There has been a missing piece in the generational landscape
Originally, GenJonesers were mistakenly lumped in with Boomers because of their mutually high birth rates. But generations stem from shared formative experiences, not head counts. Over time, the original mistaken Boomer Generation definition has become widely discredited, with many top experts now embracing Generation Jones as a distinct generation. These experts underline the importance of distinguishing between the post-WWII demographic boom in babies versus the cultural generations born during that time. Jonesers were born between the mid-1950s and mid-1960s, with the exact birth years varying from nation to nation. In the U.S. and most Western countries, the birth years most often used for GenJones are 1954-1965. Extensive research has shown dramatic differences between the collective personality traits of Boomers versus Jonesers.
There are several connotations to the name “Generation Jones”
Social Commentator Jonathan Pontell coined the term “Generation Jones”. Some of its connotations:
It embodies the idea of a large anonymous generation
It was this generation—as teens in the 1970’s—which nationally popularized the slang term “jonesin'” (meaning a craving or yearning)… which has turned out to be a core personality trait of this generation of huge expectations left unfulfilled
Between the personality extremes of the Boomers’ idealism and the Xers’ cynicism lies the more balanced mainstream “Jones” quality
This generation is responsible for popularizing the sense of irony which gives the “Jones” name its generic cool
The “keeping up with the Joneses” connotation reflects a collective competitiveness resulting from the very populous GenJones birth years
Beyond the U.S., GenJones is receiving major media attention globally
Generation Jones has gained widespread expert acceptance, and extensive media coverage. The annual Associated Press Trend Report chose The Rise of Generation Jones as the #1 trend last year. In addition to the extensive national U.S. media attention about GenJones, many top global media outlets have covered the emergence of GenJones, including France’s Le Monde, Canada’s Globe and Mail, Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald, the U.K.’s BBC, and Germany’s Der Spiegel.
Numerous top academic institutions, polling organizations, and Fortune 500 corporations are researching and teaching Generation Jones
General Motors, Gallup Polling, and The Ivy League’s Yale University are just a few of the many Fortune 500 Corporations, Universities, Institutes, Political Pollsters, and Market Research companies which research and teach various aspects about Generation Jones. Qualitative research reveals stark differences in values, attitudes, consumer behavior and political behavior between Jonesers and those in their surrounding generations.