Corolinth wrote:
Generation X was named because the event that would actually define them as a group had not yet happened at the time when people were trying to decide what timespan would encompass them. Frankly, there will never be an actual name because their parents and grandparents saw that the Gen X label would stick long before they were ever going to make the contribution to society that they might be best known for.
Look at where Y stops. The best definition we currently have for Generation Y is, "People who have graduated from high school, but are not Gen X." That's it. That's what we've got. That's why it's so small. Generation Y currently stops in 1993 (not explicitly stated, but you can bet that's the dividing line). Next year, it will go all the way to 1994. That's why they don't give a year, just "mid 90s," but if you notice, Generation Z starts in "early 90s" - so there's a two or three year overlap between Y and Z where someone is in both?
This illustrates the silliness, or rather the pointlessness. People started wanting to name the lost, greatest, and silent generation and baby boomers, but they just had to name all the generations at once.. for what reason? What purpose does it serve to draw arbitrary lines between children being born and slap labels on them?
You should go read some of the sociology and psychology works written up on generational differences. (the fourth turning, generations). The purpose is to define people who have similar experiences as a result of when they grew up which directs them to act, respond and behave in certain ways. You can then market to them based on their shared experiences and values and better predict how they will respond to circumstances, how they will vote, what they care about, etc. It is the same as saying American or Christian or any other artificial man-made label you could dream up.
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