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

The country has shifted from a collectivist society, where freedoms and customs were rigid and roles were constrained, to one where individualism and the freedom to be who you want to be are paramount. Social norms have changed from the fast-life ideals of teen independence and early-20s marriage to the slow-life standard of a longer childhood and postponed adult responsibilities. The generations have gone from a cohort with resilient mental health even when they were the age group most at risk during the pandemic (Silents) to young people in the midst of a full-blown mental health crisis as they grapple with growing up in the smartphone era (Gen Z). Now that we know the generations—how they marry, work, feel, think, live, and vote—we’ll explore how these dynamics will play out in the future and how the economic, political, and social differences between them will reverberate as the generations turn over in the years to come.