Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America's Future

by Jean M. Twenge

It’s a clear manifestation of the slow-life strategy that has rolled out over the course of the last five American generations: When technology extends the life span and requires more education to attain economic independence, parents have fewer children and those children grow up more slowly. Because the slow-life strategy is an adaptation to a particular place and time, these trends are not all bad or all good. They are not an indicator of teens being more responsible or less responsible, or more mature or less mature, but simply of teens taking their time to grow up. Many parents are thrilled that teens are now less likely to drink alcohol or have sex, but have also started to worry that teens are not learning how to be independent. Gen Z’ers themselves know they are missing out on some fun, but are also baffled that previous generations did so many adult things while so young. When I told one Gen Z’er that Gen X’ers in the 1990s drank alcohol by the 8th grade, she said, “Old people sometimes scare me.”