Lost, Silent? No!
By celticeagle
@celticeagle (159538)
Boise, Idaho
April 25, 2024 4:39pm CST
I have been a little confused about the generaion names that people have been using recently.
2000–Present: New Silent Generation or Generation Z
1980 to 2000: Millennials or Generation Y
1965 to 1979: Thirteeners or Generation X
1946 to 1964: Baby Boomers
1925 to 1945: The Silent Generation
1883 to 1910: The Lost Generation Coined by author Gertrude Stein, this term emerged during the 20th century. It describes those who came of age during World War I. The name reflects the disillusionment prevalent in post-war society, and it was inspired by a French farmer’s phrase: “génération perdue” (meaning “lost generation”)
They aren't silent, just not heard. And why the 'lost'? We have some lovely memories of those people. They aren't lost!
Here's the story:
Learn all about generation names, including how each got theirs and what years define them. Which one do you belong to?
9 people like this
7 responses
@sabtraversa (13014)
• Italy
25 Apr
I've heard of this one, I couldn't disagree more with the term "Silent Generation".
They are many elders in my country and they aren't silent at all, for they're hard of hearing therefore they're often very loud when they speak. 
Jokes aside, most of them experienced WW2 although they were very young, and some even witnessed the Shoah. Those in the US went through the Great Depression. I guess people in the past preferred listening to adults than children, whose childhoods must have been traumatic, so they grew up "withdrawn" according to the article. We discovered much later how valuable their stories and experiences were.
Of course, if you compare them to the Lost* ones, the Silent were indeed "silent". It was cool to know the origin of these names, they probably made more sense at the time than now.
*Lost as they lost (or were lost in excesses) due to war and had to rebuild many things from scratch, this sounds reasonable to me instead. I'd almost call them the "Phoenix generation" but it gives too much of a positive connotation once you realize the founders of Fascism and Nazism were born in those years.
Jokes aside, most of them experienced WW2 although they were very young, and some even witnessed the Shoah. Those in the US went through the Great Depression. I guess people in the past preferred listening to adults than children, whose childhoods must have been traumatic, so they grew up "withdrawn" according to the article. We discovered much later how valuable their stories and experiences were.
Of course, if you compare them to the Lost* ones, the Silent were indeed "silent". It was cool to know the origin of these names, they probably made more sense at the time than now.
*Lost as they lost (or were lost in excesses) due to war and had to rebuild many things from scratch, this sounds reasonable to me instead. I'd almost call them the "Phoenix generation" but it gives too much of a positive connotation once you realize the founders of Fascism and Nazism were born in those years.3 people like this
My mother was from the "Silent Generation"... goodness, if there was someone who spoke all the time (and loud) that was my mother.
@celticeagle (159538)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Apr
BarBarPrz made sense to it. It was given that name because of all the men lost in the war.
@LadyDuck (459347)
• Switzerland
27 Apr
@celticeagle It makes more sense than the "official" explanation. "The lost generation was “lost” in the sense that its inherited values were no longer relevant in the postwar world and because of its spiritual alienation from a United States"
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45594)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
26 Apr
The lost generation was so called because so many young men were 'lost' in the war.
I've never heard the term 'thirteeners'... Where does that come from?
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (45594)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Apr
@sabtraversa Thanks for explaining 'thirteeners'... rather US-centric, if you ask me.
2 people like this
@sabtraversa (13014)
• Italy
26 Apr
@BarBaraPrz I thought that too, the US won the war but there were losses too. Germany truly lost instead and things got much worse there, they lost their minds too. 
Italy too, but it's less known. 
I read that Gen X is the 13th generation born since the American Revolution, but eventually the letter X became more popular. Thirteeners is for nerds.
Italy too, but it's less known.
I read that Gen X is the 13th generation born since the American Revolution, but eventually the letter X became more popular. Thirteeners is for nerds. 2 people like this
@kaylachan (58262)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
25 Apr
That chart is missing fifteen years err... fourteen years from 1910 -1924. I wonder where those people fell. LOL I am Gen Y and proud of it. My husband was a baby boomer. Don't know about the whole lost thing unless they mean lack of information.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (159538)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Apr
I think it is meant to be a mixture of both of them. The lost thing, as BarBarPrz brought to my attention, was when so many men were lost during the war. I think that makes sense.
2 people like this
@sabtraversa (13014)
• Italy
26 Apr
@kaylachan From 1900 to 1924 it's the G.I. (government issue) or Greatest gen. It does overlap with the Lost one, they probably share much in common as they both fought wars etc.
3 people like this
@LindaOHio (157337)
• United States
26 Apr
What was the generation from 1910 - 1925?
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159538)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Apr
A mixture of silent and lost I guess.
1 person likes this
@grenery8 (2559)
• Croatia (Hrvatska)
28 Apr
@celticeagle i agree. if they work hard!
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73749)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
25 Apr
I don't know about the term Lost perhaps being that it was such a difficult time, I belong to the Baby Boomers.
1 person likes this
