The Myth of the Generational Divide | Ryan Siskow | TEDxIowaCity

Summary

The speaker challenges the concept of a 'generational divide,' arguing that it is a misleading and harmful narrative. They assert that while differences exist between generations, we share far more in common than we realize. By focusing on commonalities rather than perceived divides, we can build stronger, more productive relationships across age groups. The speaker traces the origins of the generational divide to societal changes and technology, but emphasizes that this divide is more myth than reality. They advocate for a shift in perspective, urging people to see differences as strengths and to foster unity through shared values and experiences.

Takeaways

• 😀 The word 'divide' often carries negative connotations, especially when referring to generational differences.
• 🧐 The speaker challenges the narrative of a 'generational divide' and suggests that it is often misleading and harmful.
• 🎵 Shared interests, such as a love for music, can connect people across generations and highlight commonalities.
• 👨‍👩‍👦 Generational labels and stereotypes, such as 'lazy' or 'selfish,' are damaging and distract from the many things people have in common.
• 💡 The myth of the generational divide overlooks the fact that people, regardless of age, share more commonalities than differences.
• 💻 Technological advances in the 1980s and 1990s initially created a divide between generations, but this gap has largely closed as technology became more intuitive and accessible.
• 👥 The speaker emphasizes the importance of focusing on shared experiences and common ground rather than differences between generations.
• 🌍 Society often encourages self-focus in youth, but this should not be used to unfairly label an entire generation.
• 📝 Labels like 'materialistic' and 'selfish' are not only misleading but also divisive and damaging to relationships between generations.
• 🤝 The speaker concludes with an example of how shared experiences, like attending a concert or showing respect for others, can bridge generational gaps and bring people together.

Q & A

What is the primary message the speaker is trying to convey about the concept of 'generational divide'?

The speaker is arguing against the concept of a generational divide, emphasizing that people across generations have more in common than what divides them. They suggest that focusing on differences creates a misleading and potentially damaging narrative.

How does the speaker describe the word 'divide' and its impact on our perception?

The speaker describes 'divide' as a word that carries negative connotations and implies separation, suggesting that it is a loaded term that can be misleading and distracting when used to describe generational relationships.

What is the significance of the Pink Floyd song mentioned in the script, and how does it relate to the concept of generational divide?

The Pink Floyd song 'Another Brick in the Wall' is used as a metaphor to illustrate how focusing on generational differences is akin to building a wall that separates us, rather than recognizing the commonalities that connect us.

What was the catalyst for the speaker's 'aha' moment regarding generational commonalities?

The speaker's 'aha' moment was triggered by a shared appreciation for music, specifically a Pink Floyd song, which connected them with a younger barista, highlighting the idea that common interests can bridge generational gaps.

Why does the speaker believe that the concept of a generational divide is a 'myth'?

The speaker considers the generational divide a myth because it overlooks the fundamental truth that people of all ages and experiences share more commonalities than differences, which is a perspective that is often underestimated and undervalued.

What historical event is cited as the origin of the term 'generational gap', and how does it differ from the current concept of a generational divide?

The term 'generational gap' originated in the 1960s, specifically 1968, with Life magazine's cover story. It referred to the challenges and tensions between children and their parents, driven by events like the Vietnam War and Watergate. The current concept of a generational divide has evolved to include broader societal and workplace dynamics, not just familial relationships.

How does the speaker suggest we should view generational differences moving forward?

The speaker suggests that we should view generational differences not as challenges or obstacles, but as assets and tools that can make us collectively better, emphasizing the importance of finding common ground and leveraging shared interests.

What role does technology play in the speaker's discussion of the generational divide?

Technology is presented as a key factor that initially widened the perceived generational divide due to the rapid pace of innovation and differing levels of tech fluency among age groups. However, as technology became more user-friendly, the divide closed, yet the myth of a divide persisted.

What are the 'Triple M myth' and the 'myth of generational differences' that the speaker discusses, and why are they problematic?

The 'Triple M myth' refers to the stereotype that millennials are self-centered, materialistic, and me-focused. The 'myth of generational differences' suggests that these differences are insurmountable. Both are problematic because they are based on stereotypes that can be misleading, divisive, and damaging to relationships.

How does the speaker use the story of Liz and Phil to reinforce their message about generational commonalities?

The speaker uses the story of Liz and Phil, an elderly couple attending a Taylor Swift concert, to show that shared interests and experiences can bridge age gaps and that what truly matters is finding common ground, regardless of generational labels.

Outlines

00:00

🔗 The Myth of Generational Divide

The speaker begins by discussing the negative connotations associated with the word 'divide' and how it's often misused to describe generational differences. They argue that focusing on the supposed generational divide ignores the fundamental truth that people of all ages have more in common than what divides them. The speaker shares their experience of working on a program about generations in the workplace, which led to a realization that common interests, such as music, can bridge the perceived gap between generations. The narrative challenges the audience to look beyond the myth and appreciate the commonalities that exist.

05:01

🎶 Music as a Connector Across Generations

The speaker recounts a personal experience at Starbucks with a millennial barista named Dakota, which led to a discussion about a Pink Floyd song from 1979 that resonated with both of them despite the age difference. This encounter highlighted the power of music to connect people across generations. The speaker uses this anecdote to illustrate how focusing on differences rather than commonalities is akin to building a wall that separates us. They emphasize the importance of recognizing and celebrating the shared experiences and interests that unite us.

10:01

📚 Debunking Generational Myths

The speaker addresses the myths and misconceptions surrounding generational differences, particularly the stereotypes that younger generations are lazy or selfish. They trace the origins of the 'generational gap' concept back to the 1960s and discuss how societal changes and the rapid pace of technological innovation contributed to the perception of a divide. The speaker argues that these myths are not only misleading but also damaging to relationships and divisive. They advocate for a shift in perspective to view differences as assets rather than obstacles.

15:01

👫 Embracing Common Ground

In the final paragraph, the speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of finding and embracing common ground among people of all ages and experiences. They share a story about an elderly couple who attended a Taylor Swift concert, demonstrating that shared interests can transcend age. The speaker encourages the audience to rethink differences as strengths and to work together for the betterment of society, using the example of former political rivals who found common ground for the sake of their country.

Keywords

💡Divide

In the context of the video, 'divide' refers to the perceived separation between different generations, often characterized by differences in values, work ethics, and social behaviors. The speaker challenges the notion of a generational divide, arguing that there is more that unites people across generations than sets them apart. The term is used to critique the common narrative that generations are inherently at odds with each other, as seen in the phrase 'generational divide' which is a central theme of the discussion.

💡Generational Divide

This term is central to the video's message and refers to the supposed gap or conflict between different generations, particularly in the workplace and society. The speaker disputes this concept, suggesting that it is a myth that overlooks the commonalities among generations. The video uses the term to highlight how focusing on generational differences can be misleading and divisive, as in the speaker's anecdote about the Starbucks interaction which contradicts the idea of a divide.

💡Myth

The speaker uses 'myth' to describe the false belief in an unbridgeable gap between generations. The term is employed to emphasize that the idea of a generational divide is not based on factual evidence but rather on misconceptions and stereotypes. For instance, the speaker mentions 'the myth of the generational divide' to critique the overemphasis on generational differences.

💡Common Ground

This phrase is used to express the shared experiences, values, or interests that exist among people regardless of their generational affiliations. The speaker argues for a focus on 'common ground' as a way to foster unity and understanding between generations. An example from the script is the speaker's call to 'rediscover and reclaim what we have in common', suggesting that shared interests can bridge the perceived divide.

💡Stereotypes

Stereotypes refer to the oversimplified and generalized beliefs about a group of people, in this case, different generations. The video challenges stereotypes by pointing out that they are misleading and can damage relationships. The speaker mentions how certain generations are labeled with negative traits like 'lazy' or 'selfish', which are stereotypes that do not reflect the diversity within generations.

💡Technology

Technology is highlighted as a key factor that has influenced the perception of generational differences, particularly in the workplace. The speaker notes how the rapid pace of technological innovation created a perceived divide, as younger generations were often more adept at adopting new technologies. However, the speaker also points out that as technology has become more user-friendly, this divide has lessened.

💡Aha Moment

An 'aha moment' is a term used to describe a sudden realization or insight. In the video, the speaker shares an 'aha moment' at Starbucks, where a shared appreciation for Pink Floyd's music led to a realization about the connectivity between generations, despite their differences. This moment serves as a turning point in the speaker's understanding of generational dynamics.

💡Asset

The term 'asset' is used to reframe how differences should be viewed. Instead of perceiving generational differences as challenges or obstacles, the speaker suggests that they should be seen as assets that can contribute to the collective strength of a group. This shift in perspective encourages a more positive and inclusive approach to generational diversity.

💡Rethink

The speaker encourages the audience to 'rethink' their approach to generational differences, suggesting that a new perspective can lead to more productive and harmonious interactions between generations. The term is used to promote a mindset shift from division to unity, as exemplified by the speaker's own journey to challenge the conventional narrative of the generational divide.

💡Unity

Unity is a recurring theme in the video, emphasizing the importance of togetherness and collective strength. The speaker argues that focusing on commonalities rather than differences fosters unity. For instance, the story of Liz and Phil attending a Taylor Swift concert with much younger fans illustrates how shared interests can bridge age gaps and create a sense of unity.

Highlights

The word 'divide' is often used negatively, yet we have more in common that connects us than divides us.

Generational divides are often discussed, especially in workplaces, but these narratives can be misleading and harmful.

The idea of a 'generational divide' is flawed because it ignores the shared experiences and connections between generations.

In 1968, the concept of the generational gap was popularized, driven by events like Vietnam, Watergate, and shifts in music, film, and literature.

Technology played a key role in creating a divide when Generation X entered the workforce, as older generations were slower to adapt to the rapid pace of innovation.

By the mid-2000s, technology became more intuitive and user-friendly, narrowing the generational gap.

The myth of the generational divide persists, despite many shared experiences across age groups.

Two prominent myths about Millennials are: 'They’re changing the world' and 'They’ll never amount to anything.'

Labels like 'lazy' and 'selfish' applied to Millennials are not only misleading but damaging to relationships and contribute to divisiveness.

We can change the narrative by focusing on what unites us, rather than what divides us.

Music is a powerful force that connects generations at a deep, even cellular level, as demonstrated by the example of Pink Floyd.

Generational labels are often misleading and oversimplify the complexities of individuals within those age groups.

The generational divide concept started with the Baby Boomers but was carried forward with Gen X and Millennials, though it has weakened in recent years.

Focusing on our common ground, such as shared experiences or cultural interests like music, can bridge generational divides.

The example of two 80-year-olds attending a Taylor Swift concert highlights that age is just a number, and shared interests can bring people together across generations.

Transcripts

let's talk about the word divide for

just a moment when you hear that word

what pops into your head anyone mad it

literally means to separate to make less

than whole and then there's all that

other stuff right it's how our past

experiences and the way we see the world

add even more personal definition to

that word and let's face it unless

you're a mathematician it's a loaded

word with a whole lot of negative

connotations and yet it's one of the

most commonly used words we see when we

read about or we hear when we talk about

multiple generations working side by

side in the workplace collaborating in

our classrooms having discussions on

social media or just hanging out

language is powerful the words we choose

matter and when we put that word divided

front and center sometimes with a big

spotlight on it we create a narrative

that have best is misleading and

distracting and at its worst is actually

detrimental it's damaging and it's

divisive it assumes that for us to have

authentic and robust and productive

relationships we have to first overcome

something at its core it's a flawed

proposition because when we focus on

this idea that I call the myth of the

generational divide we ignore a

fundamental truth and that truth is this

regardless of age and experience we have

much more in common that connects us

than divides us it's not as my friend

Sean would say rocket surgery I'm not

the first and I certainly won't be the

last person to say it and yet it's

almost always overlooked it's

underestimated and it's certainly

undervalued but it doesn't have

be that way we can change the narrative

we can engage in an honest conversation

about what it means to look for

appreciate and leverage the things that

we have in common now for some people

that may sound like a Captain Obvious

moment but all we have to do is look

around and we can see that what we have

in common has taken a backseat to our

differences so I'm here today to set the

record straight or at least the record

as I see it and take you on a

generational journey of sorts to explore

some aha moments investigate how we got

here to this idea of the generational

divide and answer that big question so

what now now four years ago a client

called me and asked me to help create a

program about generations in the

workplace and that one call kicked up a

whole flurry of activity a lot of

research a lot of reading and a lot of

interviews because I needed to know what

leaders were thinking I needed to know

what employees were saying and

experiencing and I needed to know what

the research was telling folks about

this topic here's what I quickly learned

think of it like the headline of a

newspaper right and that headline almost

always had three words in it generations

divided and differences and underneath

that headline it almost always unfolded

the same way generational differences

create a divide now in my gut I knew

that that story wasn't quite complete I

couldn't quite put my finger on it

so I let it simmer for a little bit and

a couple days later I got up and packed

my stuff and went to my mobile office

also known as Starbucks and I walked

into Starbucks and the 20-something

millennial behind the bar waved at me

and said whose name by the way is Dakota

waves at me and says hey Ryan what can I

get started for you so gave him my order

and as he's giving me my change he looks

at my awesome shirt says - I love your

shirt pink floyd--

and without really thinking I said yes

my millennial friends they do and then

it got kind of awkward so I sat down now

remember when I said we have much more

in common that connects us than divides

us that was my aha moment and it was all

about music how many of you love music

yeah I've never had anybody stand up and

say music sucks because music some would

say connects us at a cellular level it's

the soundtrack to our lives and then I

thought about that number one song Pink

Floyd's number one song from 1979 I was

10 years old and had a beautiful full

head of brown hair

I know take a second to picture it and

that was my favorite song and guess what

I'm gonna sing part of it and I know

some of you know the words and so I want

you to sing along with me hey teachers

leave us kids alone

it was the quintessential coming-of-age

song for a generation called X but it's

those next two lines in that song that

brought it together for me and I hope it

does for you too all in all it's just

another brick in the wall all in all

you're just another brick in the wall

Wow pretty deep stuff for his song that

when I was 10 years old it was just

about those teachers all these years

later that song helped me realize that

when we put our differences first

it's like putting another and another

and another brick in a wall that we've

created so I took those aha moments and

insights and some really great memories

and I sat down with that client and

created that program it was really

successful we had a whole lot of fun and

I'll tell you what

it was so much fun and I got so much out

of those experiences that I decided to

set out on a longer and larger journey

to inquire to investigate and to share

what I'm still learning about all of us

and so as I continued to ask a lot of

questions I'm kind of annoying that way

there was one big question up up there

hanging out that I needed to answer and

that was how did we get here to this

idea or myth of the generational divide

now to answer that question we have to

go all the way back to the 1960s 1968 to

be exact some of you were there I was

well let's just say I was on my way life

magazine published a cover story about

what was then called the generational

gap and the generation gap referred to

challenges and tensions that were

occurring between children and their

parents and it was driven largely by our

involvement in Vietnam and Watergate and

facilitated in large part by music film

and literature there are two iconic

phrases associated with that time sex

drugs and rock and roll peace love and

understanding now fast-forward to the

late 1980s into the mid 1990s and

another generation was coming of age

Generation X they were entering the

workforce in much smaller numbers than

their baby boomer predecessors but

interestingly enough our closely aligned

with sometimes even blame for that

generation gap growing into a

generational divide certainly there were

social and cultural changes the AIDS

crisis the Challenger disaster divorce

and latchkey kids were milestones and

the arts certainly reflected and

facilitated the changing times

but there was one new ingredient in the

mix and it changed everything

it was technology technology

specifically and the pace of innovation

that was happening at such a fast rate

that we'd never seen before the younger

generation was better prepared

because they had more access to and

became more fluent in new technology

when they entered the workforce then

their elder peers who were already there

and add to that an older generation who

to some degree were left out in the cold

because they had already left the

workforce and by extension weren't

naturally exposed to that new technology

much less had an opportunity to adopt

and adapt to it ironically if there ever

was a generational divide that's when it

happened

because technology wasn't always

user-friendly it wasn't intuitive and it

wasn't smart but now fast-forward to the

mid 2000s when Millennials are entering

the workforce and here's something

fascinating that happened that divided

quickly closed because technology became

intuitive it became user friendly and it

became smart enabled and yet that myth

of the generational divide persists in

fact it spawned a whole bunch of little

little smaller most sometimes bigger

myths including two of these Biggie's

the first one is what I call and is

really two sides of the same coin the

their change in the world

they'll never amount to anything myth

and when I see headlines like this I

just have to wonder about all the other

generations that have and continue to

change the world and when I see an

entire generation labeled as lazy

they'll never amount to anything I look

at my fellow Gen Xers and say look what

they said about us now the second myth

is what I like to call the Triple M myth

me me me you know myths are rooted in

truth and this one's no exception we're

an individualistic society we encourage

sometimes require self-reflection

self-development and self focused

particularly when we're young right when

we're discovering who we are and

charting our path in life so it's unfair

to label an entire

Raisins selfish or use that as an

indicator of future behavior those

labels aren't just misleading and

distracting they are in fact damaging to

our relationships and they're divisive

when we see words like this

materialistic selfish lazy and arrogant

used to describe our millennial friends

our colleagues our family members I ask

folks to do one simple thing and I'm

gonna ask you to do it to look around

you the words we choose matter so as we

wrap up our time together and I go off

and continue my generational exploration

I think we all need to ask that big

question so what now it's a good

question I think we have an opportunity

to rediscover and reclaim what we have

in common and put it first we here in

Iowa have a lot in common sometimes we

need to be nudged just a little bit to

dig a little bit further to find it

sometimes we need to be reminded but we

come together that when because

regardless of age and experience and all

the other things that we have in common

we found and we stand firmly on common

ground you can see it every day every

hour in every community in this great

state but we have a new tradition that

brings together three of the greatest

things that we Iowans have in common a

love and commitment to our children and

kids everywhere Iowa nice and a love for

college football that's unsurpassed and

that tradition began right here in Iowa

City home of the Iowa Hawkeyes

you see when we look for appreciate and

leverage the things that we have in

common even the most simple seemingly

simple of things

like a wave can have a profound impact I

also think that we have an opportunity

to rethink how we look at our

differences not as challenges and

obstacles but as assets and tools that

make us collectively better and today I

can't think of a better example than

these two men who were once rivals in a

race to become president of the United

States in his remembrance of the late

Senator John McCain former President

Barack Obama made note of the many

differences they had including age and

experience but he took great care to

highlight the many things that they had

in common that enabled them to work

together for love of country so if

you're still not convinced I'll leave

you with this story I found this story a

couple years ago when I was leafing

through the Des Moines Register and I

found this story about Liz and Phil both

in their late 80s celebrating their

one-year anniversary and they decided to

spend that evening in the front row

surrounded by thousands of screaming

preteens and teenagers at a Taylor Swift

concert Liz and Phil remind us that age

is just a number and that what really

matters is our shared interests and our

shared experiences because we are after

all stronger together when we are

standing or in this case dancing

uncommon ground thank you

you