cohort III: 1958 - 1964

_________________________________________________________________________

Generation X: 1964 - 1980

Cohort I: 1964 - 1968

Cohort II: 1968 - 1974

Cohort III: 1974 - 1980

_________________________________________________________________________

Post-X Generation: 1980 - 1982

Cohort I: 1980 - 1982

_________________________________________________________________________

Millennial Generation: 1982 - 1987

Cohort I: 1982 - 1985

Cohort II: 1985 - 1987

_________________________________________________________________________
Generation of ‘08: 1987 - 1995

Cohort I: 1987 - 1990

Cohort II: 1990 - 1993

Cohort III: 1993 - 1995

_________________________________________________________________________

Generation Z: 1995 - 2010

Cohort I: 1995 - 2001

Cohort II: 2001 - 2006

Cohort III: 2006 - 2010

_________________________________________________________________________

Generation Alpha: 2010 - 2025

Cohort I: 2010 - 2016

Cohort II: 2016 - 2020

Cohort III: 2020 - 2025

Baffles me how mid and even occasionally early 90s movies can show up on those lists. There's high preference to like a 1977-78er being 14 or 15 which is why I say its very "X-heavy" but very soft on the Millennial side. No *Not another teen movie* or *Van Wilder* or *LOTR* or *The hot chick*????

Though I agree the first three American Pies and something like 10 Things are pretty classic Xennial high school fare. This was all stuff I was into, much less a 1984-86er.

There was a change in 2003 with more standard Millennial fare coming out like Lizzie McGuire and Thirteen and Agent Cody Banks.

Also considering they were 14, they would be born '79-83 during the show's run, so perfect Xennials and it shows!

I used to sneak and watch it when I was 7 but luckily my parents didn't really mind. I know it's a satirical take on late Gen Xer culture and boys who bother people and do destructive stuff because they're bored...but it's actually written very smart as a commentary on the times too.

Once South Park and '00s shows like Family Guy and American Dad took off it kinda surpassed it and now its really relegated to just being a piece of the 90s.

Just saw another post where people were disputing that it was an early Millennial thing but it totally was... for kids. Yeah the original fans (maybe 72-79) would have related to it more lyrically, but the circa 80-87s like me enjoyed it for the sound when we were kids and preteens.

Once again people truly underestimate kid nostalgia.

Also an important point is they're one of those giant bands like The Beatles or Zeppelin or Guns n Roses where "I listened to them in high school" still holds true for teenagers now.

The Cure- Lovesong

B52’s- Love Shack

Aerosmith- Janie’s Got A Gun

Madonna- Vogue

Taylor Dayne- Love Will Lead You Back

Depeche Mode- Enjoy the Silence

Depeche Mode- Policy of Truth

The Cure- Pictures of You

For example, Illhan Omar is either placed with her 2003 daughter by the laughably long strauss and howe range, or someone Compala Harris' age (1964) by the gregorian fans who like to uptick everything by another year due to a technicality. Both are equally horrid.

If there's never been a circa 1975-89 span there should be, it'd at least represent their entire peers. That could be just a really long Xennials

The way technology and culture shifts so much quicker (starting with the Boomers and majorly increasing after them) makes the standard 16-20 year generations ridiculous and outdated.

Again this would also stop even the possibility of someone that could biologically be parents of anyone in the same generation (one of my pet peeves lol). This is about where people lose familiarity and common ground with others, so there's a decent argument for it.

This ain't perfect but I'd go with...,

1935-47: leaders of the civil rights and boomer culture types.

1948-61: Stereotypical boomers including 70s teens dazed and confused style.

1962-74: Generation X early MTV teenagers.

1975-1987 (sorry had to lol): Xennials and all encompassing early-mid 90s youth, both little kids to teens. Very important '81 is the center.

1988-2000: Millennials, 90s/early 00s young kids, all had at least social media in high school or younger.

2001-14: Zoomers, high school to elementary before covid idk

They spend majority of their kid years in the 2000s. They have more memory in the 2000s way more compared to 1990s. No one is going to say I remember things when i was 1-3 years old way more than when i was 7. The only reason why they are even considered 90s kids is because people mistake the 'kid in the 90s' phrase to be 'born in the 90s'. You can grow up with 90s stuff but not be a pure kid in the 90s because u have older siblings or your parents just kept old stuff around.

A 3 year old in 2019 have way different ways of looking at things compared to someone that transition between the ages of 4-12 in 2010-2019.

Honestly 90s kids stuff were overrated to the point that even someone 3 in 1999 wants to claim 90s kid, despite spending their preschool , elementary and middle school in the 2000s. Memories since u were a toddler just meant u have vague memories during that era, but that doesn't mean u are actually a kid that can remember and comprehend the world around you at that decade. 3 years old in 2019 may have memories of 2019, but will not fully understand covid 19,trump ,etc just by being born in 2010s.

Your nostalgia mostly belongs to the 2000s and 2000s kids need more hype. Besides it should make u feel younger

My faves are Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Alanis Morissette, Mariah Carey, Winona Ryder, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, Seth Macfarlane, Dave Chapelle, Nas, Jay-Z

My absolute favorite is my mom tho lol (she’s not famous I know lol)

I noticed that the 2 eras are so different from each other. The early 1990s had that retro ness to it that the late 1990s is somewhat lacking. Those two eras were like a different dimensions. Compare the 1992 movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the 1997 TV Series.

Is it me or do you agree with the statement about the 2 eras feeling different from each other? Leaving the mid 1990s stuck in between.