from the "Silent Generation" towards Gen Alpha. Or: how Toffler's Future Shock(-waves) may influence the Project Avalon forum.

[Johan (Keyholder)]

This is a proposal to discuss what Bill Ryan brought up in his personal Q&A-thread (#534). (Quote:"Where might all this go in the end? I genuinely have no idea, and it may be worth a new thread in itself to talk about it all.")

It is a question I have asked myself often as well. As probably many others have here too.

We all have no doubt been looking for answers. This place can be a good one to exchange views and ideas about what's happening, and maybe find some ways to do something about it (if possible at all).

Personally I think that the average age of each one of us can have something to do with it. I am not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised that many of the active members here are above 50, often above 60 even. Is that because we have "more time"? I don' think so.

The term "Silent Generation" is one that is maybe not so well known. This is used for those people born between 1925 and 1945. I know that there are several of us in the 73+ age-group, though maybe not a whole lot.

Then we have the "babyboomers", born between 1946 and 1964. Is this the largest group present here? (active members, I only talk about those posting regularly).

Generation X or "baby bust" - between 1965 and 1979 - comes next. Again a reasonable large group here I think.

When we look at the total number of "active posters" in those three groups, I wouldn't be surprised that they constitute over 2/3 of the total.

Then the Xennials (1975-1985), the Millennials (1980-1994, or Gen Y or Gen Next), the iGen or Gen Z (1995-2012) and Gen Alpha (2013-...) follow.

These names for the different age groups can be found on different places on the internet. (this link: https://www.careerplanner.com/Career-Articles/Generations.cfm)

Those of us, 40+ here, were not raised with the internet at our fingertips. We used to go search for information in libraries, we looked for groups IRL where we could find likeminded souls. That took more time, we needed to be more patient, our attention spans were longer and very often it took a lot of energy to find what we were looking for.

Now, that doesn't mean that there are no young people that are patient, energetic and very inventive today. Quite a few of them frequent this forum (and we're grateful for that). But they "stand out" more than the older ones amongst us would have, 30-40 years ago (in case you don't agree, please say so). Maybe it is also related to culture and geography.

I have taught in high school. Kids between 15 and 18. While I agree that the education system is based on many different "wrong" ideas (and we know why thàt is), society and the way it is organized makes it very challenging for these young people to think.

They (many adults as well) prefer a pre-chewed reality, where they have as little responsibility as possible, can apply many forms of "false self-entitlement" (not always their fault though) and can live a hedonistic life.

We live in a combination of "Brave new world", 1984, "Animal Farm" … and "Soylent Green" may not even be thàt far away. Well, let's hope not.

There is a lot more to be said about this. But this is just the "kick-off". Hopefully many will give their ideas and insights. And possible solutions and how to deal with this as well.

[Smell the Roses]

Great discussion starter, Keyholder. I am Generation X, and I do think there is a difference in perspective that occurs based on when a person landed on the planet.

I just find it's so difficult to have real conversations these days. Everyone is so touchy about this issue or that issue, so quick to become angry at their neighbor if they don't adhere to whatever paradigm the person thinks is correct. Even when you come right out and explain that this division between neighbors only benefits the elite, it's like the reactions are so programmed that the person can't even comprehend the implication of what you are saying. However, the 1 in 100 person who is able to hold a real conversation is a true gem and worth searching for.

[Johan (Keyholder)]

Yes, I fully agree with that Merry Mom. How to find others that are capable - and willing! - to have real conversations, that has become a real challenge.
The 1 in 100 is probably right too, maybe even "too optimistic".

[petra]

I have a really huge wish for the forum.
I would like to see the PA forum become more mobile friendly, so that people could use it using a cell-phone and only a cell-phone.
Not so much for myself, but for people like my brother. He doesn't have a PC, and probably won't ever have one. I'm not saying he'd even want to come onto PA, or if I'd even want to recommend that, but in my mind it'd be better for him to talk/rant about his "mental illness" on here than on his Facebook.

[Valerie Villars]

I'm a baby boomer (1961) and spent all of my life reading books; a lot of them. Actually reading anything in print on paper.

I don't think the current level of technological media can sustain itself.But now I'm just as bad as everyone else. I almost exclusively get information on a computer. But, somehow, it lacks a spiritual component when it's not on paper. I am sure of this.

I just have a feeling that somewhere in our future, it's all going to blow up so to speak.

And then, somewhere, a human or two finds a book or several books or someone's library of books and begins to read.

After that....I just don't know.

[Flash]

I think the way to have younger generations on the forum is to get young ones in, let them post their videos, get the forum cell friendly absolutely necessary and mostly accept the language they use (it is hard even for me, they are blunt).

They will not read much, but they like to have fun and to have controversy.

But, make sure the mod team is very very strong.

I personnally have great discussions with the Z generation, and they love disussing with older people, as long as we are opened. HOwever, they are very susceptible and opinionated sometimes- they demand respect but do not always give it while being blunt at the same time. A weird mix spinned off from the internet media.

[Smell the Roses]

Is it really the young people that are posting videos? I find the prevalence of videos here frustrating, but I haven’t studied the ages of the people posting them. If a thread is mainly based around a video of some so-called guru, I just move on.

Do other people feel like they are mainly observers and not participators in life here on this world? I’ve been that way for most of my life, but it’s never occurred to me until recently that maybe I should try to change it. I don’t even know how to change it. Sometimes I wish I could be like the people who seem to be just enjoying life, pretty much just doing whatever they feel like, speaking their mind regardless of how it makes other people feel, and just generally not seeming to be concerned about the purpose of life or the world.

In the past I would have thought it was a bad thing to want to be like the character in The Matrix who asked to be put back into the matrix without any knowledge of the real world. But lately I am just so weary of wondering where all this is heading and getting so tired of just maintaining the status quo, that I wonder if I should try another route and just give up on caring about society. I mean it’s basically the Atlas Shrugged mentality, which I understood intellectually, but never fully embraced. I’m getting pretty close to shrugging.