Inside the contested birth years of generations

Battles over where Gen Z ends and Gens Alpha and Beta begin remain ongoing

an abuela and her grandson sitting in bed, watching something on a laptop propped in front of them
The names for generations are an imprecise attempt to understand societal change
(Image credit: Svetlana Mishchenko / Getty Images)

Thinking in terms of "generations" is a kind of shortcut to help us understand social and economic differences in age cohorts over time. Sometimes, though, it contributes to sloppy analysis or cliche-driven over-generalization. Generational names and birth years are therefore contested social constructs that are nevertheless widely influential in public discourse. Where did these ideas come from, and what is the difference between a Baby Boomer, a Millennial and a member of Gen Alpha?

What is a generation, anyway?

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David Faris

David Faris is an associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and the author of It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics. He is a frequent contributor to Informed Comment, and his work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and Indy Week.