What happened to the good old days? The difference in how generations perceive the world

 

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What happened to the good old days? The difference in how generations perceive the world

by Leon

Nowadays, people tend to reach higher ages and therefore we live in a world that is shared by many generations from ‘Pre-War’, born before 1945, up to ‘Gen Z’, born after 1996. Naturally, this gap between ages leads to differences in how we perceive the world and furthermore can contribute to the creation of popular misconceptions. But rather than fall into lazy stereotyping, we should examine these areas further, to see if we can either bust the myths or, if true, help people overcome these obstacles, which ultimately will be to the benefit of all of us.

First of all, there is a widespread perception, especially amongst the young, that older people don’t have the capacities to use digital technology. On this matter, you will often hear stories of how someone had to help their grandparents to install some kind of digital device or show them how the internet works. Frankly, I share the same experience with not only my grand-parents but even my parents, who would be considered Baby-Boomers. Although of course not universal, I would have to agree that there is more than a grain of truth in this observation.

Another area of possible self-deception might be the perception of the so-called ‘good old days’ and the received wisdom that there has been constant decline up to the present. Although, older people might perceive younger generations as always in a rush, losing the sense for the important things in life like family, there has undoubtedly been many changes for the good. It must be acknowledged by all that there has been great social progress, such as in the rights of women, people of colour, and support for the LGBTQIA+ community.

On balance, there are many myths and misconceptions between different generations. But for reasons of social cohesion, we should all make an effort in trying to deconstruct these obstacles, through an intergenerational approach and at least try to comprehend other peoples’ way of thinking based on their generation’s social background.