Help please!
I am trying to figure out the common time period for using the word “generationâ€. I know the “real†definition is related to amount of time between a mother's giving birth and her daughter's giving birth which I know today is about 25-30 years. I need to know the proper usage in a general sense. I always thought “generation†referred to 10 year periods, some people say it is 20 years. I am trying to figure out the proper number of generations contained in 100 years. What is the most accepted way?
Thanks for your help!
Welcome!
The confusion is that there is more than one "real" definition. The one you cite as "real" is a familial generation, while the 10-year or 20-year reference is an approximation of a cultural generation.
Cultural generations often range between ten and twenty years, and are amorphous, but roughly coincide with significant cultural changes that a cohort experiences, such as the population boom associated with the "baby boom" generation, or the rapid worldwide political and technological changes that were occurring as Generation X came of age.
Technological generations occur when a form of technology experiences a massive, rapid leap forward. First Generation (1G) phones used analog signals; 2G used digital signals; 3G added internet connectivity; 4G was originally defined as internet connectivity at 1MBPS when in motion, 100MBPS when stationary. (None of the current "4G" systems meet this definition, but marketing hype has forced a redefinition of "4G.")
Wikipedia actually has a clear and useful entry on the subject of generations. It's worth a look. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation