The Silent Generations
By: Lindsey Lyngholm
Each generation has something special
to them. There is the G.I. Generation also
known as the Greatest Generation (1901-1924).
This generation experienced World War 1 as
children and as teenagers and World War 2 in
there adulthood. Then comes the Silent
Generation (1925-1945). Some were too young
to join World War 2 and some were just able to
meet the age requirement. They later
experienced early parts of the Civil Rights
Movement. From the Silent Generation came
the Baby Boomers (1946-1964). They are the
children born post-war. They experienced the
Civil Rights Movements along with the
beginning of the Cold War and the Space Race.
Some people say they are the first to have a
counterculture lifestyle. Generation X are the
ones who were born at the beginning of the
Cold War and were teenagers or young adults
at the end of the Cold War (1965-1985). When
they were older the rise of technology had
started. The Millennials were born around the
time when the internet started to boom (19861994). Last but not least is the New Silent
Generation (1995-Present). This is the
generation that is very privileged with advanced
technology. Some also say this is the Selfish
Generation.
Of course there are other names and
nicknames for these generations but these are
the main six that are around today. If you look
at how the 20th century and 21st century have
changed over the years, you can tell that the
Silent Generation, which began more than 70
years ago, has a very different lifestyle then the
New Silent Generation. They even have earned
their names for very different reasons.
If you were to take a step back in time
and see how different the lifestyle and
education is for the Silent Generation as it is for
the New Silent.
“In 1940, eight out ten boys who
graduated from school went to war and more
than half of the population of the United States
had completed no more than eighth grade. In
1945 fifty-one percent of 17 year olds were high
school graduates. Today, more than 13 million
teenagers report to public high school classes
across the United States.” Elizabeth Ann
Murphy said.
They got their name, “The Silent
Generation,” mainly from the Great Depression
that was going on throughout America and the
world. They also got there name because they
worked very hard and kept quiet. It was thought
that at the time that, “Children should be seen
and not heard.” There’s another movement
from the 50s that was led by Senator Joseph
McCarthy that paralleled the Cold War. He
claimed that famous celebrities and political
leaders, which he didn’t agree with, were
communist’s spies which emphasized the
feelings of paranoia in regular life. This made
them cautious about where they went, who
they spoke too, and who they went out with.
Thus giving them the name, “The Silent
Generation.”
In the early 1940s school was
considered to be based upon gender. Girls were
trained to be housewives while boys were
trained to become soldiers. Students dressed
accordingly. Girls wore skirts, blouses, or
sweaters with penny loafers or oxfords and
socks and the boys wore long pants. Sun
dresses and shorts were not allowed. The only
time girls ever wore jeans was on the weekends
to the movies. At school girls could be seen
making dresses and boys training hard in
physical education. Schools mainly taught
lessons about family life, hygiene, and health.
Educators knew that a lot of families were poor
and knew that if the lessons didn’t have a
purpose they would pull their kids out of school
to work. At school teachers would carry around
beating sticks to discipline children. Students
highly respected there teachers because if not
there would be a consequence. They respected
their elders.
The New Silent Generation is known for
their technology, social media, and culture but
there is another side to them. Despite having
iPhones, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
accounts, they are seeing their parents struggle
to find jobs after being laid off and having their
homes being taken away. For the first time in
several generations, everyone has to make a
choice on what is a want and what is a need.
Which is hard to imagine since they have all
these new things that parents, grandparents,
and great-grandparents never had. The financial
problems that their parents are going through
suddenly become a problem for them to fix.
Just like the Silent Generation, they are being
called upon to help bail out their parents’
generation even before they are old enough to
get a job.
Today’s generation is defined by
technology. They have an immediate window
into every aspect of the world. They can
connect with people, have their voice heard, or
even make an impact on the world. They have
the ability to make their world as big or as small
as they want it to be unlike other generations.
For example the poor children on, “The
Walton’s,” had a hard time just leaving town let
alone the state where as even lower class
middle families of today will often travel even if
it’s in their own state.
Sometimes it takes many years before
you can look back and have a generation truly
be defined. The New Silent Generation who
might not even have the same name in the
years to come but as history will prove the past
has a way of repeating itself and it’ll be
interesting to closely compare and contrast the
defining features of these generations as time
goes by.
“1940s girls passing notes in class.”
Sources
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http://www.timesherald.com/opinion/20120818
Norma-Haynes-Sat-MOS
https://www.illinois.gov/ihpa/R
esearch/IllinoisHistory/Docume
nts/Jan05-17Murphy.pdf
http://study.com/academy/less
on/the-silent-generationdefinition-characteristicsfacts.html
http://www.yaney.net/NailingP
ost.aspx?pid=34
http://galleryhip.com/1940slifestyle.html