Old Generation Vs.

New Generation

Old Generation Vs. New Generation

A generation gap is commonly perceived to refer to differences between generations that
cause conflict and complicate communication, creating a "gap."
Word maven William Safire provides this more positive definition: "Generation gap can be a
frustrating lack of communication between young and old or a useful stretch of time that
separates cultures within a society, allowing them to develop their own character."

Before that time, society was
not very mobile. Young
people typically lived near
their extended families,
worshiped in their childhood
The generation gap that was so
in evidence during the 60s has
resurfaced, but it is not the
disruptive force that it was
during the Vietnam era, a 2009

The
The Generation
churches, and often worked on study suggests. 
the family farm or in a family The Pew Research Center

Generation Gap
business. study found that 79% of
Past

Americans see major

the Past

With the advent of television

and movies, young people differences between younger
were exposed to cultural and older adults in the way
of the

influences alien to their own they look at the world. In 1969,

Gap Today
Gap of

families and cultures. a Gallup Poll found that a

Generation Gap

Performers like Frank Sinatra, smaller percentage, 74%,

perceived major differences.
Today
Elvis Presley, and James Dean
The Generation

won adulation from the Slightly behind these areas of

younger generation but were difference are listed the
often met with derogation following:
from the older generation. Work ethic
Then came the 1960s, and Moral values
The

civil rights and the Vietnam Respect for others

War exposed a more serious
chasm between young and old.
Political views
Attitudes toward different
races and groups
Religious beliefs

According to the Pew study, all generations regard older Americans as superior in moral
values, work ethic and respect for others.

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 Old Generation Vs. New Generation

It’s a difference between wisdom and a passion for change.  The older generation can provide
wisdom to the younger generation so they can make wise decisions in their life and in their
community. The younger generation can give that energy and want for change to the older
generation and help them assimilate into a new era.
Reasons for generation gap
 Effect of Technology
The growing technology can also be thought to affect family relationship and could be the
major reasons for conflicts. Internet has attracted a lot of attention which has raised several
questions like inequality, access, the quality of the content, the implication of internet and
new technology on children’s educational and social development.
 Many empirical researches suggest that most of the older generations believe that the
internet can help their children to do well at colleges and schools, that is why, they
acquire domestic access of internet in the first place.
 Though, critics have stated and are mainly concerned about the moral panics
motivated by technology and the response of older generations which might have
constructed a false ideal of the vulnerable child, which could mislead researches and
policies
 Different Perceptions of Relationships
It is evident that parents and their teenage children may evaluate their relationship with each
other in different ways. Through some studies we may be able to account for the reasons
behind this. A study was done which investigated and compared the perceptions of
intergenerational solidarity among 2590 adult child/older parent dyads from the national
survey of families and households.
 This study indicated that there is a high degree of disagreement on how parents and
their children view their relationship. It was observed that parents usually reported
better relationship quality whereas the children reported better contact and exchanges
of assistance, but not as positive relationship quality as stated by their parents. The
variables found to influence the correspondence between the two generations were
age, child’s marital status, gender and residential proximity. It is known that familial
relationships between a parent and a child is amongst the most important relations and
is a major contributor to the emotional and psychological well-being of both
generations.

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 Old Generation Vs. New Generation

Effects of Cultural Variables

It has been observed that cultural values does have an impact on generation gap since it is
considered both a social and cultural construct as observed in the survey below. It has also
been observed that generation gap is a phenomenon accepted by Americans but it still baffles
parents from Asian countries.
 Traditionally, Asians tend to live in joint families where family is hierarchical. Many
generations live together. Age, gender and generational status of family members are
major determinants of behavior and relational roles. Generally, a high importance of
conformity is seen. Inter-dependence is promoted and self- identity is inhibited. Being
conservative is encouraged, the welfare and integrity of family is given more
importance over individuality.
 Whereas western culture supports self- identity and nuclear family system in middle
class. Due to globalization and access to different cultures, The Asian teenagers have
been able to have a look at western familial relationships which is far more relaxed as
compared to Asian families, this creates a difference in opinions between the
teenagers and their conservative Asian parents and adds to the already present
generation gap and causes conflict.
Lack of Communication
As per the survey it was deduced that lack of communication is one of the major reasons for
generation gap. Parents are highly pressurized to strike a balance between work and family,
though they do it to earn a better living for their children but they forget that this costs them
the time with their children.
 Most of their time is spent on heavy work load and stress in the work place. On the
other hand, children do not share their school life and everyday events with their
parents, which on the whole lead to parents making huge sacrifices to earn a living but
the children, are being neglected at the same time, this causes communication barriers
in the family and adds to generation gap.
Differences between the Generations
If large differences between the generations exist, why don't they spawn conflict? The answer
is twofold.
 First, the two largest areas of difference “technology and music” are less emotionally
charged than political issues. The older generation is likely to be proud of the younger
generation's prowess in technology rather than to view it as a problem. As for the

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 Old Generation Vs. New Generation

musical differences, each generation wants its own style of music, and the older
generation generally can relate to that desire.
 Second, in the other areas of difference, the younger generation tends to regard the
older generation as superior to their own generation clearly a difference from the
1960s with its rallying cry of "Don't trust anyone over thirty."

New Old
Generation Generation

I've always thought that the older

Social and Cultural historians
suggest that a new 'generation' is born
approximately every 18-20 years.
These numbers are utilized as a
guideline when researching history,
they are not meant to be written in
stone. If the historian uses this
guideline as a frame of reference,
clearly the historian can differentiate
between the social, economic, and
political realities pertinent to their
lives. 
generation consisted of those people
who are fifteen or twenty years older,
at any particular time! (Age is indeed
relative, it seems.) A lot of the
discussion has focused on the use of
technology, which does seem to be a
kind of dividing line between
generations, but the two generations
can be differentiated in other ways, of
course. Older people have witnessed
and experienced more of life, and--
speaking very generally--I think this
impacts their reactions to it.

The older generation is both more

However, it's fair to say that the 'how',
'why', and 'when' of the 'generation
gaps' occur in a somewhat haphazard
way. All one has to do is look at the
shifts in what is culturally acceptable
today and compare it to a generation
or two ago. This can be found in
television, language, sexual morality,
music, dress, and even Congressional
legislation.
patient and less patient than the
younger one: more patient in
realizing that "this too shall pass" and
less patient in terms of inefficiency
and waste, being especially impatient
with those who waste someone else's
time. (I've seen this again and again
among members of my father's
generation.) We need both
generations in society for what they
contribute.

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 Old Generation Vs. New Generation

Reviews about Old Generation Vs. New Generation

The generation gap is widening at an alarming speed. New generation should take the
advantage of modernization, which has taken place all over the world at a very fast pace. This
should be considered blessing, but at times, the young mind can get tempted & his/her use of
modernization, mayn’t be appropriate. In spite of the blessings of modernization, the stress
level of the youth is very high due to a very competitive world, and they should avoid getting
solace in any temporary or inappropriate pleasure of modernization.
We have to change for the better & adjust according to the need of the time. What culture
used to prevail during olden days, was not absolutely right, & what is happening these days
can’t be totally appropriate. Sometimes parents want to give advice to their children about
what they gathered from their lifetime’s experience. Children don’t have patience to listen, &
they will prefer to have their own experiences.
At times, there is so much disparity the way two generations think. For new generation…
run, run & run, & have some fun. Life is once & should be enjoyed.
Factors, which have widened the gap so drastically, are:
 Misuse of IT, like cellular phone & Internet
 Social networking
 Media
 Rave parties
 Luxury schools
 Peer pressure
For Example; India is a very culture oriented country, and there can be change of language,
dress code, cooking habits amongst the people of different religion & caste. The elders should
be tolerant to changes as long as they are within normal limits.
Youth in metro spends time in malls, watching movies & eating fast food. One fine day,
some of them may fall in love & then relationship. Few will progress further towards
marriage. Most such marriages are usually not successful, because soon they discover they
are different types, cultural problem, family background, and so many other factors, which
are seriously considered in arranged marriages. Well, arranged marriages are also not 100%
successful, but couples make all possible efforts, & also parents from both the side are co-
operative.

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 Old Generation Vs. New Generation

New generation Believe

New generation believe much in brand, fast food, fast transport, and fast communication over
cellular phones or internet, hobbies are surfing, Facebook, Orkut etc. No time for games, & if
they add some kgs of extra weight, would prefer to go to Gym. Some of the modern
advancements have changed the lives of so many. Metro is one; you just think & plan, & you
will be there very soon. But, some use this just to have different agenda. We should have
more counselors in schools, colleges & other institutions & there should be stress on moral
education. They should live life fully & enjoy, but not at the cost of their career, health &
compromising with morale, ethics & duties.
According to Research’s

 Today‟s generation gap between parents and their college aged-children is caused
factors. The "millennial generations" are individuals that have grown up with active
technology such as: the internet, texting, video games, and computers, as a part of
their everyday lives (Pricer, 2008). Students in the millennial generation are often
raised in environments that emphasize individuality, information, entertainment and
social interactions with peers and friends (Roehling et al., 2011). The technological
gap between parents and their college-aged children is conceptualized as much greater
than the actual age gap, which could lead to a technological and emotional disconnect
(Roehling et al., 2011).
 According to Patton (2012) many graduate students feel a form of disconnect from
their family, when they are back home for the holidays or for good. Once back home,
the students may experience tension, misunderstandings, and awkwardness often
leading them to constantly waver between their cultures and identities. Family
members left behind may experience feelings of anger or envy that their loved ones
had left them and came back changed (Patton, 2012). The former family dynamic may
lead students to feel devalued and disrespected by their families. However, it is
essential to note that such dynamics are not limited to first-generation students, or
those from minority or working-class backgrounds. This disconnection between
parents and graduate students occurs regardless of the parent‟s educational
background (Patton, 2012).
 Research indicates that gender has a key role in producing generation gaps. Ewert
(2012) highlights a dramatic reversal of gender inequality in education. The 1980s
marked the era where colleges and universities granted the majority of bachelor‟s

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 Old Generation Vs. New Generation

degrees to women. Thus, women showed equal graduation rates with men, and then
managed to surpass them (Ewert, 2012).
 Research shows that parental educational background or even educational differences
can lead to the production of a generation gap. Parents have a great influence on their
children's decision for college enrollment (Dockery and McKelvey, 2013).
 In a study researchers compared three age groups of 880 students (under 20, 20, 30) to
investigate the differences between generation. They found students spent more time
on digital technology, but the rang of digital technology they used was limited; 30%
of the students used digital technologies for 20 h per week. On the other hand, 40 and
34% of them used digital technology up to 10 h per week. Moreover, the researchers
did not found significant differences between the two generations due to the time
spent on using digital technology (Kwok-wing and Kian-Sam, 2015).
 In another study, researchers studied generation gap of 555 parents and 604 youths;
they found out youths were perceived to be knowledgeable about interactive
technology from both parties regardless of the interactive technology that they are
using. The difference of knowledge between parents and youths was larger in the area
of social networking; however it was smaller among the technologies that have been
in use for long such as e-mails (Vaterlaus et al., 2015).
 However, researchers in another study discovered that young generations use internet
on smart phones for almost 24 h connecting to social network, instant messaging,
playing online games, e-reading, listening to music, and video streaming, online
shopping, paying bills on line, and online studies. On the other hand, the older
generations use internet for less than 6 h per day with a slight higher percentage of
reading books or news (Anshari et al., 2016).
 Thus, despite recent active technological advancements in communication through the
Internet, smart phones and more particularly social media such as Skype (chat rooms,
video chats) and so on, it is key to note that digital communication cannot replace the
importance of face-to face interactions and communication.

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 Old Generation Vs. New Generation

References

Adcox, S. (2019, October 2). What Research Says About the Generation Gap. Retrieved from
https://www.verywellfamily.com/looking-at-the-generation-gap-1695859.

Gauba, P. (2017). Generation Gap: An Emerging Issue of Society. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320183778

History. (2015) Retrieved from https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/can-you-

differentiate-old-generation-from-new-390989.

Suad, M. A. S. A.-L. (2019). Understanding the psychology of youths: Generation

gap. International Journal of Psychology and Counselling, 11(6), 46–58. doi:
10.5897/ijpc2019.0568

Thakur, R. (2012, June 26). Old Generation Vs. New Generation. Retrieved from
https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/old-generation-vs-new-generation.