Every generation leaves fingerprints on how we see the world.
Cultural Shorthand
We often underestimate just how much the era we’re born into shapes how we see the world. Culture, language, technology, and even unspoken rules of belonging leave marks that stay with us. Each generation carries its own shorthand, values, and blind spots — and often, those differences only show when they rub up against someone else’s.
Think of a simple phrase like “back in my day”. For one person, it sparks nostalgia. For another, it lands like a dismissal. The same words, filtered through different experiences, can carry very different meanings. This is phenomenology in practice: our world is shaped by what we’ve lived, and no two people experience the same moment in exactly the same way.
At a glance
- Each generation carries its own shorthand, values, and blind spots.
- What feels like wisdom to one may feel like pressure or nonsense to another.
- Therapy can help unpack which generational “rules” we want to keep, and which we can let go.
- You’re shaped by your era, but you’re not defined by it.
Generations in Contrast
Same words, different worlds. What one generation says as wisdom, another might hear as pressure, irony, or even nonsense. That’s why perspective matters — and why therapy often helps us sort out which voices we want to carry, and which ones we can leave behind.
Silent Generation (1928–1945)
War, rationing, rebuilding.
“Keep calm and carry on.” For them, it’s survival and duty.
Baby Boomers (1946–1964)
Prosperity, social change, Cold War shadows.
“Work hard, play hard.” Linked to prosperity and tradition.
Generation X (1965–1980)
Independence, analogue childhoods, digital adulthood.
“Whatever.” Not apathy, but independence and scepticism.
Millennials (1981–1996)
The rise of the internet, financial instability, blurred borders.
“You only live once (YOLO).” Both freedom and burnout.
Generation Z (1997–2012)
Digital natives, climate anxiety, global connectivity.
“It’s giving…” Shorthand for vibe, irony, and social commentary.
Generation Alpha (2013– )
Growing up with AI, screens, and shifting norms.
“Hey Siri…” Their first instinct isn’t a parent, it’s a device.
Some sit between generations — for example, those born between 1977 and 1983 are often called Xennials. They grew up in an analogue world but stepped into a digital adulthood, carrying both eras within them. That in-between perspective can help us see how every generation carries its own strengths, struggles, and blind spots.
Sometimes it’s not that your parents don’t understand you — it’s that they grew up in a different world, with different rules. Generational lenses shape how we hear, react, and respond.
There’s so many different facets/lenses we look for, and very few have the same ones, and thus we have to include a bit of tolerance.
Beyond Stereotypes
It’s easy to reduce people to stereotypes: “Boomers don’t get it,” “Gen Z are too sensitive.” These shortcuts oversimplify. Our brains naturally group, but those assumptions can create distance. When we pause to explore the context behind the label, we move from stereotype to understanding.
What Therapy Offers
Therapy can be one of the few places where these intergenerational dynamics are unpacked. Maybe you grew up with expectations that don’t fit who you are now. Maybe your family sees the world one way, and you’ve learned to see it differently. Exploring the “generation game” in therapy isn’t about blaming the past — it’s about noticing how it shaped you, and deciding which pieces you want to carry forward.
You’re more than your generation
Your generation may give you a starting script, but it doesn’t have to dictate your story. The language, values, and assumptions you inherited are just one layer of identity. What matters is how you choose to interpret them, challenge them, and weave them into the person you are becoming.
