Compare and Contrast Between Older Generation and Younger Generation

Introduction: Exploring Generational Changes and Coexistence

Things have been changing rapidly, and the differences can be seen as a new generation arises to replace the old generation. The way many things used to work in the past is not the same way they work right now. Additionally, perspectives towards numerous ideas have also been changing over time as the new generation are trying to create a culture of their own, distinct from that which existed before them. Nonetheless, there the only way the two generations have managed to co-exist is that they share some similarities as well. Without some similarities, the two generations would find challenging eve to live in the same environment. The older generation is the people mainly before born before the 1980s whereas; the younger generation can refer to millennials, generation x, and generation z, basically anyone born after 1980. This paper thus aims to assess the existing differences and similarities between the older generation and younger generation.

Differences in Technological Engagement

The main difference between the older generation and the younger generation is their approach towards technology. Technology has significantly altered the topography of the society that we live in today, both positively and negatively. Because of this, technology has been ingrained in every aspect of lives today. However, the dissimilarity between the two generation is evident in how the younger generation interacts with technology in comparison to the older generation. Everyone considered to belong to the younger generation were born at a time when technology controls almost every aspect of life, and thus, in turn, they also embrace the same attitude towards technology. It is because of that it is easy to come across many young people who believe that they cannot go for a day without technology. Most of the young people today take pride in technology as one of the significant aspects that define their culture, and they apply technology in almost everything such as learning, teaching, working, and socializing. This is quite contrary to the older generation. It is not to say that the older generation rejects technology, after all, they are the generation that first landed on the moon. The difference, however, is seen in how they approach technology. Most of the people in the older generation are not well familiarized with technology and thus prefer approach things from an analog perspective such as completing tasks using their bare hands and not relying on programmed devices. Unlike many young people who prefer to read books online. Most individuals belonging to the older generation prefer physical books. When younger people refer automated cars, the older generations are seen still maintaining their manual cars. This can be owed to the fact that not many of them believe technology can solve everything in life.

The other difference comes in the form of media. The current culture of the younger generation is commonly referred to as pop culture, which is a short form of the popular culture. Pop culture is the modern popular culture that is always transmitted through the mass media commonly aimed at the younger generation. Pop culture entails practices and beliefs that are dominant in the society within a particular period. Most of the people in the younger generation rely on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to gain information and stay up-to-date with the current ideas. In turn, this creates a population of young people who are swayed by one idea after another as they try to keep up with the existing trend. Over-reliance on media is a core concept in the younger generation. Almost every young person today is active in the social media where they follow their favorite celebrities that create a lifestyle that they follow. This dependence on media also denies many young individuals to have a life from their mobile phones or computers because even socializing today happens over the phone. However, this is not the case with the older generation. Though a number of the older people also interact with media and social media platforms on various occasions, they always have a life that is not tailored to trending ideas on social media. This can be owed to the fact that the older generation grew up in a society without mobile phones and computers. Therefore, they embraced experiencing real-life experiences such as making time to meet up and hung out with friends, or even just personalizing one's life according to individual desire instead of trying to keep up with what everyone else is doing. The only reason why the older generation depended on media was for news and entertainment which only happened occasionally. It is thus evident that media does not influence the older generation as it does to the younger generation.

Shared Similarities: Work-Life Balance

Irrespective of the differences, the two generations share similarities as well. The first similarity is their work-life balance. The current habit of balancing life and work is something that is evident in the older generation as well. Every person from every generation desire to spend time with friends and families. Therefore, it means that people from the older generation as well as, the younger generation seek to work for organizations that would give them the opportunity to balance their work and life. The desire for balance is thus consistent across all the generations irrespective of the economic demands. Though the society demands more from the younger generation, they try to be flexible and balance their numerous works with sparing time and spending it with family and friends. The other similarity is in the sense of companionship; both generations have been facing the same issues when it comes to love and marriages. Just as it was in the past where the old generation found it challenging to stay in a relationship for long, it is also common to see the younger generation struggling to find the perfect fit with whom they can spend the rest of their lives. However, the problem seems to persist, and that is why divorce is common among the younger generation just as it is in the older generation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the differences between the older generation and the younger generation are more evident than the similarities. It is these differences that set them apart in the way they approach different ideas that exist today. At the same time, the differences can be owed to the fact that the society is changing and people are evolving to embrace new perspectives of living that is different what the older generation accepted as their norms. Nevertheless, there are shared similarities among the two generations, and these can be the practices and beliefs passed down from one generation to another, hence defining the younger generation.