.
Breaking down stereotypes, trends and the biggest moments of each living generation
Katie Pylipow # State
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — We've all heard the many stereotypes about different generations.
The Greatest/Silent Generations are the hardest working generation. Baby Boomers put their careers before anything else. Generation X is cynical because they were forgotten by their parents. Millennials have unrealistic expectations and are obsessed with avocado toast. Generation Z is lazy because they grew up with technology that does their work for them.
But where did these stereotypes come from? Are any of them true?
We looked at research and spoke to people in every living generation and a sociologist to break down the stereotypes, trends and biggest moments that now define each generation.
Please keep in mind, there are many ways to define these generations. Social scientists say there is no one stereotype that can define everyone in a single generation.
"If we see someone who's, say, younger than us behave in a particular way, like they show up late or something, we might say 'that's the Millennials; the entire group who behaves that way,'"said Dr. Tricia Bruce, Sociologist with the University of Notre Dame.
"You use one behavior from one individual to rate an assessment about an entire group of people."
The Greatest/Silent Generations
- Years born: 1928 - 1945
- Ages in 2019: 74 - 91 years old
- Famous people born in these generations: Martin Luther King Jr., Mick Jagger, Morgan Freeman and Jane Fonda
- Average gas price when these generations were born: about 16 cents per gallon
- Biggest moments people in these generations witnessed when they were young: The Great Depression, World War II, Mao Communists take over China and the Korean War
- Musicians popular with these generations: Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and the Andrews Sisters
- Biggest stereotypes: Being overly proud Americans, taking responsibility for their family's well-being and believing in the need for authority
Baby Boomers
- Years born: 1946 - 1964
- Ages in 2019: 55 - 73 years old
- Famous people born in these generations: President Donald Trump, Dolly Parton, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Johnny Depp
- Average gas price when these generations were born: about 25 cents per gallon
- Biggest moments people in these generations witnessed when they were young: The Korean war, first man goes into space, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, President John F. Kennedy's assassination and the Vietnam War
- Musicians popular with these generations: Patsy Cline, The Beatles and Johnny Cash
- Biggest stereotypes: Highly competitive in the workplace, parents of a classic American family and think they're in touch with technology, but they're not
Generation X
- Years born: 1965 - 1980
- Ages in 2019: 39 - 54 years old
- Famous people born in these generations: Jennifer Lopez, Elon Musk, Tyra Banks and Jay-Z
- Average gas price when these generations were born: about 43 cents per gallon
- Biggest moments people in these generations witnessed when they were young: President Nixon's resignation, the Challenger explosion, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Vietnam War and the fall of the Berlin Wall
- Musicians popular with these generations: Elton John, Michael Jackson, Madonna and David Bowie
- Biggest stereotypes: Overly-independent, divorced and being a negative cynic
Millennials
- Years born: 1981 - 1996
- Ages in 2019: 23 - 38 years old
- Famous people born in these generations: Mark Zuckerberg, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus and Prince Harry.
- Average gas price when these generations were born: about $1.10 per gallon
- Biggest moments people in these generations witnessed when they were young: The attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the Columbine school shooting, the Great Recession and the election of President Barack Obama
- Musicians popular with these generations: Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey, the Spice Girls and N'SYNC
- Biggest stereotypes: Obsessed with avocado toast, love man buns, entitled, set unrealistic expectations and being tech savvy
Generation Z
- Years born: 1997 - now
- Ages in 2019: 1 day - 22 years old
- Famous people born in these generations: Kylie Jenner, Mason Ramsey and Millie Bobbie Brown
- Average gas price when these generations were born: about $2.63 per gallon
- Biggest moments people in these generations witnessed when they were young: The inventions of Facebook and Twitter, the No Child Left Behind Act, the Boston Marathon bombings and the Parkland school shooting
- Musicians popular with these generations: Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande
- Biggest stereotypes: Constantly on social media, obsessed with popularity and the "Tide Pod Challenge"