The society is in a constant state of change and development. As these changes occur, people adjust their lifestyles, beliefs, as well as how they carry out certain activities. This leads to differences between people who were born in different periods. In most cases, different generations have different values and attitudes towards life. I have observed some major differences between my generation and that of my parents.
My generation is more open-minded and tolerant than in my parents’ generation. My parents’ generation is more conservative and traditional in its outlook on life. Most people in this generation express disapproval for behaviour such as sex before marriage and homosexuality. In contrast to this, my generation is accepting of strange views and does not let traditions to tie it down. Premarital sex is not a major issue in my generation.
My generation also shows tolerance for people who have non-traditional lifestyles such as gays and lesbians. Open-mindedness and tolerance have been promoted by the great exposure to differences that my generation enjoys. Through television and the internet, my generation is made aware of people who have different lifestyles.
There is a difference in reaction with regard to change by the two generations. My generation welcomes change and quickly adapts itself to the new conditions. This is especially true with regard to the major technological changes that have occurred in the past 2 decades. My generation had demonstrated its openness to change by embracing new technology. My friends and I find great pleasure in experimenting with the latest phones and computers.
Contrary to this, my parents’ generation does not appreciate change. This generation prefers traditional ways of doing things, and change is resisted or avoided for as long as possible. For example, the introduction of computers in some companies has been resisted by my parents’ generation.
There is a major difference in the quality of relationships between my generation and my parents’ generation. My parents’ generation greatly values relationships with family members and the community. This generation keeps contact with relatives as neighbours visit each other and show concern for each other’s well-being. This sense of family and community is absent in my generation. My generation is mostly concerned with the needs of immediate family members. Relatives are often forgotten, and no close ties exist with them. Most people also show little concern for their neighbours, and there is no sense of community relations in society.
The preferred means of communication for the two generations differ. My generation prefers to make use of technology for communication purposes. We are constantly sending text messages to each other and making phone and video calls. My generation also makes use of many social networking sites such as Facebook to keep in touch. On the other hand, my parents’ generation does not support overuse technology for communication, and face-to-face meetings are still valued by this generation.
From this discussion, it is clear that many differences exist between my parents’ and my generation. These differences do not imply that one generation is good, and the other is bad. Most of these differences are because of the unique social environments within which the two generations have grown. I can, therefore expect there to be differences between my generation and that of my children in a few decades to come.