Generations defined by culture and upbringing, students say

What defines members of a generation is the culture they are brought up in and how they are raised, a Boston University professor said.

“Generational traits usually come about because of what they are exposed to,” said BU writing professor Samantha Merritt.

The impact of parenting is a major factor in determining and shaping generational traits, she said.

Authors Neil Howe and William Strauss pin the college-age population as “Millennials” in their 2000 book “Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation.” Millennials, they say, are those who were born after 1982 and are unlike any other generation because “they are more numerous, more affluent, better educated and more ethnically diverse.”

Wanting to raise the Millennials to be better than the previous generation led to an increase in team-building in schools as well as more hand-holding by parents, Merritt said.

While a high divorce rate in the ’80s caused Generation X, those born between 1961 and 1981, to rebel, parents encouraged more cooperation and community service for the Millennials, Merritt said.

“You know you’re a Millennial if you were never allowed to lay on the floor and look at the ceiling. If your parents were always telling you to get up and go out and do something, then you can say you’re a part of the Millennial generation,” she said.

College of Communication sophomore Alia Wong said she believes technology, and not necessarily musical preferences, is what separates the Millennials from previous generations.

“You can say different music tastes set us apart but that’s distinct to every generation and in the end we all like music,” she said. “When it comes down to it, technology is what really sets our generation apart, and a more globalized and interconnected world.”

Technology also affects how people interact with friends and in relationships, Merritt said, and College of Arts and Sciences junior Linnea Curtiss agreed.

“The Internet makes people more distant but not necessarily in a bad way, because it’s also easier to get ahold of people,” Curtiss said.

In addition to the Internet, certain historical events and societal problems have also shaped the Millennials, Merritt said.

For example, Merritt said the struggling economy has changed how the Millennials view going to college. Other generations may have treasured it for the valuable life experiences it provides, but today’s students see college as a prerequisite to entering the job market.

“People come to college thinking “I need to get a new job,’ ” she said. “They’re not coming to explore and find themselves anymore.”

Some BU students said that growing up in the current generation makes it harder for them to understand other generations.

“I guess I just don’t know enough about other generations to really compare my generation to the one before,” Curtiss said. “The ’70s and ’80s were more about reform in our own country and now we’re branching out.”