Talkin' 'bout my Generation

Skimming and scanning

1. According to the text, which two generations are the most misunderstood and mislabelled. Baby Boomers / Millennials

2. Which generation fought in World War II?  The Greatest Generation
3. Which generation is described as a ‘bridge’ between older and younger populations? Generation X
4. Which two generations have had contact with social media their whole lives?  Gen Z / Gen Alpha
5. Which generation group is often used (incorrectly) to refer to anyone in their 20s?  Millennials

Reading in detail

 1. Which country do you think this text was written in? What cultural clues are there? USA. Use of 'folks', references to US government (McCarthy era), American English, eg. cell phones.
2. What is the effect of the use of the word ‘folks’? Folks is a friendly way of addressing people. Recently it's become particularly associated with being down-to-earth. If you're interested in this, read the article 'Why Politicians Can't Stop Talking About Folks' (link in this week's materials).
3. How many multi-word verbs (phrasal verbs) can you find? Bring up, make do with, pass away, speak up against, make fun of, get on with, depend on, rail against, go in for, deal with, throw around, cope with, grow up.
4. What is the effect of using the word ‘expose’ when the author says that Gen Z has been ‘exposed to social media’. Exposure is often used to talk about something difficult or harsh, eg. cold weather. This suggests that social media presents a challenge for Gen Z.
5. Do you agree with the author’s characterization of tensions between generations? Do you think there are any other tensions? Discuss. 

The author refers particularly to tensions between Boomers and Millennials.