Introducing Generation R

Abstract

Coming of age after the Vietnam War, Generation X represents individuals born between 1961 and 1981. They are popularized as the 13th generation to be familiar with the United States flag. Their experiences are shaped by the cold war, the fall of the Berlin wall, a span of political peace for the USA, the rise of the home computer, Atari and Nintendo, the Internet, dot-com businesses, a teacher lost on the Space Shuttle Challenger, Desert Storm, and the emergence of grunge, hip-hop, and punk rock. Generation Y is known as the Millennial Generation or Net Generation. Their birthdates range from 1970 to 2000s. This group is marked by a rapid acceptance of digital technologies, communications, and familiarity with home computers. Generation Y also carries the dogma of MTV Generation, which includes most youth of the late twentieth century. MTV youth are popularized as being politically liberal, culturally and radically tolerant of same-sex marriage, and concomitantly protective of their status as youth; many are living with parents longer than previous generations. Gen Y’s experiences are shaped by decreasing economic prosperity and greater unemployment; worse, they are considered a generation of “trophy kids”—reflecting a sense of entitlement for their participation in competitive activities. They telecommute and strive to fit employment into their lives rather than adapting their lives to the needs of society. However, there is a trend for Millennials towards greater access to feedback, responsibility, and involvement in the decision-making and advocacy processes of the community. This chapter discusses the emergence of the generation of children whose parents are from MTV: Generation R. Most members of generation R are not yet born; they will deal with a large number of different community and environmental problems, which their parents and teachers did not face. Generation R (for responsibility) will need to become equipped to deal with these challenges.