April 9, 2024
Dear Friends and Family,
This segment will analyze the Boomer Generation of the Millennial Cycle (1943 – 1964). Being the 1st generation of the cycle, it is considered an Idealist Type. The following is the definition of the idealist plus snippets of the four previous idealist generations. Of interest assess whether the Boomer generation is similar to the definition and the four snippets.
Definition: A dominant, inner fixated IDEALISTIC GENERATION grows up as an increasingly indulged youth after a secular crisis; comes of age inspiring a spiritual awakening; fragments into narcissistic rising adults; cultivates principle as moralistic mid-lifers and emerges as visionary elders guiding the next secular crisis.
Snippets: Puritan: The Puritan Generation wrenched the West out of Renaissance complacency, founded a religious utopia in the New World. Spiritual self-absorption was both the strength and the weakness of the generation. It gave the Puritans the confidence to plant the first successful colonies in the American wilderness.
Awakening: The Battle of Bunker Hill tested a vision that had first inspired them decades ago as coming-of-age youngsters. Back then, an upswelling of godly euphoria had incited them to rage against their fathers. Much later, by the time of the Revolution, that ideal had matured into stern principles of civic virtue which leading Awakeners preached entirely to their juniors. It was time for the old to think and the young to act.
Transcendental: The Transcendental filled the ranks of America’s abolitionists, southern expansionists, feminists, labor agitators, utopians, and reformers. From 1810s to 1830s, rising Transcendentals fueled the most rapid expansion of evangelical religion in American history. The Transcendentals left behind an enduring projection of their peer personality. They emancipated the slaves, wrote inspiring verse, and preserved the Union their fathers had created.
Missionary: Their tumultuous awakening defined the Missionaries for life as a generation of moral pathfinders, men and women to whom any opinion was a religion once they decided it was right. Today’s elders recall Missionaries as history saw them last, as the visionary leaders who guided America through the Great Depression and World War II. The early Missionary childhood witnessed an unprecedented growth in America primary schooling. Without question, Americans today have the Missionaries to thank for lifting America to its present-day status as a great global power.
Happy Learning,
Harley
Dear Friends and Family,
This segment will analyze the Boomer Generation of the Millennial Cycle (1943 – 1964). Being the 1st generation of the cycle, it is considered an Idealist Type. The following is the definition of the idealist plus snippets of the four previous idealist generations. Of interest assess whether the Boomer generation is similar to the definition and the four snippets.
Definition: A dominant, inner fixated IDEALISTIC GENERATION grows up as an increasingly indulged youth after a secular crisis; comes of age inspiring a spiritual awakening; fragments into narcissistic rising adults; cultivates principle as moralistic mid-lifers and emerges as visionary elders guiding the next secular crisis.
Snippets: Puritan: The Puritan Generation wrenched the West out of Renaissance complacency, founded a religious utopia in the New World. Spiritual self-absorption was both the strength and the weakness of the generation. It gave the Puritans the confidence to plant the first successful colonies in the American wilderness.
Awakening: The Battle of Bunker Hill tested a vision that had first inspired them decades ago as coming-of-age youngsters. Back then, an upswelling of godly euphoria had incited them to rage against their fathers. Much later, by the time of the Revolution, that ideal had matured into stern principles of civic virtue which leading Awakeners preached entirely to their juniors. It was time for the old to think and the young to act.
Transcendental: The Transcendental filled the ranks of America’s abolitionists, southern expansionists, feminists, labor agitators, utopians, and reformers. From 1810s to 1830s, rising Transcendentals fueled the most rapid expansion of evangelical religion in American history. The Transcendentals left behind an enduring projection of their peer personality. They emancipated the slaves, wrote inspiring verse, and preserved the Union their fathers had created.
Missionary: Their tumultuous awakening defined the Missionaries for life as a generation of moral pathfinders, men and women to whom any opinion was a religion once they decided it was right. Today’s elders recall Missionaries as history saw them last, as the visionary leaders who guided America through the Great Depression and World War II. The early Missionary childhood witnessed an unprecedented growth in America primary schooling. Without question, Americans today have the Missionaries to thank for lifting America to its present-day status as a great global power.
Happy Learning,
Harley
THE STUDY OF AMERICAN GENERATIONS – SEGMENT 6
THE MILLENNIAL CYCLE – BOOMER GENERATION – EXCERPTS
MILLENNIAL CYCLE INTRODUCTION:
Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials are just now beginning to build a generational drama that will continue to unwind for decades to come. To date, this has been a cycle of relative peace and affluence, mixed with growing individualism, cultural fragmentation, moral zealotry, and a sense of political drift and institutional failure. That is to be expected. A sense that the public world is spinning slowly “out of control” is normal but has yet to encounter a secular crisis. It thus contains just one social moment to date.
The Boom Awakening (1967 – 1980), best known as the modern “Consciousness Revolution,” is what William McLoughlin calls America’s “Fourth Awakening.” It began in earnest in 1967 with the “Vietnam Summer,” inner-city riots, the San Francisco “Summer of Love,” and counterculture euphoria. In peaked in 1970, with the Kent State and Jackson State violence, the first “Earth Day,” and the “Days of Rage” on university campuses. Throughout the 1970s, it spread under the rubric of the human potential movement the “Aquarian Conspiracy,” a “New Age” transformation of manners, families, lifestyles, and values, and the rise of “Jesus people” and resurgent evangelism.
BOOMER GENERATION
Born 1943 – 1964; Type: Idealist; Population: 79,000,000 Percent Immigrant 10%. Breakdown: 76.1% White, 9.3% Black, 8.5% Hispanic, 5.0% Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander, 1.1% Native American. U.S Presidents:
Source: Generations: The History of America’s Future by William Strauss & Neil Howe
The Baby Boomers were a generation that was “changing the rules” in American society. Their impact on the economy, politics, and culture suggested that their sheer numbers were a driving force behind their influence. They were a diverse group, with a wide range of values, beliefs, and attitudes, but they shared a common sense of idealism and a desire to make a difference in the world. They represent a significant demographic shift in American society, with approximately 76 million people born during this period. The term “baby boom” was coined due to the significant increase in birth rates during this time, which was largely attributed to the return of soldiers from war and a strong post-war economic boom.
Historical Context: The Baby Boomer generation was raised during a time of economic prosperity and social change. After World War II, America experienced an unprecedented economic boom that lasted well into the 1960s. This period of prosperity helped create a strong middle class and provided opportunities for many Baby Boomers to pursue higher education and professional careers. The 1960s and 1970s were a time of significant social and cultural change marked by the civil rights movement, the women’s right movement, and the counterculture movement. Baby Boomers were at the forefront of many of these movements, advocating for social justice, equality, and individual freedom.
Characteristics: The Baby Boomers are often characterized as idealistic, ambitious, and individualistic. They were raised during a time of prosperity and opportunity, which instilled in them a belief that anything was possible. They value personal growth and self-expression, and often prioritize their own needs over the needs of the group. They are known for their strong work ethic and dedication to their careers. Many pursued high-paying jobs in fields such as finance, law, and medicine, and were willing to work long hours to achieve success. They also valued job security and often stayed with a single company for long periods of time.
Family: The Baby Boomers generation witnessed significant changes in family structure and dynamics. The divorce rate increased during this period, and many Baby Boomers grew up in single-parent households. However, they also placed a high value on family and were committed to providing their own children with a stable, nurturing environment.
Politics: The Baby Boomers were deeply involved in politics, both as activists and as voters. They were at the forefront of many social and political movements, advocating for civil rights, women’s rights, and environmental protection. They also had a significant impact on American politics with many Baby Boomers holding positions of power in government and business.
Impact: The Baby Boomers have had a significant impact on American society culture and politics. Their idealism and commitment to personal growth helped shape the counterculture movement and led to significant social and cultural change. They also helped establish a strong middle class and create new opportunities for future generations.
However, their individualistic mindset has also contributed to a sense of entitlement and a lack of concern for the needs of the group. This combined with their large numbers and political power, has contributed to a sense of political gridlock and polarization in American politics. This generation experienced many historic events, including the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the rise in feminism, and the emergence of new technologies, which influenced their values and shaped their impact on society.
One of the most significant changes that the Baby Boomers brought to America was the rise of the counterculture movement in the 1960s. This movement challenged traditional social norms and civil rights. The Baby Boomers played a significant role in these movements, advocating for change and shaping the cultural landscape of the country.
Another significant impact of the Baby Boomers was their effect on the economy. As this generation began to enter the workforce in the 1970s and 1980s, they demanded higher wages and better working conditions, which led to a period of economic growth and prosperity. The Baby Boomers also had a significant impact on consumers behavior, as they became one of the largest generations of consumers in history.
In addition, the Baby Boomers also played a significant role in shaping politics and government policy. This generation was deeply divided on many issues, including the Vietnam War, civil rights, and feminism, which led to a highly charge political environment. The Baby Boomers were also influential in shaping government policies on issues such as healthcare, social security, and the environment. In terms of their impact on family and relationships, the Baby Boomers were known for challenging traditional roles and norms. They were the first generation to embrace divorce and single parenthood, which led to significant changes in family dynamics and the social stigma associated with these issues.
Finally, the Baby Boomers also had a significant impact on the environment. As this generation became more politically active, they pushed for greater environmental protection and sustainability. This led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and significant governmental action on issues such as air and water pollution, climate change, and wilderness preservation.
Overall, the Baby Boomer generation has had a significant impact on the world, both in America and beyond. They represent a significant demographic shift in American society, with their idealism and commitment to personal growth shaping the countercultural movement and leading to significant social and cultural change. However, their individualistic mindset has also contributed to a sense of entitlement and a lack of concern for the needs of the group. As they continue to age and retire their impact on American society and politics will continue to be felt for years to come.
Source: Generations Reimagined by Amanda Lisetti (2023).
Boomers
The Bubble: With more young men scheduled to return over 1945-1946 demographers expected birth rates to be high for a few years maybe into 1950. What they did not expect was that the baby boom would not only keep going but accelerate. Total fertility – the predicted number of children a woman would have in her lifetime based on births that year – did not peak until 1957, at an incredible 3.8 children per woman. By the time the baby boom ended in 1964, 76 million babies had been born in the U.S. The result of this demographic bowling ball was Boomers dominating American culture at every stage of their lifecycle. When they were rebellious teenagers, the nation was roiled by social change in the 1960s. When they were soul-searching young adults, the culture experienced a fascination with the mystical in the 1970s. When they were building careers and families in the 1980s and 1990s, the country favored stability and stoking the economy. By the 2000s well-off Boomers in their 50s and 60s were melding hippie instincts with yuppie ones, finding moral meaning in what they consumed.
Individualism: The 1960s’ most enduring legacy, however, is not its major events, but the growth of equality and individualism. Boomers were not the leaders of the movements that resulted in greater equality for Black Americans, women, and LGBT people—the misnamed Silent generation was. The Boomer’s role in these movements was ultimately even more impactful. They made the core values of the counterculture mainstream. Silents changed the laws and rules, but Boomers changed hearts and minds toward not just equality but its real-world outcomes, from the entry of more Black students into universities to the societal approval of women as professionals and leaders. At the core of these trends was the Boomer brand of individualism, not only the widespread rejection of outdated prejudices but the centering of individual choice.
Boomer men chose to grow their hair long in the 1960s and 1970s in defiance of their parents. Boomers chose to have sex before marriage despite growing up in a time with prohibitions against it. Boomers chose to experiment with drugs when drug use was (at least at first) seen as morally questionable. If these choices seem inconsequential to most people today, that’s a testament to how much Boomers handed American culture to make these types of individual choices the norm rather than the exception.
Technology was behind much of this quest for choice. While previous generations of youth learned social norms from adults in their communities, Boomer children were the first to experience a world outside their neighborhoods via TV showing them there was more than one way of doing things. New technologies such as the birth control pill (introduced in 1960) had a more direct impact by allowing women to choose to have sex without the constant fear of getting pregnant. Technology and individualism worked together to form a generation whose needs and wants would change dramatically over their lifetimes but who would always be guided by the idea of placing one’s own views and choices first – a concept that led to both greater acceptance of others and more self-centeredness.
To understand American history, Boomers are the ur-generation, the first to embrace the individualism that society now takes for granted. Examining their behaviors and attitudes offers a window into how the trends that the Boomers began accelerating through the next three generations. Boomer individualism took different forms in different decades. One was the centering of individual choice exemplified by the 1960s rejection of the collectivistic social rules of the Greatest (G.I.s) and older Silents. By the 1970s, Boomer individualism was infused with a different flavor, moving more toward self-fulfillment, enlightenment, and spirituality – an individualism that turned inward. As People magazine put it, “In the 60s we tried to change the world. In the 1970s we decided to change ourselves.” There was more emphasis now on changing self rather than society. Self-help books became a genre, Boomers and Silents signed up for consciousness-raising and self-enlightenment classes like Erhard Seminars Training.
By the 1980s, Boomer individualism began to center on individual emotions, self-expression and self-confidence. Boomers pioneered the idea that everything was worth discussing out in the open, discarding previous notions that depression, sex, or domestic abuse could not be spoken of in public.
The technology introduced by Steven Jobs and his fellow tech entrepreneurs would transform nearly every aspect of life from work to social interaction, often in a more individualistic direction. As just one example, tablets like the iPad would enable the uniquely individualistic experience of consuming media on a personal electronic device instead of wrestling the rest of the family for the TV remote. With technological change accelerating during Boomer’s lives, it could be argued that most of the major cultural shifts in attitudes, preference, and lifestyles over the past 70 years – especially those fueled by individualism – started with this massive generation.
Sex before Marriage: It was a tentative beginning to a generation gap that would widen to a yawning gulf by the 1970s, epitomized by a simple question: Was it OK to have sex before marriage? Most Boomers said yes in the 1970s, while their Silent elder siblings and Greatest generation parent said no. Boomers were the first generation to mount a significant challenge to the centuries-old rule that sex should wait until marriage and instead argued that it was a choice up to the individual. Although many previous generations also had premarital sex, it was usually considered something to be ashamed of.
A generational shift around homosexuality was also evident, foreshadowing the greater acceptance of LGBT people to come in later decades. The idea that people love who they love was just beginning to take root, with Boomers nearly twice as likely as Silent to believe that homosexuality was “not wrong at all” in the 1970s, though that view was still in the minority. The change was swift: in a nationwide survey, 85% of U.S. adults said that premarital sex was wrong in 1967, which plummeted to 37% in 1979.
Not only were attitudes around premarital sex changing, but so were attitudes around the potential outcome – an unintended pregnancy. From the vantage point of the 2020s, it is difficult to fathom just how unacceptable being unmarried and pregnant once was. Well into the 1960s, when a girl got “in trouble,” a shotgun marriage usually followed. When that wasn’t an option, some girls and young women were sent to brutal maternity homes away from their families. One woman referred to the place where she was sent as a “shame-filled prison.” Nearly all gave up their children for adoption, many under duress. Even the language was punitive: Babies born to unmarried mothers were called illegitimate. Or, as one unmarried mother was told, “our children would be called bastards on the playground.” By the late 1970s, maternity homes closed as abortion was legalized and single mothers were no longer shunned.
Staying single also became more acceptable. In 1957, 3 out of 4 U.S. adults believed that women who remained unmarried were “sick,” “neurotic,” of “immoral.” By 1978, only 1 out of 4 thought so. Marriage was no longer a mandate, but a choice. There was a similar shift in beliefs about what married women should be doing with their time. In 1938, 3 out of 4 Americans said a woman shouldn’t work if her husband could support her. By 1978, only 1 out of 4 said so. If it seems hard to believe that unmarried pregnant girls were once sent away from their families that it was once controversial for married women to work, and that anyone ever thought remaining unmarried was immoral, that is a sign of how fundamentally American culture has changed over the lifetime of the Boomers. Boomers continued the upward trend in divorce that Silents started in the 1960s and 1970s.
Drugs and Alcohol: Documenting shifts in drug use during these decades is not easy; most of the large national surveys in place now didn’t collect data in the 1960s. But there are a few good indications that marijuana use wasn’t common before the 1970s. In a 1969 Gallup poll, only 1 out of 25 American adults said they had ever tried marijuana, but that number rose to 1 out of 8 in 1973 and 1 out of 4 in 1977. Soon after, in 1979, we can pick up national data spanning more than forty years. Here the split between the Silent and Boomers is stunning: Less than 1 out of 10 Silents born in 1935 had ever tried marijuana – about half of Boomers born in 1955 had. There are similar generational inflection points for using other drugs, including cocaine, hallucinogens like LSD, and sedatives like quaalude.
In less than a decade from the 1960s to the mid-1970s, drugs went from counterculture to mainstream. By the 1970s, drug use was no longer a way to rebel – it was a way to fit in, and it had spread widely. Drugs lost some of their cool once Boomers reached their 30s and 40s and had settled into careers and parenthood, and as Boomers went, so did the cultural messages. Boomers stand out in the variety and intensity of their substance use, which was unprecedented. By the 2020s, 6 out of 10 American adults said marijuana should be legal for medical use. Boomers are joined in this opinion by the younger generations, with Silents the most opposed: only 1 out of 3 think recreational use should be legal.
Black Americans: The Voting Rights Act was passed in August 1965. The effects of the law were nearly immediate: Between 1964 and 1972, 239,940 more Black citizens registered to vote in Mississippi. In the seven southern states, the percentage of Blacks registered to vote rose from 29% to 56%. Just as Boomers were beginning to vote, voting became much more accessible to Blacks in the South. While the U.S. Congress had only a few Black members during the 1950s and 1960s, the numbers shot upward in the 1970s. By the 2020s, almost 12% of Congress identified as Black in a country where 13% of residents are Black. Of course, that didn’t mean the issues were solved.
Politics was not the only area witnessing changes around race. During the 1950s to the early 1970s, when most schoolchildren were Boomers, the racial segregation of schools finally began to break down. It took an extraordinarily long time to unwind mandated school segregation in 1954, most southern public schools were still by race into the 1960s, and many schools in the North were de facto segregated based on racial segregation in neighborhoods. By the late 1960s, this began to change, with many schools integrating as the second half of the Boomer generation entered high school. The number of Black children attending desegregated schools jumped from 17% in 1966 to more than 80% in 1970. Boomers would not be the last generation to attend schools completely segregated by race. Neighborhoods also became more integrated by race as Boomers built their families; an index of residential segregation dropped by 12% between 1980 and 2000. The language of race also evolved as attitudes changed, with the labels signaling that things were different – at least somewhat different. As Gates Jr. said, “My grandfather was colored, my father was Negro, and I am Black.”
In the space of just five years from 1965 to 1970 poverty among Black children dropped 37%, with poverty sinking from a shocking 66% of children to 40%. A huge swath of Black Boomer children were lifted out of poverty in a remarkably short period of time. Poverty among White children dropped during this time as well though much less dramatically (from 14% in 1965 to 11% in 1970). Poverty among Black adults also fell, from 1 in 4 in the 1970s and 1980s to 1 in 6 in 2020. That is at least partially due to the tremendous progress in education and the workplace made by Black Boomers. The income gap is also dwarfed by an even larger gap in owned wealth, partially because many Blacks were barred by redlining from getting mortgages or buying houses well into the 1980s, leaving less wealth to pass down to the next generation.
This is the oft-repeated story of race in America: During the Boomers’ lifetimes, mandated segregation was outlawed, voting rights for Black people in the South improved, and racial discrimination was ruled illegal and became much less socially accepted. Did these trends in racial progress have an impact on Black American’s mental health – for example, are the happier now than they were in previous decades? Black adults’ happiness changed little during the 1970s and 1980s but made substantial gains between the 1990s and 2000s as Boomers rose to prominence. These were decades that saw more Blacks become political leaders and cultural icons; they also capture the time when more of the Black population grew up after segregation than before it.
Women: Boomers would make the changes for women real on a large scale, living the lives their Greatest and Silent forebears fought for. Not only did more women earn college degrees, but women were becoming doctors, lawyers, and professors at unprecedented rates. Only 3% of new lawyers were women in 1965, but 30% were by 1980. The change was sweeping. In the 1970s, it was still unusual – or unheard of – for women to be TV reporters, judges, astronauts, soldiers, pastors, or police officers. By the 1980s, it was common; by the 1990s it was accepted; and by the 2000s it was nearly taken for granted. This was the trajectory of Boomer women as they moved through adulthood, with the country changing along with them.
Agreement that women – including mothers – can and should take a larger role in politics and the workplace continued to grow throughout the 1980s and beyond. The media might have been panicking about working mothers, but the public at large was increasingly supportive. These were not small changes: For example, nearly 3 in 4 in 1977 thought preschool children would suffer if their mothers worked, but only 1 in 4 agree in 2021. Half of 1975 respondents thought women weren’t suited for politics, a view shared by only 1 in 8 in 2008. By 2010, 96% said they would vote for a female president candidate – so the survey stopped asking the question. The 1980s brought unprecedented changes in women’s prominence in society and the embrace of gender equality – changes that are still with us today.
More recently, the #MeToo movement brought attention to sexual harassment and assault, with the arrest of perpetrators such as Harvey Weinstein and the resignations of others such as Matt Lauer and Charle Rose. In many cases, the instigators were Silent or Boomer men who seemed surprised by how things have changed. “In my mind, I have never crossed the line with anyone. But I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn,” Andrew Cuomo said when he resigned as governor of New York in 2021 after numerous women came forward with sexual harassment allegations.
Boomer Politics: American politics has been dominated by Boomers for seven decades. The sheer size of the generation compared to Silents and Gen X’ers on either side has given Boomers unchecked political power. It’s not just size, however: Boomers have a generationally unique interest in politics and activism. Campus protests began just as the first class of Boomers arrived on college campuses in the fall of 1964. Thus began an unprecedented time of unrest on Campus, with students occupying administrations’ offices, fighting with police and setting buildings on fire. By the late 1960s, the focus of campus protestors shifted from the civil rights movement to the war in Vietnam. One study concluded that 40% of the U.S. colleges and universities witnessed significant protests during the 1967 – 1968 school year, when the first Boomers were 18 to 22 years old.
Boomers dominated political leadership nearly as soon as they came of age. Every U.S. president elected between 1992 and 2016 was a Boomer.
Given the flower child, antiwar, antiestablishment reputation of the Boomers during the hippie era of the 1960s and 1970s, you’d expect Boomers to be liberal Democrats. And in the 1970s, they were – nearly 7 out of 10 identified as Democrats in the early 1970s. A full 2 out of 3 were Democrats in the late 1970s during Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Along with the power suits and big careers, yuppies carried a dose of conservative Republicanism along with them – and as went Boomers, so went the country. Ronald Reagan swept into office just as the number of Boomers identifying as Republicans began to rise. Some of this trend is the natural evolution of every generation. As people grow older, they tend to become less liberal and more conservative.
Mental Health: Among those 25 to 44 years old (mostly Boomers), 1 in 11 had already experienced major depression, compared to 1 in 22 of those 45 to 64 years old (mostly Silents). Thus, twice as many boomers as Silents had suffered from depression – and most Boomers weren’t even middle-aged yet. One in 11 Boomers at the time was 7 million people.
The General Social Survey has asked Americans how happy they are since 1972. It thus lets us see how Boomer’s happiness compares to the Silent generation’s during adulthood. The news isn‘t good. From the Silent birth years to the Boomer birth years, happiness takes a noticeable plunge. About 15% fewer Boomers said they were very happy compared to the Silents.
For their entire life cycle, Boomers have been less happy, have had more days of poor mental health, were more likely to suffer from mental distress and were more likely to be depressed than Silents at the same age. After going down during the Silent birth years, the suicide rate began to tick up again for those born in the 1940s. Then it skyrocketed during the rest of the Boomer generation. This was a large shift. An American born in 1964 was 35% more likely to take their own life than one born in 1935. The uptick in suicide among Boomers started early. The suicide rate for 15 to 19-year-old Boomer teens in 1970 was more than twice that of Silent teens in 1950. As it turned out, the increase in suicide was only the tip of the iceberg. In 2015, economists made headlines when they found that the death rate for 45- to 54-year-old non-Hispanic Whites, which had been declining for decades, actually increased between 1999 and 2013. In other words, middle-aged Whites were dying at higher rates in the 2010s than they had been in the 1990s in the U.S. This was surprising because death rates in other industrialize countries and for other ethnicities in the U.S. were declining precipitously over that time. The causes of these excess deaths were “deaths of despair”: suicide, drug overdoses, and liver disease (which is often caused by alcohol abuse).
In short: Not only are Boomers more likely than their predecessors to be unhappy, suffer from more days of poor mental health, experience more mental distress, and be depressed, but they are also likely to die of causes related to mental health, including suicide and drug overdoses. Something about being born between 1946 and 1964 was not good for mental health and being born between 1955 and 1964 was especially bad. The question is: What is it? One possibility is Boomers’ higher level of drug use. Individualism and technology may also be to blame. Although individualism has many upsides, it also brings less stable relationships and the tendency to expect that self-fulfillment will bring happiness. As a result, individualistic societies can feel disconnected and lonely.
Because unhappiness breeds mistrust, these trends also help explain many White lower-income American’s resistance to vaccines and mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the United States does not just have a growing income gap, it also has a growing happiness gap. More White working-class Americans say they are not happy, a symptom of a swelling discontent. A nation in which one social class is increasingly unhappy while another is content is a nation divided.
Source: Generations by Jean M. Twenge, PhD (2023)
The unabbreviated version of the above can be found in the pdf document below.
THE MILLENNIAL CYCLE – BOOMER GENERATION – EXCERPTS
MILLENNIAL CYCLE INTRODUCTION:
Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials are just now beginning to build a generational drama that will continue to unwind for decades to come. To date, this has been a cycle of relative peace and affluence, mixed with growing individualism, cultural fragmentation, moral zealotry, and a sense of political drift and institutional failure. That is to be expected. A sense that the public world is spinning slowly “out of control” is normal but has yet to encounter a secular crisis. It thus contains just one social moment to date.
The Boom Awakening (1967 – 1980), best known as the modern “Consciousness Revolution,” is what William McLoughlin calls America’s “Fourth Awakening.” It began in earnest in 1967 with the “Vietnam Summer,” inner-city riots, the San Francisco “Summer of Love,” and counterculture euphoria. In peaked in 1970, with the Kent State and Jackson State violence, the first “Earth Day,” and the “Days of Rage” on university campuses. Throughout the 1970s, it spread under the rubric of the human potential movement the “Aquarian Conspiracy,” a “New Age” transformation of manners, families, lifestyles, and values, and the rise of “Jesus people” and resurgent evangelism.
BOOMER GENERATION
Born 1943 – 1964; Type: Idealist; Population: 79,000,000 Percent Immigrant 10%. Breakdown: 76.1% White, 9.3% Black, 8.5% Hispanic, 5.0% Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander, 1.1% Native American. U.S Presidents:
Source: Generations: The History of America’s Future by William Strauss & Neil Howe
The Baby Boomers were a generation that was “changing the rules” in American society. Their impact on the economy, politics, and culture suggested that their sheer numbers were a driving force behind their influence. They were a diverse group, with a wide range of values, beliefs, and attitudes, but they shared a common sense of idealism and a desire to make a difference in the world. They represent a significant demographic shift in American society, with approximately 76 million people born during this period. The term “baby boom” was coined due to the significant increase in birth rates during this time, which was largely attributed to the return of soldiers from war and a strong post-war economic boom.
Historical Context: The Baby Boomer generation was raised during a time of economic prosperity and social change. After World War II, America experienced an unprecedented economic boom that lasted well into the 1960s. This period of prosperity helped create a strong middle class and provided opportunities for many Baby Boomers to pursue higher education and professional careers. The 1960s and 1970s were a time of significant social and cultural change marked by the civil rights movement, the women’s right movement, and the counterculture movement. Baby Boomers were at the forefront of many of these movements, advocating for social justice, equality, and individual freedom.
Characteristics: The Baby Boomers are often characterized as idealistic, ambitious, and individualistic. They were raised during a time of prosperity and opportunity, which instilled in them a belief that anything was possible. They value personal growth and self-expression, and often prioritize their own needs over the needs of the group. They are known for their strong work ethic and dedication to their careers. Many pursued high-paying jobs in fields such as finance, law, and medicine, and were willing to work long hours to achieve success. They also valued job security and often stayed with a single company for long periods of time.
Family: The Baby Boomers generation witnessed significant changes in family structure and dynamics. The divorce rate increased during this period, and many Baby Boomers grew up in single-parent households. However, they also placed a high value on family and were committed to providing their own children with a stable, nurturing environment.
Politics: The Baby Boomers were deeply involved in politics, both as activists and as voters. They were at the forefront of many social and political movements, advocating for civil rights, women’s rights, and environmental protection. They also had a significant impact on American politics with many Baby Boomers holding positions of power in government and business.
Impact: The Baby Boomers have had a significant impact on American society culture and politics. Their idealism and commitment to personal growth helped shape the counterculture movement and led to significant social and cultural change. They also helped establish a strong middle class and create new opportunities for future generations.
However, their individualistic mindset has also contributed to a sense of entitlement and a lack of concern for the needs of the group. This combined with their large numbers and political power, has contributed to a sense of political gridlock and polarization in American politics. This generation experienced many historic events, including the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the rise in feminism, and the emergence of new technologies, which influenced their values and shaped their impact on society.
One of the most significant changes that the Baby Boomers brought to America was the rise of the counterculture movement in the 1960s. This movement challenged traditional social norms and civil rights. The Baby Boomers played a significant role in these movements, advocating for change and shaping the cultural landscape of the country.
Another significant impact of the Baby Boomers was their effect on the economy. As this generation began to enter the workforce in the 1970s and 1980s, they demanded higher wages and better working conditions, which led to a period of economic growth and prosperity. The Baby Boomers also had a significant impact on consumers behavior, as they became one of the largest generations of consumers in history.
In addition, the Baby Boomers also played a significant role in shaping politics and government policy. This generation was deeply divided on many issues, including the Vietnam War, civil rights, and feminism, which led to a highly charge political environment. The Baby Boomers were also influential in shaping government policies on issues such as healthcare, social security, and the environment. In terms of their impact on family and relationships, the Baby Boomers were known for challenging traditional roles and norms. They were the first generation to embrace divorce and single parenthood, which led to significant changes in family dynamics and the social stigma associated with these issues.
Finally, the Baby Boomers also had a significant impact on the environment. As this generation became more politically active, they pushed for greater environmental protection and sustainability. This led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and significant governmental action on issues such as air and water pollution, climate change, and wilderness preservation.
Overall, the Baby Boomer generation has had a significant impact on the world, both in America and beyond. They represent a significant demographic shift in American society, with their idealism and commitment to personal growth shaping the countercultural movement and leading to significant social and cultural change. However, their individualistic mindset has also contributed to a sense of entitlement and a lack of concern for the needs of the group. As they continue to age and retire their impact on American society and politics will continue to be felt for years to come.
Source: Generations Reimagined by Amanda Lisetti (2023).
Boomers
The Bubble: With more young men scheduled to return over 1945-1946 demographers expected birth rates to be high for a few years maybe into 1950. What they did not expect was that the baby boom would not only keep going but accelerate. Total fertility – the predicted number of children a woman would have in her lifetime based on births that year – did not peak until 1957, at an incredible 3.8 children per woman. By the time the baby boom ended in 1964, 76 million babies had been born in the U.S. The result of this demographic bowling ball was Boomers dominating American culture at every stage of their lifecycle. When they were rebellious teenagers, the nation was roiled by social change in the 1960s. When they were soul-searching young adults, the culture experienced a fascination with the mystical in the 1970s. When they were building careers and families in the 1980s and 1990s, the country favored stability and stoking the economy. By the 2000s well-off Boomers in their 50s and 60s were melding hippie instincts with yuppie ones, finding moral meaning in what they consumed.
Individualism: The 1960s’ most enduring legacy, however, is not its major events, but the growth of equality and individualism. Boomers were not the leaders of the movements that resulted in greater equality for Black Americans, women, and LGBT people—the misnamed Silent generation was. The Boomer’s role in these movements was ultimately even more impactful. They made the core values of the counterculture mainstream. Silents changed the laws and rules, but Boomers changed hearts and minds toward not just equality but its real-world outcomes, from the entry of more Black students into universities to the societal approval of women as professionals and leaders. At the core of these trends was the Boomer brand of individualism, not only the widespread rejection of outdated prejudices but the centering of individual choice.
Boomer men chose to grow their hair long in the 1960s and 1970s in defiance of their parents. Boomers chose to have sex before marriage despite growing up in a time with prohibitions against it. Boomers chose to experiment with drugs when drug use was (at least at first) seen as morally questionable. If these choices seem inconsequential to most people today, that’s a testament to how much Boomers handed American culture to make these types of individual choices the norm rather than the exception.
Technology was behind much of this quest for choice. While previous generations of youth learned social norms from adults in their communities, Boomer children were the first to experience a world outside their neighborhoods via TV showing them there was more than one way of doing things. New technologies such as the birth control pill (introduced in 1960) had a more direct impact by allowing women to choose to have sex without the constant fear of getting pregnant. Technology and individualism worked together to form a generation whose needs and wants would change dramatically over their lifetimes but who would always be guided by the idea of placing one’s own views and choices first – a concept that led to both greater acceptance of others and more self-centeredness.
To understand American history, Boomers are the ur-generation, the first to embrace the individualism that society now takes for granted. Examining their behaviors and attitudes offers a window into how the trends that the Boomers began accelerating through the next three generations. Boomer individualism took different forms in different decades. One was the centering of individual choice exemplified by the 1960s rejection of the collectivistic social rules of the Greatest (G.I.s) and older Silents. By the 1970s, Boomer individualism was infused with a different flavor, moving more toward self-fulfillment, enlightenment, and spirituality – an individualism that turned inward. As People magazine put it, “In the 60s we tried to change the world. In the 1970s we decided to change ourselves.” There was more emphasis now on changing self rather than society. Self-help books became a genre, Boomers and Silents signed up for consciousness-raising and self-enlightenment classes like Erhard Seminars Training.
By the 1980s, Boomer individualism began to center on individual emotions, self-expression and self-confidence. Boomers pioneered the idea that everything was worth discussing out in the open, discarding previous notions that depression, sex, or domestic abuse could not be spoken of in public.
The technology introduced by Steven Jobs and his fellow tech entrepreneurs would transform nearly every aspect of life from work to social interaction, often in a more individualistic direction. As just one example, tablets like the iPad would enable the uniquely individualistic experience of consuming media on a personal electronic device instead of wrestling the rest of the family for the TV remote. With technological change accelerating during Boomer’s lives, it could be argued that most of the major cultural shifts in attitudes, preference, and lifestyles over the past 70 years – especially those fueled by individualism – started with this massive generation.
Sex before Marriage: It was a tentative beginning to a generation gap that would widen to a yawning gulf by the 1970s, epitomized by a simple question: Was it OK to have sex before marriage? Most Boomers said yes in the 1970s, while their Silent elder siblings and Greatest generation parent said no. Boomers were the first generation to mount a significant challenge to the centuries-old rule that sex should wait until marriage and instead argued that it was a choice up to the individual. Although many previous generations also had premarital sex, it was usually considered something to be ashamed of.
A generational shift around homosexuality was also evident, foreshadowing the greater acceptance of LGBT people to come in later decades. The idea that people love who they love was just beginning to take root, with Boomers nearly twice as likely as Silent to believe that homosexuality was “not wrong at all” in the 1970s, though that view was still in the minority. The change was swift: in a nationwide survey, 85% of U.S. adults said that premarital sex was wrong in 1967, which plummeted to 37% in 1979.
Not only were attitudes around premarital sex changing, but so were attitudes around the potential outcome – an unintended pregnancy. From the vantage point of the 2020s, it is difficult to fathom just how unacceptable being unmarried and pregnant once was. Well into the 1960s, when a girl got “in trouble,” a shotgun marriage usually followed. When that wasn’t an option, some girls and young women were sent to brutal maternity homes away from their families. One woman referred to the place where she was sent as a “shame-filled prison.” Nearly all gave up their children for adoption, many under duress. Even the language was punitive: Babies born to unmarried mothers were called illegitimate. Or, as one unmarried mother was told, “our children would be called bastards on the playground.” By the late 1970s, maternity homes closed as abortion was legalized and single mothers were no longer shunned.
Staying single also became more acceptable. In 1957, 3 out of 4 U.S. adults believed that women who remained unmarried were “sick,” “neurotic,” of “immoral.” By 1978, only 1 out of 4 thought so. Marriage was no longer a mandate, but a choice. There was a similar shift in beliefs about what married women should be doing with their time. In 1938, 3 out of 4 Americans said a woman shouldn’t work if her husband could support her. By 1978, only 1 out of 4 said so. If it seems hard to believe that unmarried pregnant girls were once sent away from their families that it was once controversial for married women to work, and that anyone ever thought remaining unmarried was immoral, that is a sign of how fundamentally American culture has changed over the lifetime of the Boomers. Boomers continued the upward trend in divorce that Silents started in the 1960s and 1970s.
Drugs and Alcohol: Documenting shifts in drug use during these decades is not easy; most of the large national surveys in place now didn’t collect data in the 1960s. But there are a few good indications that marijuana use wasn’t common before the 1970s. In a 1969 Gallup poll, only 1 out of 25 American adults said they had ever tried marijuana, but that number rose to 1 out of 8 in 1973 and 1 out of 4 in 1977. Soon after, in 1979, we can pick up national data spanning more than forty years. Here the split between the Silent and Boomers is stunning: Less than 1 out of 10 Silents born in 1935 had ever tried marijuana – about half of Boomers born in 1955 had. There are similar generational inflection points for using other drugs, including cocaine, hallucinogens like LSD, and sedatives like quaalude.
In less than a decade from the 1960s to the mid-1970s, drugs went from counterculture to mainstream. By the 1970s, drug use was no longer a way to rebel – it was a way to fit in, and it had spread widely. Drugs lost some of their cool once Boomers reached their 30s and 40s and had settled into careers and parenthood, and as Boomers went, so did the cultural messages. Boomers stand out in the variety and intensity of their substance use, which was unprecedented. By the 2020s, 6 out of 10 American adults said marijuana should be legal for medical use. Boomers are joined in this opinion by the younger generations, with Silents the most opposed: only 1 out of 3 think recreational use should be legal.
Black Americans: The Voting Rights Act was passed in August 1965. The effects of the law were nearly immediate: Between 1964 and 1972, 239,940 more Black citizens registered to vote in Mississippi. In the seven southern states, the percentage of Blacks registered to vote rose from 29% to 56%. Just as Boomers were beginning to vote, voting became much more accessible to Blacks in the South. While the U.S. Congress had only a few Black members during the 1950s and 1960s, the numbers shot upward in the 1970s. By the 2020s, almost 12% of Congress identified as Black in a country where 13% of residents are Black. Of course, that didn’t mean the issues were solved.
Politics was not the only area witnessing changes around race. During the 1950s to the early 1970s, when most schoolchildren were Boomers, the racial segregation of schools finally began to break down. It took an extraordinarily long time to unwind mandated school segregation in 1954, most southern public schools were still by race into the 1960s, and many schools in the North were de facto segregated based on racial segregation in neighborhoods. By the late 1960s, this began to change, with many schools integrating as the second half of the Boomer generation entered high school. The number of Black children attending desegregated schools jumped from 17% in 1966 to more than 80% in 1970. Boomers would not be the last generation to attend schools completely segregated by race. Neighborhoods also became more integrated by race as Boomers built their families; an index of residential segregation dropped by 12% between 1980 and 2000. The language of race also evolved as attitudes changed, with the labels signaling that things were different – at least somewhat different. As Gates Jr. said, “My grandfather was colored, my father was Negro, and I am Black.”
In the space of just five years from 1965 to 1970 poverty among Black children dropped 37%, with poverty sinking from a shocking 66% of children to 40%. A huge swath of Black Boomer children were lifted out of poverty in a remarkably short period of time. Poverty among White children dropped during this time as well though much less dramatically (from 14% in 1965 to 11% in 1970). Poverty among Black adults also fell, from 1 in 4 in the 1970s and 1980s to 1 in 6 in 2020. That is at least partially due to the tremendous progress in education and the workplace made by Black Boomers. The income gap is also dwarfed by an even larger gap in owned wealth, partially because many Blacks were barred by redlining from getting mortgages or buying houses well into the 1980s, leaving less wealth to pass down to the next generation.
This is the oft-repeated story of race in America: During the Boomers’ lifetimes, mandated segregation was outlawed, voting rights for Black people in the South improved, and racial discrimination was ruled illegal and became much less socially accepted. Did these trends in racial progress have an impact on Black American’s mental health – for example, are the happier now than they were in previous decades? Black adults’ happiness changed little during the 1970s and 1980s but made substantial gains between the 1990s and 2000s as Boomers rose to prominence. These were decades that saw more Blacks become political leaders and cultural icons; they also capture the time when more of the Black population grew up after segregation than before it.
Women: Boomers would make the changes for women real on a large scale, living the lives their Greatest and Silent forebears fought for. Not only did more women earn college degrees, but women were becoming doctors, lawyers, and professors at unprecedented rates. Only 3% of new lawyers were women in 1965, but 30% were by 1980. The change was sweeping. In the 1970s, it was still unusual – or unheard of – for women to be TV reporters, judges, astronauts, soldiers, pastors, or police officers. By the 1980s, it was common; by the 1990s it was accepted; and by the 2000s it was nearly taken for granted. This was the trajectory of Boomer women as they moved through adulthood, with the country changing along with them.
Agreement that women – including mothers – can and should take a larger role in politics and the workplace continued to grow throughout the 1980s and beyond. The media might have been panicking about working mothers, but the public at large was increasingly supportive. These were not small changes: For example, nearly 3 in 4 in 1977 thought preschool children would suffer if their mothers worked, but only 1 in 4 agree in 2021. Half of 1975 respondents thought women weren’t suited for politics, a view shared by only 1 in 8 in 2008. By 2010, 96% said they would vote for a female president candidate – so the survey stopped asking the question. The 1980s brought unprecedented changes in women’s prominence in society and the embrace of gender equality – changes that are still with us today.
More recently, the #MeToo movement brought attention to sexual harassment and assault, with the arrest of perpetrators such as Harvey Weinstein and the resignations of others such as Matt Lauer and Charle Rose. In many cases, the instigators were Silent or Boomer men who seemed surprised by how things have changed. “In my mind, I have never crossed the line with anyone. But I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn,” Andrew Cuomo said when he resigned as governor of New York in 2021 after numerous women came forward with sexual harassment allegations.
Boomer Politics: American politics has been dominated by Boomers for seven decades. The sheer size of the generation compared to Silents and Gen X’ers on either side has given Boomers unchecked political power. It’s not just size, however: Boomers have a generationally unique interest in politics and activism. Campus protests began just as the first class of Boomers arrived on college campuses in the fall of 1964. Thus began an unprecedented time of unrest on Campus, with students occupying administrations’ offices, fighting with police and setting buildings on fire. By the late 1960s, the focus of campus protestors shifted from the civil rights movement to the war in Vietnam. One study concluded that 40% of the U.S. colleges and universities witnessed significant protests during the 1967 – 1968 school year, when the first Boomers were 18 to 22 years old.
Boomers dominated political leadership nearly as soon as they came of age. Every U.S. president elected between 1992 and 2016 was a Boomer.
Given the flower child, antiwar, antiestablishment reputation of the Boomers during the hippie era of the 1960s and 1970s, you’d expect Boomers to be liberal Democrats. And in the 1970s, they were – nearly 7 out of 10 identified as Democrats in the early 1970s. A full 2 out of 3 were Democrats in the late 1970s during Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Along with the power suits and big careers, yuppies carried a dose of conservative Republicanism along with them – and as went Boomers, so went the country. Ronald Reagan swept into office just as the number of Boomers identifying as Republicans began to rise. Some of this trend is the natural evolution of every generation. As people grow older, they tend to become less liberal and more conservative.
Mental Health: Among those 25 to 44 years old (mostly Boomers), 1 in 11 had already experienced major depression, compared to 1 in 22 of those 45 to 64 years old (mostly Silents). Thus, twice as many boomers as Silents had suffered from depression – and most Boomers weren’t even middle-aged yet. One in 11 Boomers at the time was 7 million people.
The General Social Survey has asked Americans how happy they are since 1972. It thus lets us see how Boomer’s happiness compares to the Silent generation’s during adulthood. The news isn‘t good. From the Silent birth years to the Boomer birth years, happiness takes a noticeable plunge. About 15% fewer Boomers said they were very happy compared to the Silents.
For their entire life cycle, Boomers have been less happy, have had more days of poor mental health, were more likely to suffer from mental distress and were more likely to be depressed than Silents at the same age. After going down during the Silent birth years, the suicide rate began to tick up again for those born in the 1940s. Then it skyrocketed during the rest of the Boomer generation. This was a large shift. An American born in 1964 was 35% more likely to take their own life than one born in 1935. The uptick in suicide among Boomers started early. The suicide rate for 15 to 19-year-old Boomer teens in 1970 was more than twice that of Silent teens in 1950. As it turned out, the increase in suicide was only the tip of the iceberg. In 2015, economists made headlines when they found that the death rate for 45- to 54-year-old non-Hispanic Whites, which had been declining for decades, actually increased between 1999 and 2013. In other words, middle-aged Whites were dying at higher rates in the 2010s than they had been in the 1990s in the U.S. This was surprising because death rates in other industrialize countries and for other ethnicities in the U.S. were declining precipitously over that time. The causes of these excess deaths were “deaths of despair”: suicide, drug overdoses, and liver disease (which is often caused by alcohol abuse).
In short: Not only are Boomers more likely than their predecessors to be unhappy, suffer from more days of poor mental health, experience more mental distress, and be depressed, but they are also likely to die of causes related to mental health, including suicide and drug overdoses. Something about being born between 1946 and 1964 was not good for mental health and being born between 1955 and 1964 was especially bad. The question is: What is it? One possibility is Boomers’ higher level of drug use. Individualism and technology may also be to blame. Although individualism has many upsides, it also brings less stable relationships and the tendency to expect that self-fulfillment will bring happiness. As a result, individualistic societies can feel disconnected and lonely.
Because unhappiness breeds mistrust, these trends also help explain many White lower-income American’s resistance to vaccines and mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the United States does not just have a growing income gap, it also has a growing happiness gap. More White working-class Americans say they are not happy, a symptom of a swelling discontent. A nation in which one social class is increasingly unhappy while another is content is a nation divided.
Source: Generations by Jean M. Twenge, PhD (2023)
The unabbreviated version of the above can be found in the pdf document below.
| generations_6l_boomers_--_segment_6.pdf |