For the past fifty years, western society has been studying each decade as a generation of people. It is from these studies, that demographers were able to understand how each generation has an enormous impact on how a society functions, or will function in the future. One of the basic discoveries, found in reference to the Baby Boomer generation (1946-1966) is their social impact on justice, freedoms, and equal rights for everyone. Not long after the baby boomers, the baby bust generation arose which experienced smaller sized population due to the impact from the baby boomers. By the time technology started becoming more advanced, the echo baby boom (1980-1995) generation were born, being able to understand and develop these technologies, along with carrying on a tolerance to diversities. As for the future generations, like the Z generation (1995-present), only theories can rest assure the destiny of the western civilization. By studying the fifty years prior from today, western society has been able to understand each decade as a generation of people.

The essence of the baby boomer generation is a free spirited population, who believed in freedoms, and equal rights for everybody, with a slight edge of vanity. The baby boomers are considered to be the generation, that completely transformed the societal construct of North America, which can be observed today. This was because of their large sized population, that eventually became the face of North America. A generation of people, who witnessed what racism, hate crime, and war have done to people, therefore, they acknowledged the importance for equality and freedom. It was this generation that fought for equal rights for racial minorities, and women. “Optimism of the young people in the 60's who fought for Latinos, blacks, Native Americans and women to be equal in society. The baby boomers changed politics, the meaning of beauty, and music, allowing the following generations to be apart of a diverse society that embraced all forms of culture” (Essay about four major generations, 2008, Essay Forum, para 1). It was because of this generation that society carries freedom and equality as a right and not just as a notion nor a distant hope. However, as strong as the baby boomers may seem to be, it appears as if they are lost like the narcissus water lilly - obsessed with their reflections of beauty and longevity. Recent studies have proven how the baby boomer generation increasingly demands for cosmetic surgery, a statistical figure showing a $12.4 billion dollar franchise in cosmetic surgery by baby boomers alone in 2007 (Essay about four major generations, 2008, Essay Forum, para 4). With what has been examined, it has been understood that the baby boom generation is consumed by freedom, equal rights, and vanity which influenced the future generations ahead.

By 1967 leading into 1979, the baby bust generation spawned from the roots of North America .The generation of North America who were inspired by the prerogatives and movements made by the baby boomers, it was the baby bust generation who continued these changes in western society.This was the generation sought to not be so cumbersome in comparison to the population increase and change in social demographics brought by the prior baby boomers. These people were expected to graduate out of high school with a grade 13 diploma, which changed for the Echo Baby Boom generation. Post-secondary opportunities were available in this time of history, however, a majority of the educated baby bust population were not able to attain careers in their field of study. Ultimately, the baby bust generation had to settle with careers in trade, or jobs that did not require a lot of skill. The small population of the baby busters was in part by how women were beginning to acquire jobs in the work force, and how people were marrying at a later age, thus not being so eager to have children. The baby bust generation occurred in North America in between the baby boomer period and the echo boom generation.

Generation Y, also know as the echo baby boom, have been able to access an abundance of wealth, and technology. Also known as the “Net Generation”, this was the generation who was raised with the technological advances, which has contributed to a change in a way of life for North Americans. Unfortunately, this generation is being forced to face the ordeal of higher costs for post-secondary education, whereas some youth have “helicopter parents” who will pay their way into post-secondary. Consumer demographics of this population show their annual income and spending habits, “they earn a total annual income of about $211 billion, spend approximately $172 billion per year and strongly influence many adult consumer buying choices. They also face a greater degree of direct corporate marketing than any other generation in history” (Trends Among Members, 2008, Wikipedia, para. 4). Not only has the echo baby boom experienced a reasonable prosperity growth, but they also experience the advertising attempts to enhance consumer rates. Nearly every person from the echo baby boom own computers, cellphones, iPods, or a Facebook account, and they also have downloaded and uploaded music from the internet, or purchased something from the internet. Essentially, this generation of Westerners have become “tech-savvy” , and developed a higher sense of tolerance for races and gay people. Essentially, the descendants of Generation Y have been raised with wealth and advanced technology.

The plateau for the Z generation, or millennium kids, can be determined, however, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding this future generation. This generation of children are still very young and at an influential age. Some demographics suggest that they will become more “tech-savvy” then the previous Y generation. Others suggest that there will be more job openings for this generation, since a majority of the baby boomers will have passed away, or will be in their retirement years. The millennium kids are also considered to have a stronger impact on consumer society, and are highly adaptive to modern technologies. “It is claimed that members of Generation Z are very active consumers, with a high degree of influence over their parents' purchasing decisions. They are highly connected, having had lifelong use of communications and media technologies such as DVDs, the World Wide Web, instant messaging, text messaging, iPods and cellular phones, earning them the nickname digital natives" (Defining Traits, 2008, Wikipedia, para 1.). For now demographers can understand some of the impact that the Z generation will have in economic terms. It is not quite determined what the entire impact the millennium kids will have on society, since they are so young in this time of history.

There has been a series of generations in western culture, that have been spawning up from one another, each making their own impact on society. The major idea in understanding these generations is by studying each of their impacts on western societies. Ultimately, the baby boom generation started what is now known today, and its from this generation that a plateau for freedoms and civil rights began. The baby busters eventually arose and continued on with the views demonstrated, and established by the baby boomers. Then generation Y arose, in a time of history when civil rights were widely used, and a technological explosion occurred changing the structure of society on several levels. This would be the generation of today, that is now bringing in the Z generation, whom we are just beginning to understand their impact on society. It is these arising generations that have made enormous impacts on society.

References

Essay Forum. (2008). Essay about four major generations. Retrieved November 5, 2008, from [link]


Generation Y. (2008). Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Retrieved November 5, 2008, from [link]