There doesn’t seem to be universal consensus on what exact years define each generation, as explained in this Wikipedia article, so for sake of argument, I’ll use 1980 as the cut off for Generation X and Millennials. Since I was born in 1980, that means I’m the youngest of one generation and the oldest of the next.
That describes me in a way, as I have friends that span about a 12-year age radius, and I do identify with both generations, each to a certain extent. From Generation X, I was a latchkey kid but didn’t believe authority figures shouldn’t be trusted. From Millennials, I am optimistic about the future, but I don’t believe everyone should get a trophy.
In both my personal and professional lives, I’m doing my best to fit into each group as well as bridge the gap between the two. Whereas someone who is 25 and someone who is 50 may not “get” each other, I feel I have enough common ground with both.
Let’s look at phone usage. I know many Gen Xers that would prefer a phone call instead of a text message, and I’m happy to oblige. At the same time, to reach a Millennial, I usually will only send texts. How often do the two generations have trouble communicating with each other because both sides are unwilling to change?
From a marketing perspective, seeing through the eyes of your target audience, and not what you think they see, is important. This is the essence of Schramm’s Communications Model, which explains that senders and receivers of messages each operate in their own respective frames of reference.
And of course, this applies to Baby Boomers and Gen Zers, too.
Now that I’ve gotten this off my chest, I think I’ll go watch reruns of “Seinfeld” on my tablet.