Comparing Gen X And The Vietnam War

Just as every person differs from one another, undoubtedly each generation also differs from the next. Every generation has its unique attitudes, and lifestyle choices. Whereas earlier generations experienced various historical events, e.g. the baby boomers and the Vietnam War, that considerably impacted their viewpoints, so is the case for each generation. Whereas generation X is often associated with being the latch-key kids, having considerable access to education, and witnessing various historical events such as the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Millennials are often labelled as the me-generation, having equal access to education regardless of socio-economic barriers, experiencing historical events such as 9/11, the war in
terror and the age of the internet. To begin with, these two generations have different labels based on major characters, namely Gen X being latch-key kids and Gen Y being the Me-Generation.
Furthermore, although both generations have had access to education, they still differ in regards to equal opportunities. Whereas Gen X had more limited access, attempted at inclusion and had lack of diversity, the Gen Y is the exact opposite. They have open access to education and the internet, much more diversity and socio-economic barriers are almost gone, which as a result leads to a much smarter, more knowledgeable and caring community due to the more information available that pushes people to care more. There are no precise dates when these generations started and ended, but it is estimated that Generation Xers birth years start in the 1960s and end in 1980s, while on the other hand, Gen Yers start in the 1980s ending in the early
2000s.
Some studies find the millennial generation focusing more in the materialistic side of things, like money, image or fame. On the other hand, new researches and surveys have proven this generation to be concerning less about material prosperity, and more in finding meaning in what they do, the careers they choose. There’s great contrast between these two statements, but we can’t disagree with any of the two. Every generation has its ‘self-oriented’ people who care more about the materialistic style of life rather than caring about the more important principles like community, self-acceptance or affiliation and the altruistic people who focus more in the meaning of what they do, what they can give back to community through work or other possible ways. It’s only a matter of which generation values which principles more.
Gen X, at first, was considered as a lazy and unmotivated generation. But this went down as a misunderstanding, as based on later studies, like the study inquired by Judi E. Loomis. Loomis in her researches stated that “In reality, Gen Xers are extremely motivated to succeed because it drives their lifestyles. Consider what some believe to be the motto reflecting on both generations; Baby Boomers live to work, Gen Xers work to live.” In other words, Gen X learned from the previous generation’s blunders, and developed into a more modern generation, who didn’t focus solely on their careers, but also in other spheres of life. Major factors that created the difference in the personalities of each generation were the historical events.
Both X and Y generations experienced traumas that affected them and the growth of their fears. Such historical events were the Cold War and the collapse of the Berlin Wall in the Gen X, while our generation went through the war in terror and the 9/11. It stopped them from expressing themselves and reaching their goals in some ways. Basically, it kept them from reaching their full potential. E.g. the youth in Kosovo went through a really hard time during the war with Serbia 15 years ago. Its consequences are seen today in the effect it had on the population. People witnessed some terrible things and lost the ones closest to them. These are traits that leave permanent scars in people, both psychological and
physical. In conclusion, labeling generations isn't quite an easy task. As each person differs from the other, a whole generation has even a greater gap in difference. Many factors affect these changes, like the culture, educational opportunities, historical events etc. These things carve a person’s character and who he is going to be. Hopefully, we will start transforming more and more into a 'we generation' and value the life we're given in this planet. We should try to get the best out of everything. There is no such thing as a best generation, as each generation shapes the characteristics of the next one, so each generation is responsible for the next.