Social scientists are really interested in generations. You can think of a generation as meaning “all of the people born and living at about the same time.” Though psychologists do study all of the individual differences that make us special, there is also something important to be gleaned from how a group of people changes over time. The world is constantly changing, so it makes sense that those changes would reflect a whole group of people collectively.
Here are a few you may have heard about:
Baby Boomers (a.k.a. “Boomers”) were born between 1946 and 1964. Today, they are age 57-75 years old. Their total population is about 71.6 million in the U.S.
Generation X (a.k.a. “Gen X”) were born between 1965 and 1980. Today, they are age 41-56 years old. Their total population is about 65.2 million people in the U.S.
Generation Y (a.k.a. “Millennials”) were born between 1981 and 1996. They are currently between 25 and 40 years old. Their total population is about 72.1 million in the U.S.
Generation Z (a.k.a. “Zoomers”) were born between 1997 and 2012. They are currently between 9 and 24 years old. Their total population is about 68 million in the U.S.
Generation Alpha (a.k.a. “Gen A” were born after 2012, and this generation is expected to continue at least through 2025. As of the writing of this article, they account for approximately 48 million people in the U.S.
So, why does it matter?
The size of a generation gives some indication as to its political power. More people means more voters, and voters may be more likely to vote for people and policies that reflect their generational values. As you can see, the Boomer generation was significantly larger than the Gen X population. This is one of the reasons why Gen X-ers are referred to as the “lost generation.” With more Boomers in power, there was less room for the Gen X generation at the table. And, they were followed by a large population of Millennials, who were vying for a place in the workforce and the government.
If we think about the ideal government, it may be one that is representative of the country’s population- and, therefore, a mix of all generations in the mix. And yet, when you look at the statistics:
The average age in the House of Representatives is 58.
In the Senate, the average age is 63.
Among school board members, the average is 59.
Although 20% of the U.S. voting-age population is <35 years of age, fewer than 6% of state legislators are under 35.
More seats at the table means more influence and more power. Get out there and vote! Or, run for something.
