Generation Z had a hard time during the corona crisis and many were forced to study with a loan. But is their epithet of ‘unlucky generation’ justified? According to sociologist Maarten Wolbers, there are some issues with the way people are divided into generations. ‘Society also needs lucky people.’

It was politician Chloe Swarbrick who popularised the phrase ‘OK boomer’ in 2019. In a speech advocating for more climate action in the New Zealand Parliament, she answered one of her senior colleagues with those words. The phrase became a global motto for young people who felt misunderstood by their parents, teacher, or other ‘old’ person.

The baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) referred to by Swarbick are only one of many generations to have acquired a catchy nickname. You also have Generation X, Y and Z, while other people prefer ‘the lost generation’ or ‘millennials’.

‘Differences between individuals within a generation are often greater than between generational cohorts as a whole’

Thinking in generations is an idea that has been around in academia for almost a century. Generation theory was coined in 1928 by Hungarian sociologist Karl Mannheim. In the Netherlands, Henk Becker is known as the founder of academic generational thinking.

‘Generations are similar to concepts like social class or status groups,’ says sociologist Maarten Wolbers of Radboud University. ‘Certainly in Mannheim’s time, the term was used to divide society into ideal type groups.’

Generational thinkers look for similarities within a particular birth cohort, Wolbers explains. ‘These can arise from common experiences or events, often when people are young, that have a lasting impact on the subsequent course of their life.’

Do scholars still use generational thinking a lot in their research?

‘Not in the way Mannheim and Becker did. That is very outdated by now. Clearly, you cannot tell generations apart by looking only at their shared experiences. Differences between individuals within a generation are often greater than between generational cohorts as a whole. For example, if you look at life opportunities, education level is a more important distinction.’

Yet you often see these names for generations, like Gen Z, on social media and in the media.

‘Researchers are more cautious about using these terms. Typing generations is also often a marketing tool to appeal to people’s feelings. Companies actively use it to attract customers to their products. Philips, for example, used to employ sociologists and other behavioural scientists to find out what different generations in the Netherlands considered important. They then adjusted the designs of their electrical appliances accordingly.’

Isn’t thinking in terms of generations also something people themselves do?

‘From a sociological perspective, that is quite understandable. People, especially young people, have a need to belong to something, but at the same time to also oppose something. This can happen along different dimensions: lifestyle, music taste, but also generations.’

You often see different generations speaking somewhat disparagingly about each other. Gen Z’ers, for example, supposedly have a short attention span.

‘That also has to do with group formation. It often comes with stereotyping. The differences between generations are magnified, made sharper than they actually are, to highlight the differences.’

Then again, it’s not complete nonsense that generations differ, is it? Surely Gen Z is substantially different from a baby boomer?

‘What makes this complicated is that people also change as they get older. We call this the life cycle effect. People in their 20s are generally a lot more idealistic than people in their 50s. With a lot of life experience, people often come to see life differently than when they were young.’

‘It is therefore very difficult to say at this stage whether Gen Z is different from other generations. To rule out the life cycle effect, you have to take a long-term perspective. That can only be done once this generation is old.’

‘Most processes in society are gradual, like digitisation. They affect young people, but also older people. How this impact differs is something you can’t see right now, because of the life cycle effect.’

‘There are exceptions of course – certain shock events that can mark a generation. It could be a war, but also a change in policy. For instance, the year 1948 is a typical example of this. People born before that year were entitled to an earlier retirement and much more generous pension arrangements. So then you see a sharp curve in the average retirement age between the groups born before and after 1948.’

Does this also apply to the introduction of the loan system in 2015?

‘Yes, we did see the effect of that. Among students whose parents did not have a higher education degree, what is known as first-generation students, you suddenly saw

lower enrolment rates in higher education. That group was more reluctant to study because they had to take out loans to do so. That could have an impact in the longer term, for example for their professional careers.’

Generation Z also faced the Covid-19 pandemic at a very crucial life stage. Children and adolescents were homeschooled and not allowed to go out during lockdowns. Do you expect this to have any lasting effects?

‘It cannot be ruled out. On the other hand, today’s young people may have lots of other opportunities in future. For example, in terms of job market opportunities due to the large group of older workers currently exiting the job market. That clouds the picture.’

Would you say that the youngest generation of students has a harder time than previous generations?

‘I would, yes. Since the Second World War, there has consistently been an upward spiral. Younger generations achieved greater prosperity than their parents, educational participation increased. This trend has reversed in the past 15 years – also because many of these youngsters’ parents already have a university degree. How can you beat that as a young generation?’

‘The idea that every next generation will have a better life has stalled’

‘The fact that belief in progress, the idea that every next generation will have a better life, has stalled, is largely due to the policies of the past 10 to 15 years. The social security system has eroded, scholarships have shrunk, healthcare has long waiting lists, not to mention the problems in the housing market. The collective sector has crumbled. This particularly affects weaker members of society, as well as young people who have yet to build their socio-economic position.’

So the term ‘unlucky generation’, often used by Gen Z, is not completely off the mark?

‘No, but that terminology is rather strident, and makes it seem like an entire generation is unlucky. That will not be the case in the long run, because sooner or later people from that generation will also end up in top positions. Someone has to become prime minister. You will always have that kind of difference in positions within generations – society needs lucky people too.’