Woodstock’s 40th Anniversary
For the generation born from 1945-1964, the Vietnam War was the tumultuous event which divided this group more than any other. And while many were appalled before, and especially after the results of Woodstock, the three-day music festival was the one event during this era which best captured the zeitgeist of this time- rebellion- and whether boomers agreed with the war or not, many could relate to that on some level. However, the aftermath of the festival still revealed a stark divide amongst this age cohort.
Naturally I ponder similar questions for my generation born from 1979-1990; what is our definitive era, what is the big day that had a profound impact, and did it divide us or unite us?
For First Globals™, our era is no doubt defined by the telecommunications revolution that started in the 1980s and advanced into the 1990s so that a near majority of homes had cell phones, internet, or both.
But unlike the Vietnam War for our parents generation, the T.C. revolution brought us closer to each other both within our regions and to some degree around our country (think chat rooms for special interests, instant messaging- thus the greater possibility to network outside of our high schools and cities). And it was this era of networking and keeping in touch which many of us spent much of our teenage years engaging in, that prepared us for the day that shook us just like our parents had been shaken by various shocking events of the 1960s and early 1970s- that day for us was 9/11.
In fact 9/11 was an existential moment for many of us. Some of us started attending church services and looking inward, while many did the exact opposite and found meaning by looking outward- hence the explosion in college students majoring in International Studies, East Asian Studies, Middle Eastern studies, and traveling abroad.
In short, 9/11 was the event in our short-lived history that ultimately defined us as a Global Generation because it allowed us to apply our networking and ultra-inclusive communicative skills learned through texting, instant messaging, and chat rooms, and apply them on an internationally practical level. This is why we see countless members of the First Global™ generation who have made friends abroad and maintained through various social networking sites.
Furthermore, 9/11 was the event that ultimately put the final nail in our parochial coffin and helped usher many of us to be more active in something more powerful than we had previously ever known- the global exchange of ideas.
While many Baby Boomers get much slack for continuing their indulgent behavior into their mature adult years; what are the behavioral tendencies of the Global Generation and are they likely to tarnish their image down the line, or have they already?
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What an odd post.
Do you have any data to support your sweeping generalizations?
Doesn’t anyone edit these posts before they go up?
As an old hippie, I would like to say,that while we have indeed continued our practices of “indulgent behavior”,every generation since has participated in those same pleasurable behaviors. Some have even surpassed our level of indulgencies. Hard to believe but true. Have a nice day!!!
“In fact 9/11 was an existential moment for many of us” Speak for thyself.
In 1979, when I was in the USN we knew the best bomb around was a fuel filled airplane. We also knew it was the best around because of lax security.
My first thought on 9/11 was “what took them so long to use it?” And then I went on with my unexistential life as it was because what was waiting to happen simply did. You sit in the barber’s chair long enough you get a haircut. From the 70s to the 2000s was long enough to figure out security. If you wait long enough without changing something dangerous, someone is going to do it eventually.