Identity crisis
Debates on the differences between the generations have arguably never been louder, with the loosely defined age groups creeping into discussions at workplaces, dinner tables and media coverage (our own newsletter included) for years. Gen Z’s entry into the workforce, for example, has inspired an almost innumerable catalog of longreads on everything from their use of language to their side hustles.
By their nature, those conversations often draw sharp lines between the groups… lines which, in reality, are often way more blurry. Indeed, according to new YouGov polling, just 39% of Gen Zers and 43% of millennials actually consider themselves as part of their much-discussed cohorts — and it’s not just the younger groups... 65% of the Silent Generation (those born before 1946) were either unsure which generation they belong to or identify with a different age group entirely.
Generation gaps
Interestingly, Pew Research Center — the source that many use for the “official definitions” of the generations — announced in 2023 that it would be changing the way it reports generational research moving forward, describing the field as a “crowded arena” which has been overrun with research that’s “more like clickbait or marketing mythology”.
In total, just 58% of the 13,038 Americans that YouGov surveyed actually identified with the generation that their age officially corresponds to, suggesting that generational gulfs might not always be as gaping as many would have us believe.
