Talkin' 'bout my Generation

Look at the following skimming and scanning questions. Read the article and skim and scan for information. 

1. According to the text, which two generations are the most misunderstood and mislabelled. 
2. Which generation fought in World War II? 
3. Which generation is described as a ‘bridge’ between older and younger populations? 
4. Which two generations have had contact with social media their whole lives? 
5. Which generation group is often used (incorrectly) to refer to anyone in their 20s? 

Generation Names

The Greatest Generation – born 1901-1927
These folks were indelibly impacted by the Great Depression (1929-1939) and brought their children up frugally and taught them to make do with what they had. A large proportion of this group also fought in World War II. Many folks from this generation have already passed away, but if they’re still with us, they are between the ages of 98 and 122.

The Silent Generation – born 1928-1945
The small size of this group comes down to the Great Depression and World War II. They earned their name from the small size of the population and a hesitancy to speak up against social issues during the McCarthy era of government.

The Baby Boomer Generation – born 1946-1964
Baby boomers, along with Millennials, are one of the most misunderstood and mislabeled groups. The phrase “Ok boomer!” is used by younger people to make fun of attitudes associated with this generation. In popular culture, this generation is often depicted as not getting on with younger generations.

Generation X – born 1965-1980
Gen X’ers are a bridge between older and younger generations. They might not depend on technology as much as younger generations, but were present for the inception of the internet, video games, artificial intelligence and contributed to many of these advances.

Millennials – born 1981-1996
Older folks tend to use the word “Millennial” to rail against younger folks who don’t go in for traditional values. It’s often said that Millennials haven’t had to deal with any real hardships. It’s quite common to hear the term thrown around to refer to people in their 20s, even though Millennials are between the ages of 28 and 42.

Generation Z – born 1996-2012
This group has been exposed to social media and were the first population to cope with cyber-bullying and other internet-related issues. It was also during this period that school-related violence and awareness of the climate crisis became increasingly prevalent.
This large group of people are between the ages of 10 and 27.

Gen Alpha – born 2013 – 2025
Gen Alpha are the first generation to be born to parents who grew up with the internet, cell phones, tablets and social media. They are also the most diverse and the most technologically adept generation. The oldest people in this group would be 10 years old this year.

Now read in detail and answer the following questions. 

1. Which country do you think this text was written in? What cultural clues are there? 
2. What is the effect of the use of the word ‘folks’? 
3. How many multi-word verbs (phrasal verbs) can you find? 
4. What is the effect of using the word ‘expose’ when the author says that Gen Z has been ‘exposed to social media’. 
5. Do you agree with the author’s characterization of tensions between generations? Do you think there are any other tensions? Discuss.