From Boomers to Zoomers with Jean Twenge
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- čas přidán 7. 07. 2023
- My guest today is Jean Twenge. Jean is a psychologist, author, and professor of psychology at San Diego State University. She's best known for her research on generational differences. Her book, "Generation Me", dealt with millennials. Her book, "iGen", which is how I first encountered her, deals with Gen Z. Now she's back with a massive new book called "Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents―and What They Mean for America's Future"
In this episode, we talk about all the differences between the various generations - differences in happiness, suicide rates, drinking behavior, personality traits like narcissism, attitudes towards love and marriage and more. We also talk about the technological and cultural trends that caused these generational changes. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
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It was a great episode but just FYI the mic is right on your nose so we can hear all the nose breathing. Sorry but it was obvious. Still, it's a really good video. Very interesting!!! 😊
I think what she keeps calling “individualism” is more complex than that. It’s an individualism fueled by narcissism.
Unchecked individualism is narcissisism
I definitely notice the narcissism present in many people today. Most of us want to live only for us and our needs - I’m pretty guilty of this .. thing is, the narcissistic way of life doesn’t lead to a happy or fulfilling life
My parents are quiets and my mom often mentioned that she lived in the best time. I think that she has a point. Her generation grew up healthier and more resilient. They were also surrounded by good people. They filled their lives with living.
It's weird Coleman's 5 yrs younger than me, I'm not used to being a fan intellectually of younger ppl, thnx for solid episode.
He's around 20 younger than me and I always get great insights from his talks
“WHO IS MORE HAPPIER?” lmao.
Average doesn't mean 50% are below and 50% are above. That is what a median is. It is completely possible for most people to be above average. It's called a skewed distribution.
Thanks for this interview Coleman. As a fellow elder Gen Zer (born in 1998) who feels a bit out of touch with the younger members of Gen Z, Twenge's work has helped me put a lot of what's happening in our culture into perspective, especially with what's been going on with teens in the last few years, so I'm happy to see more people talk about her research. Keep up the good work, man.
Fascinating interview Coleman. Although her reticence to factor in politics to the massive uptick in LGBT identification among Gen Z, seems like a massive blind spot in her thinking.
Anecdotally, from the UK, I have nieces who identify as non-binary.
A category that didn’t really exist before 2012. And has only really been adopted by young people who are highly active in the Western cultural revolution. My nieces are radical far left climate change activists one of whom has a degree in ‘feminist ecology’.
Both of whom have just embarked on teaching careers, with all of the zeal to create a better world through “consciousness raising” in their pupils. As opposed to equipping their charges with the ability to read and write.
There may not be the research to back up my claim but as a gay Gen Xer, whose late wife was a transsexual, it seems to me self evident that the exponential rise in LGBT identification in the young is beyond doubt a result of the wokification of education, combined with a generation of mostly girls who spent their formative years on Tumblr.
I kept thinking about Neal Howe's books during this interview and how important the study and understanding of generational groups and trends is for having a sense of understanding each other across generations and for being prepared for what to look forward to, what we need to work on to bridge divides and create understanding and finding common ground etc. Excellent interview and very thought provoking material!
Maybe the "more happier" thing is comment bait. If so, it is working. I find it pretty hard to imagine Coleman making that mistake.
Coleman you are incredible thanks for all this content, you are just so goddamn proficient as a youtuber I cannot believe all this isn't out of a mega entity- the quality and entertainment value of every video is so unmatched bro. Found so many amazing authors through these
Ha! That's probably true,as far as I can observe. My German neighbour who was born during WW2, who I m really close friends with, is very mentally agile, physically fit, sociable, funny and very contented somehow. Perhaps the most visibly contented person I know.
Great interview. Slowly reading her book and it is really, really fresh material that I haven't read a hundred times already.
Great conversation as always Coleman. Keep up the great work!
Considering the War participation, can that generation be appropriately called the _Silent, but Deadly_ generation?
My grandma didn't serve in the War, but oh boy does it still apply 💨
As far as young people waiting later to drink alcohol, you have to remember that the drinking age for most states had been 18, and it went up to 21.
The law never stopped me.
I believe the reason millennials are more into politics is that they have grown up almost entirely in a society (media/tv/social media) obsessed with politics and race. Gen X did not grow up hearing politics at every turn in their daily lives.
I'm Gen X and I agree about our exposure to politics vs the younger generations. I'm curious: what was the event in the news that first woke you up politically? For me it was the Iran-Contra scandal and hearings. That led directly into an interest in the 1988 presidential campaign. I don't know what it was about it that first struck me as a 13-14 year old, but that was it (might have been a famous Time magazine cover with "Ollie North" on the cover). I started to think, "wow, the people we elect to be in charge are utterly corrupt, play by different rules, and lie with a straight face."
This is an essential episode. How does this channel not have 500K subscribers yet?!?
A huge generational difference I've noticed between Gen X (mine) and Gen Z is in sense of humor.
I have to assume that most "Try Not To Laugh" videos here on YT are made by the youngest generation.
I used to enjoy those videos, but have found that in the last 3-4 years, I barely even get a chuckle out of them.
I'm sure it's not my sense of humor changing, so it must be that I don't share a sense of humor with the creators.
I "got" the humor of the Silent Generation (although a bit "hokey"), Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials...but Gen Z baffles me.
Gen-X Knows you Coleman. And we appreciate you.
I’m Gen X. We grew up and watched all of our cohort take over television and music and movies and create stuff that simultaneously waxes nostalgic about the stuff from the 70s and 80s, while making great fun of it. South Park. Family Guy. Simpson’s. Kevin Smith. We were all about satire, parody and mockery. We were too cool to believe or feel anything.
So we spent our 30s and 40s watching a surprising number of entertainment properties be made by us for us. Now, in our 50s, we have to face the fact that the new Star Trek, the new Star Wars and all those other things that we were the first audience for, have moved on to younger people and don’t suit all of us the way they used to.
For me specifically, seeing those classic entertainment properties go "woke" is unbearable.
@@filmjazz Same. And it’s made me resolve to deal with the fact that many movies are simply not being made for my generation. Despite us being the original audience. So if they’re willing to jettison us, then fine. Hopefully they will find a different audience. No more of my hard earned shekels for any of their stuff.
More happier?
You were correct Coleman in your thought that violent video games does not lead to more violence. It does have an effect on kids who were already prone to violence, but for the rest it mellowed it out. Also playing FPS games can lead to lucid dreaming which can be an asset when working through trauma's.
Another excellent and informative conservation- thanks Coleman!
The difference between 'individualism' and 'narcissism' couldn't be more stark...
The 'individualist' values self-expression and believes in the sanctity of validating one's own experience.
The 'narcissist' values self-importance and believes society should validate (mirror?) their experience.
Individualism and narcissism are complex concepts with overlapping characteristics. While the commentary mimics some superficial differences, it ignores the deeper similarities. Individualism, when lived to an extreme or unhealthy extent, can promote narcissistic behavior. Individualists may develop unrealistic expectations of themselves and others, believing that they deserve special treatment or preferential outcomes. This sense of entitlement can lead to arrogance, a lack of gratitude, and a tendency to blame others for one's own shortcomings.
Fabulous Data ! Thank you for Austin. Very nice interview. I feel like I'm taking a class in cultural anthropology. Xoxo
I like most of the silent generations views on family more than the later generations….
Got a warm feeling just seeing your two names together. Thanks for your particular interests.
Excellent podcast, informative and interesting. Thanks!
~1:09 the conversation about why so many young people are coming out as "weird", I don't think it is about acceptance, I think it is about being overwhelmed by unrealistic sexual expectations plus there is always the ratchet effect of "one upping" the other person to stand out and be interesting. Young people are insecure in their identity and they want to pick one that makes them important and relevant.
In terms of technology similarities, I think gen x and millennials are most similar. Boomers and millennials night and day. Millennials and gen z grew up in different worlds. But both gen x and millennials experienced the analog to digital transformation during first half of life and probably share more similar tech habits today.
A bit off topic, but one really fascinating example of a technological/societal change that almost certainly drove massive generational changes, but which is too far back to really study in detail, is the widespread adoption of literacy.
Nowadays, 99.9%+ of the population in developed countries is literate, in the medieval period
This is the second time I've bought an author's book (also Richard Reeves' Of Boys and Men) after watching your discussion with them. Would it be crass to add Amazon affiliate links to the books to the video descriptions so you could get a cut?
Liberal teens spend more time on social media and less time with their friends than conservative teens. This makes sense of several trends I've been seeing re: rationalism and indoctrination
Coleman, I enjoyed the talk. Thanks. I felt she started to hedge and dodge a little toward the end and I was disappointed. Was considering buying the book, but have some lingering concern she may be afraid of some data. Also, I was surprised by the fast and furious advertisements that seemed to speed up at the end. I get monetization, but it was getting close to unwatchable with the constant interruptions. I'll be coming back for more for sure (always good stuff), but please consider the commercial placement etc...
Excellent conversation
The findings that video games can increase aggression was not well replicated well at all.
Very interesting. Learnt a lot of new facts.
Also wondering who is most happiest and least happierst.
Closing my eyes, it sounds like an interview with Jodie Foster.
The safety point is absolute nonsense. On the one hand, yes, being able to track your kids does make them more safe. On the other, what in the world did we do before cell phones? Live in a state of constant worry and distress? Of course not. If the cost of safety is constant anxiety, then it’s counterproductive.
As a parent I held out on my 15 yr old getting social media until one of he HS clubs was using Facebook as a communication tool. I’d love to give her a dumb phone, but too many sports teams and clubs and even employers us apps for communication and management.
She says that we cant look at that the US as a good time because it wasn't a good time for women and people of color. But do the stats show that women and people of color were unhappy? And if they were happier, why? Dont dismiss it as unhappy if it wasn't.
Did they break out the data this way or did they lump everyone by age in the same group? I know that my cousins only a few years older than me as baby boomers had a completely different outlook on life than me. They married soon after high school while I went to college and then graduate school. I adopted a child when I was 38yo and never married. I was amazingly happy before I became a mom as a single person and when I was ready to become a mom I loved that part of my life too. Had I done what my cousins did marrying and having children early, I would have been miserable. I wanted adventure first then motherhood. I was able to do so on with a very nice salary. I know these options would not have been available to me had I been born in an earlier generation.
By 2012 we have more and more vaccines added to childhood schedule. We have more and more chemicals in our water, air and food. Radiation exposure from cell technology. There is a lot to consider besides just social media and technology. I agree that those both are contributors but that there is more.
Very interesting conversation, thanks a lot! The most amazing thing for me is that in the US getting a driver's license early is a sign of being mature and independent. In Hungary, where I live, people who had a license early were the rich kids and if anything, they were considered spoiled and dependent, like "dad bought them a car". Forget about a car, most kids could not afford paying for a license. That may have changed though, I'm 44 so high school was a long time ago.
Owning and operating a car has for a long time been easier and more affordable for the most part compared to most of Europe I think. The shear size of the US in general I'm sure plays a role in this. Hungary is the size of the US state of Indiana.
I think family generations are often overlooked, i.e. grandparents, parents and children, e.g. great ww2 generation (grandparents), first half of boomers (parents), mid-70s to late 80s babies (children). Each of those are often a generation within their families.
Unfortunately I suspect we will soon realise that the new values brought on by technological change are not conducive to human mental health and flourishing. We are going to have a find a way of living as a collective while having the technology to live as individuals.
Woah, where are we shooting here?
Who is happier? The mother of 4 with 4 different baby daddy. Or the mother if 4 with 1 baby daddy....
1:06:20 here’s your Steven Pinker theory/observation of (and against) “catastrophe selling”
Interesting to note that JFK was a “Greatest” and RFK was a “Silent”
60s were the "free love" generation. 70's were a much more Conservative backlash against the cultural norms that emerged from the Free Love 60s generation.
But in the 70s the free love concepts became normalized and infused the culture...more than regular 60s culture, which was waaay more conservative as the hippies were just a subculture.
I think with regard to Coleman's younger relatives calling him a boomer, I'd wager this is more of a matter of slang than actually believing he is literally part of the baby boomer generation. A lot of zoomers and millennials who are well versed in the dialect of internet trolls will use "boomer" just as a short-term label that teases someone in the moment for not being on the edge of latest technologies, slang terms, cultural references, iphone features, etc.
Please don’t confuse millennials with gen z. Millennials were never really pro censorship, more so of a gen z thing. Millennials were influenced a lot by their parents, boomers, and gen x on mtv growing up in the 90s.
So maybe the Mayan’s forecasting impending doom for the year 2012 may have been correct after all lol
Not only tech but upbringing attitude
John McWhorter is a Gen Xer. Although like me, he is right on the cusp and was born in the first year that includes GenXers.
I'm born 1966...I think we still have a lot in common with younger Boomers born in the early 60s--similar formative cultural experiences.
It is not "impossible" to live life without a cell phone.
Yeah, glad others are saying it as well, but Coleman,_ More Happier_ ?
I would be very interested in hearing more about media influencing aggression. Movies are the same story (clever violent person beat other not so clever/morally bankrupt other violent person) over and over and they definitely influence feelings.
Once you see it it becomes hard to engage with movies the way I used to, I no longer get the "hell yeah" feeling when the "good guy" wins all I can think is how morally bankrupt they all seem they just have socially acceptable Vs non socially acceptable narratives. I wonder if this is the cause of current ideas that narratives are all the matter and the end justifies the means or whether this notion is what is influencing film makers.
I know it's not new but it seems more prevalent than ever before. It's like Team America is no longer ironic
Gen Z should sue the educational system!
Double entry accounting is 700 years old. Why isn't it mandatory for them in high school and wasn't for their parents and grandparents? What would the economy be like if it had been?
Education is about maintaining controlled ignorance.
50% below and 50% above is the median. Most people can be above average in a skewed distribution.
Great programme, but.... by definition 50% are above and below the MEDIAN, not necessarily above and below the average.
For instance, if 99 persons score 90 and 1 person scores 10, the average will be (90x99+1×10)/100 = 89.2. And 99% will be above this average.
I'm with Howe igen begins 2001
Enlightenment is on the decline. When there were four TV stations. Each appealed to the broad audiences. Hyperbola didn’t happen. Now, our diet is filled with the affirmation of only being presented with views that you have already accepted. We have created a population that is unable to consider an opinion of descent.
Smart phone : a small computer with a phone app ...
I'm a boomer agree tv, records, made a diff, my gen x children Walkmans etc
I would hypothesize that all generations connected to social media are likely to get less delusional about their strengths. Mostly driven by the fact that we can all now see just how many 5 year olds on CZcams can outplay or outperform us. I didn’t know that I wasn’t one of the best until I could see that. Now I know. Lol
Can someone explain how groups insisting that people agree with them on a point of view or “fact” are a collection of individualists? How being on social media with all your friends and accepting the values of that media in terms of beauty, for instance, to the point it makes you clinically depressed is individualistic?
❤Stockholm
I feel like a Dad saying TikTok should be banned. Start with the questionable privacy. Then go to the misinformation and unhealthy content. Then go to the wormholing... bad news. Re: instagram - female social body comparison will occur IRL. So will male social body comparison happen IRL. Instagram can obviously magnify all of this to bad extremes, but with a good psychosocial framework (hopefully from parents, family, teachers, mentors, social workers, any of the above) these can be avoided or at the very least considered by the users themselves. 13 for Instagram is and always was too young as a guideline. There was always plenty of other “internet” around to be enjoyed. Meta should change it to 15 if not 16. My 4 cents.
Polars is a way cooler term. Cheers for language acumen!!!
Sounds like an empire in decline.
I think her answer on leaning towards individualism was too simple. I understand having a career is fulfilling, but why does it have to be in a individual sense? Why does it have to be one or the other?
Does Coleman push back on the concept of generational groups at all? The science regarding this is super sketchy. Surprised Coleman, who prides himself on rationality, buys into this.
Boomersbegin before 46, I'm born 45 definitely a Boomer, as is Clapton, Marley
An observation: Norm-referenced standardised test scores have steadily improved over the decades, though this trend is finally levelling off. People really are getting smarter, and academic achievement really is improving. The youth are not incorrect to acknowledge this.
The question I’d ask if whether there are trade offs involved. Test scores are one significant metric, but hardly the only one. Are improvements in test scores correlated to other measurable deficiencies? No idea, just asking, cuz it seems possible.
@@matthewkilbride1669, honestly, I am not aware of any cognitive trade-offs, though there are some domains of cognitive ability that have seen less growth (digit span and lexical retrieval fluency come to mind). In any case, cognitive test scores are finally levelling off in the West and in East Asia, following decades of steady increases. (In some places, where health and nutrition have declined in recent years, eg the United States, there has been a very modest downtick in scores.) The developing world still has pretty steep growth curves, and I would expect their populations to eventually catch up to the West and to East Asia as nutrition and education continue to improve.
She lost me when she insisted that violent video games are a causal factor in violent acts in face of Coleman's stating the statistics that the trends of violence are downwards. Violent individuals are drawn to violent games (and other violent activities) and yet she seems wedded to a feminist narrative that despite the data, her feelings trump empiricism
League of legends has made more people violent than a FPS game ever will 💀fundamental flaw to the evidence 58:00
Why say "doubled" and "quadrupled" when referring to increases in mental illness? Doubled from 1 to 2 people? There should be a clearer way to communicate the numbers. This seems more disingenuous to make the numbers seem more significant when they aren't.
more happier?
.....bruh
Societies break when an individual approach is taken. It makes a country weak. There needs to ne standards or at least privacy. Privacy is gone.
She carefully avoided the rise in lgbtq+ question so as not to offend which is disappointing
Maybe she's just sick of hearing about it like the rest of us.
Individualistic or narcissism...
57 minutes in she starts talking about about video games and aggression, I had to switch the video off. Such a shame.
"It's never easy and it's all relative" the summary of Coleman's views on black american history. Housed people's mentality thus.
How about the tubby generation
According to the pentagon, 71% of men aged 18-25 are undraftable due to low IQ and physical fitness. Gen Z is definitely shaping up to be round and stupid.
"Who is more happier?". I'm guessing your English teacher isn't very happy.
Wow you sound tedious. Coleman is clearly well enough spoken, by any stretch of the imagination. Good for you, that you have apparently never misspoken in your life.
Haven't watched it yet yet, but the fact this made it through the editorial process and onto the thumbnail is hilarious. 😂
Waiting for someone to chime in “But Shakespeare used this form.”
I mean, I try not to be a grammar nazi but this is so basic I feel like they’re trolling(!)
@@Wandering.HomebodyThere are standards in journalism and public communication. Good grammar is one of them. Your reflexive hostility is childish and churlish.
TheGood,TheBadandtheUgly:AMeta-analytic ReviewofPositiveandNegativeEffectsofViolentVideo Games ChristopherJohnFerguson This analysis refutes her claims regarding "violent video games and aggression"