Understanding The Generational Divide: How Context Shapes Boomers, Gen Z, And Gen Alpha |
The generational divide is one of the few cultural facts almost everyone accepts as real. Baby Boomers look at younger people and see laziness, entitlement and a worrying absence of grit. Gen Z looks back and sees a generation that grew up under easier conditions and now responds to today’s struggles with lectures rather than help. The arguments are familiar, almost ritualised. They are typically framed as disputes over values or work ethic. But that framing misses the point. This is not a story about character. It is about how differently the world worked when each generation was coming of age.
To understand the tension, it helps to start with context. Boomers came of age during a period of favourable economic conditions. In the decades following World War II, productivity gains translated into rising wages. Housing was affordable relative to income. Jobs were relatively stable, unions had leverage, and careers came with pensions and a sense of progression.
None of this is to suggest that success requires little effort. Boomers worked hard, often under demanding conditions. But they worked within a system that more reliably converted effort into stability. Discipline and persistence were not just moral ideals; they were practical tools. When the system rewards effort with........