Talkin’ ’Bout Our Generations: How They Shape (Almost) Everything in 2023
Talkin’ ’Bout Our Generations: How They Shape (Almost) Everything in 2023
Are you a boomer? Millennial? A member of Gen Z or X? As this collection of 20 stories explores, the ways we eat, dress, travel and scroll all depend a lot on when we were born.
BORN IN A TRUNK Please note that our member of the Silent Generation was agile enough to climb to the top of this family tree.
Jack Hudson Jack Hudson
By
WSJ Off Duty Editors
Updated July 15, 2023 12:21 am ET
WHY PUT together a special editorial package all about generations? It’s simple: In 2023, no one can shut up about the ever-shifting dynamics between young and old—especially when it comes to trends. Flip phones? Those mature enough to remember the devices’ first coming can’t quite fathom why Gen Z has embraced them. Ditto: those plastic “claws” used
Are you a boomer? Millennial? A member of Gen Z or X? As this collection of 20 stories explores, the ways we eat, dress, travel and scroll all depend a lot on when we were born.
BORN IN A TRUNK Please note that our member of the Silent Generation was agile enough to climb to the top of this family tree.
Jack Hudson Jack Hudson
By
WSJ Off Duty Editors
WHY PUT together a special editorial package all about generations? It’s simple: In 2023, no one can shut up about the ever-shifting dynamics between young and old—especially when it comes to trends. Flip phones? Those mature enough to remember the devices’ first coming can’t quite fathom why Gen Z has embraced them. Ditto: those plastic “claws” used to fashion cockatoo-like hairstyles first seen in the ’80s.
As boomers ease deeper into retirement, their dominance waning, and Gen X (the “forgotten generation”) toils in obscurity, millennials—now entering their 40s—have seen their role as the-ones-who-get-all-headlines usurped by Gen Z. Avocado toast, so central to millennials’ image, seems as dusty and irrelevant as a Victrola.
Still, what we learned in gathering these 20 stories is that every generation has lessons to offer the others. That won’t stop the young from masterminding exciting, toast-based innovations (the ball’s in your court, Gen Z) or older Americans from (understandably) rolling their eyes.
When a millennial son arrives at his parents’ Wi-Fi-challenged cottage in Brittany, the search for a signal forges unexpected connections of a different, cross-generational sort. Read the story.
Miami? Passé. Thanks to an influx of young travelers and residents drawn by its food and bar scene—and its walkability—this sleepy Sun Belt city is waking up fast. Read the story.
While younger Americans value paperbacks as digital-detox tools, some older folks have quietly become e-book fanatics. A millennial explores the counterintuitive divide. Read the story.
Sure, Gen Xers were cool in the 1990s, but has anyone paid attention to their style since? We figure out what their look is now (and whether or not it’s any good). Read the story.
Mothers and daughters don’t always agree when it comes to fashion. We challenged a duo whose styles rarely mesh to create outfits using the same pieces. The upshot: They’re less dissimilar than they thought. Read the story.
Ashley Markle for the Wall Street Journal; Styling by Kevin Huynh; Styling Assist by Christina Middleton; Hair and Makeup by Roy Liu; Location: Gary’s Lofts
Decades after its first turn in the spotlight, this trendy cocktail has been co-opted by Gen Z. Here, a rich, full-flavored version that pleases everyone. Read the story.
Our writer’s fascination with old-school desserts has won him a huge TikTok following—but for him, one mid-century summertime treat packs a particularly poignant punch. Read the story.
For seniors, moving to a smaller space doesn’t need to signal the start of a quieter chapter—especially when it comes to interior design. Read the story.
After nearly five decades working at Manhattan’s Bergdorf Goodman department store, Betty Halbreich has helped a range of generations. Here, she reflects on what’s different—and what isn’t. Read the story.
As younger Americans start to experience hearing loss, a new breed of hearing aids that function more like fancy headphones and fitness trackers are coming to the rescue. Read the story.
We surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. adults about what casual items guys can get away with wearing to work now. Often, generations were divided. Read the story.
As she entered her 50s, health concerns led Andrea Nguyen to dial back the meat in her cooking. Turns out, her 89-year-old mother got there first. Here, three vegetable-forward recipes to try. Read the story.
Young travelers now have a new angle when booking a vacation: Secure an appointment with a famous tattoo artist in a far flung location and return home with the ultimate souvenir. Read the story.
How well (or badly) did you decorate your first apartment? Five Wall Street Journal editors look back at clever décor solutions from their cash-strapped youth. Read the story.
Cruise enthusiasts can skew older, but these popular voyages bring together musical theater fans of every generation—not to mention Tony-winning performers like Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming. Read the story.
