Rick Raw: Generation Gap Bridged by Economic Apocalypse –From Boomers to Millennials, Everyone is Hurting

By Rick Grant Commentary rickgrant01@comcast.net

To set the record straight, in my view, age is just a number. I do not ascribe to labeling generations. To me, all age groups face the same challenges–sooner or later. Young people are on the same path as older people, except they’re traveling on a different train moving behind the older generation’s journey through linear time.

When a young person enters the workforce, then everything depends on how much they earn. Eventually, they seek a life partner in marriage, which leads to mortgage payments, and many other expenses. When kids enter the picture, expenses increase exponentially.

My generation is called Baby Boomers because we were born during or just after WWII. (46-64). Actually, I just missed that classification since I’m 69. Nonetheless, I’m an old fart traveling into my twilight years, but feisty and keen to learn and communicate with young people. We have much to offer one another.

The Gen-Xers are in the 30 to 45 age group. And 18 and older are now called Millennials. Yeah, I loathe these arbitrary labels. It’s media hype to show how clever we journalists are at coming up with nifty phrases, like "twentysomething." Adding "something" to the age comes from that old TV series "thirtysomething." Yes, we journalists love to weave pop culture into our commentary.
The divisions between generations were bridged when, in 2008, we were hit with the economic apocalypse that swept over the land like a massive tsunami, wiping out our entire financial infrastructure, includiing millions of jobs which subsequently caused millions of home foreclosures. Suddenly, the middle class was dead. Families were going to food banks and homeless shelters.

Ready or not, (not) I was forced into semi-retirement as were many of my age group. As a journalist, I shifted gears, writing as a freelancer and weekly commentary for my own webzine. Hey, at least I’m still practicing my trade, but having to live on a strict budget, with no savings. However, I press on with a positive attitude. The freedom from editors’ tryanny has been refreshing.

The economic catastrophe forced a seismic shift in the financial status of all age groups. Suddenly, young and old were driven from comfortable middle class lifestyles to borderline poverty. Once a person leaves the workforce because of age, then it’s extremely difficult to find meaningful employment because of our culture’s deeply ingrained ageism, which I have experienced first hand.

The so called Millennials (18 and over) felt the blast of the economic apocalypse first when they were in college and facing a grim job market. Today’s young people are the first truly digital generation. Two-fifths of this age group have tattoos and three-quarters have created profiles on Facebook or some other social networking site.

This is indeed the generation that grew up with computers and broadband Internet access, with the magic of Google to find out any information. They extend social trends that the Gen-Xers started. Non-fiction books no longer need bibliographies. Just list reference found on Google.

In my case, I was into computers in my 40s and have upgraded my hardware and knowledge as new technology came on the market since then. It’s a myth that my generation is computer illiterate. But this is just one misconception that young people harbor about older people.

My point is: Since the economic apocalypse brought the younger and older generation together in the same disaster, we have an opportunity to use this common ground to better communicate and negate the stereotypes and prejudices. Like I said, we have much to offer one another.