The Generation Gap

ebruary
January/F
2013
KNOW YOUR
GENERATIONS
$
$
$
$
THE
$
GAP
$
BABY BOOMERS
Born: 1940s – 1964
Characteristics:
Optimistic, loyal, ambitious
Work attitude: It’s a lifestyle
Motivation: Money, titles
GENERATION X
(MTV GENERATION)
Born: 1965 – 1981
Characteristics:
Pragmatic, individualistic, risk-taking
Work attitude: It’s a necessity
Motivation: Freedom
ISSUE
pages to help you bridge that gap
19-26
Are you tearing your hair out
dealing with someone from
another generation? Is the gap
between you and Gen Y (or
X or the Boomers) wider than
the Grand Canyon? Fear not.
This handy pullout is packed
with tips and info about the
various generations that
will wise you up.
WTF MEANS…
Messages (1)
GENERATION Y
(THE MILLENNIALS OR
GENERATION NEXT)
Born: 1981 – 1999
Characteristics:
Tech-savvy, confident, goal-oriented
Work attitude: It should be interesting
Motivation: Meaningfulness
Dad
Call
Contact Info
Hi, I am fairly new to
Facebook. Mind accepting
my friend request?
you made a facebook?
WTF!!
What does “WTF” mean?
oh it means welcome
to facebook
Send
bit.ly/dJ2gOV
Beat generation
American author Jack Kerouac
introduced the phrase “Beat
Generation” in 1948 to describe an
anti-conformist youth movement.
It now refers to a group of
American writers in the 1950s
who embraced Eastern philosophy
and non-traditional values.
Generation of €700
Called “twixters” in America and
“parasite singles” in Japan, the
Generation of €700 refers to
those caught between adolescence
and adulthood in Greece.
Educated but unemployed,
this generation spends time
in temporary jobs, earning the
bare minimum of €700.
Edit
Nov 30, 2012 7:30 PM
GENERATION Z (NET GENERATION)
Born: After 1999
Characteristics:
Individualistic, self-directed
Work attitude: Freelance work is normal
Motivation: Flexibility
GENERATIONS
YOU DIDN’T
KNOW ABOUT
WHAT IS THE
GENERATION GAP?
It refers to differences in values
and attitudes between people
from different generations – most
commonly, parents and children.
The older
generation thought
nothing of getting
up at five every
morning and the
younger generation
doesn’t think
much of it either.
– John J. Welsh
Y
X
Boomers
WHICH
GENERATION
DO YOU
BELONG TO?
Take this quiz to f ind out.
You haven’t seen your friend in a
while, and you wonder how he’s
doing. What would you prefer to do?
Call
Text
Facebook message
You see an interesting article your
friend would like. You:
Ask him if he’s seen it
Link it in an email
Tweet him or tag him on Facebook
You want to watch a movie, but it’s
no longer showing. You:
Rent the DVD
Ask a friend to download it for you
Stream it online
SHAKE YOUR BOOTY
Mambo Jambo may have moved out of town, but here are the
iconic dance moves of each decade.
70s – Hustle
Popularised by
John Travolta in
the film Saturday
Night Fever
80s – Moonwalk
Popularised by
Michael Jackson
in his music video
Billie Jean
Originally a catchall name for disco
dances in the
1970s, The Hustle
is best known for
John Travolta’s
gyrating
hips and classic
disco pose.
This classic Michael
Jackson move creates
an illusion of the
dancer gliding
backwards, while
trying to move
forwards. Takes
some practice
before you can do it
smoothly, though.
Learn how to do it here:
bit.ly/learn2hustle
Learn how to do it here:
bit.ly/learn2moonwalk
Your thoughts on online shopping?
You shouldn’t put your personal
details online
I’m not sure I can fit what I buy
I know all the best blogshops
& the best places for sprees
Dads for Life
Dads for Life is a national movement
with resources, events and other
platforms to help fathers step up
and bridge the generation gap.
What about blogs?
Don’t have one
Sure, I blog for professional reasons
I blog to record my thoughts
Chindian Diaries
This initiative gets the younger generation
involved in capturing forgotten stories
about how their parents met, and the
struggles of inter-racial marriages.
dadsforlife.sg
How to calculate score: Mostly
= Boomers
= Gen X
= Gen Y
DO YOU
REMEMBER?
Service 1711
1711 used to offer services from
finding out the local time, world
time, to arranging wake-up and
reminder calls. The service was
finally disabled in October 2012.
“Be Kind, Rewind”
When people still rented video
tapes, “Be Kind, Rewind”
was a popular slogan to
remind them to rewind tapes
before returning them.
90s – Macarena
Popularised by
the Bayside Boys
remix in 1995
2000s – Shuffle
Popularised by
LMFAO’s song
Party Rock Anthem
Possibly the easiest
of the dances, the
Macarena won
fans with simple,
synchronized steps
done to a catchy
beat. Most fun
when done in
a huge group.
An evolution from
the Melbourne
Shuffle, this
dance contains
the familiar
“T-step” and
“Running Man”,
but is more fastpaced, energetic
and infectious.
Learn how to do it here:
bit.ly/learn2macarena
Learn how to do it here:
bit.ly/learn2shuffle
A tongue-in-cheek
Internet meme about
the frustrations that can
only be experienced by
people in First World
countries. We imagine
what the different
generations might have
tweeted in their time.
Baby boomer @babyboomer
Waited for two hours at the new shopping
centre because I couldn’t contact my friend
Search #firstworldproblems on Twitter for real-life examples.
Learn how to do it here:
bit.ly/learn2gangnam
Draw Something paper
Play the popular Draw Something
smartphone game with your friends
in real life. Best part is, these
pictures make good keepsakes.
Lo-fi glasses
Fit these spectacles with coloured cellophane paper and
see the world through filters, without Instagram!
Gen X @GenX
Paging my friend but he isn’t replying
Gen Y @GenY
Couldn’t figure out which of my
three phones was ringing!
The signature
move in this dance
involves galloping
and pretending to
ride a horse, and
switching between
holding the reigns
and spinning a lasso.
Here’s help for those addicted to their smartphones and social networks.
Socialrehab.sg has a toolkit that’ll get you sociable again – in real life.
www.facebook.com/TheChindianDiaries
#first world problems
2010s – Gangnam style
Popularised by Korean
singer Psy in his
music video Oppa
Gangnam Style
“Like” stickers
Clicking a button and sticking a sticker may seem to be
similar actions, but these stickers make “liking” things far
more sincere. Plus, they make great conversation starters!
Twitter notes
Forget DM, pass notes the good
ol’ fashioned way.
Things to Love
APPS TO
KEEP YOU
UP TO
SPEED
The youngsters are
already onto them.
Shouldn’t you be too?
Bump
Asana
Camcard
reQall
WORK
A B O U T G EN Y
Called “strawberries” 1 and “freeters” 2, Gen Y gets lots
of flak for being too weak for the workplace. Here
are some things we can appreciate about them:
1 2 3
Productivity
Growing up in the
digital age means they’re
adept at finding and
sorting information, fast.
So while they expect
things to happen fast,
they deliver fast, too.
Ability to multi-task
They’ve grown up
juggling multiple
CCAs, tuition, school
and friends and
family. Handling more
than one task at a
time? Easy peasy.
Teamwork
Project work is
a fixture in the
school curriculum
these days. These
kids know what
it means to work
in a team!
1
Strawberries - A Chinese expression that likens Gen Y to the delicate fruit that
looks good but is easily bruised – meaning they cannot handle much pressure.
2
Bump
Share contact information, calendars,
pictures and become Facebook friends
by bumping your phone with another
that has the same app!
Price: Free
Compatibility: iOS and Android
reQall
Touch-screen phones tough to
type on? ReQall records tasks and
ideas using your voice. It’s also
smart enough to organise the
information, and can sync with
Outlook or Google Calendar.
Price: Free
Compatibiilty: iOS, Android
and Blackberry
Camcard
It’s a tad pricey, but you can kiss
your rolodex goodbye and scan all
your business cards with characterrecognition technology! It also
recognises Chinese characters.
Price: US$6.99 for iOS, US$11.99 for
Android OS, US$9.99 for Blackberry.
Lite version free
Compability: iOS, Android
and Blackberry
Asana
Delegating work has never been easier.
This app is great for synchronizing
tasks for your whole team. Payment
kicks in when there are more than 30
members using the app.
Price: Free (up to 30 users)
Compatibility: iOS
*Prices as of Nov 3
Freeters - A Japanese expression for young people who prefer freelance work as
opposed to working full-time.
AT
ORKPLA
W
E
H
T
C
X
E
Y
Some tips on how the Gen X boss can
work with the Gen Y employee, and vice versa.
How to engage
the Gen X boss
How to engage
the Gen Y employee
Know what matters to your
boss. If your boss is a numbers
person, then quantify your results.
More importantly, know which
numbers matter most to him.
Assign mentors. Gen
Y likes interacting with
the older generation, and
learning hands on. It also
gives them a channel for
feedback, which they love.
Talk like your boss. If he likes
to email, email. If he likes seeing
you IRL, then show up IRL.
Seek new responsibilities. Your
boss is there because he’s good
at something. Your best bet is
to fill the gaps that he can’t,
so he can’t do without you.
Be authentic. They can smell
insincerity from a mile away.
Challenge them. They
don’t want to waste time
making coffee if that won’t
get them anywhere!
IT’S NOT ABOUT
THE MONEY
If you haven’t already
heard, giving a pay rise
isn’t the sure-f ire way to
motivate staff to do better –
especially for Gen Y. Show
appreciation in simple ways.
• Say “please” and “thank you”.
A simple note or email can
make all the difference.
• Respect time. If you
know they have other
appointments, don’t be
late for your meetings,
and don’t make them
late for theirs.
•
Remember important dates. If your
co-worker is celebrating an
anniversary, ask how
it went. If it’s
Valentine’s Day, give
out flowers – and score
some brownie points.
MON
9AM - 6PM
TUE
9AM - 6PM
WED
9AM - 6PM
THU
9AM - 6PM
FRI
9AM - 6PM
SAT
9AM - 12PM
SUN
NO WORK
WE SURE
DON’T MISS
THESE...
Five and a half day work week
No TGIF. Up till the early ‘90s,
most people including professionals
worked 5.5 days, going into work on
Saturday mornings. Imagine that.
Stricter dress codes
In the ‘80s, most offices only
allowed women to wear trousers at
work on dress-down Saturdays.
HARMLESS OFFICE PRANK
Stick a small piece of clear tape over
the laser of an optical mouse of a
colleague and wait to watch the fun.
social media: yay or nay?
How do the baby boomers, Gen X and Gen Y view
social media at the workplace? A 2012 global
survey by a consulting group has the answers.
Baby boomers are the
most sceptical about
social media. About 49%
of them think the use
of social media at work
can lower productivity.
Gen Y is the most
accepting of social
media. Some 36% of
them think it’s okay
to use social media for
personal reasons at work.
Gen X is the most
secretive when it comes
to social media. About
58% of them don’t want
their employers looking at
their social media pages.
For more, go to bit.ly/gen_gap
Q&A
THE ROAD
LESS TAKEN
Quek Siu Rui, 24, turned
down corporate job offers to
start his own business. The
creator of Carousell, a new
iPhone application for peerto-peer buying and selling,
shares why he chose start-up
life over a corporate job.
It’s a risky choice! Why on earth
did you choose to run your own
start-up?
It’s less routine and there’s
accelerated learning. You get
thrown in at the deep end and
learn how to stay af loat juggling
product, marketing, fund-raising,
user support, all concurrently.
How does it compare to working
in a regular office?
I get to wear bermudas and
T-shirts everyday. But it is also
long hours. We start at 8 or 9 am
and wrap up at 1 or 2 am. I’ve
also got to worry and think twice
about spending every cent, as the
number one rule of start-ups is
to not run out of money. I never
had to worry about something
like taxi fares in a regular office!
Do you regret not taking the
regular route, then?
It’s important to do what you’ve
always dreamed of doing. Even
though the default state of a startup is failure, you’ve already failed
if you decide not to pursue your
dreams. I would feel terrible if I
had decided to go the get-a-job
path. My peers are ahead of me
in terms of salary and corporate
prestige but the satisfaction and
adrenaline from re-imagining
peer-to-peer buying and selling for
the mobile and social media era
with Carousell make up for it all.
IN REEL LIFE
13 Going On 30
(2004)
Teenager Jenna
(Jennifer Garner)
wakes up 30 years
old, with a dream
job, apartment,
friends and boyfriend
in tow – only to
find that being an
adult isn’t at all
what she expected.
From Boomers to Gen Z,
everybody loves these characters.
Millionaire playboy
Jack Watson (George
Burns) sees his family
in a whole new
perspective when he
accidentally switches
bodies with his
18-year-old grandson.
Freaky Friday
(2003)
It’s a freaky Friday for
Tess Coleman (Jamie
Lee Curtis) and her
daughter, Anna
(Lindsay Lohan),
when they switch
bodies and find that
only selfless love and
understanding can
help them reverse
the situation.
HAIRSTYLES
Check out these
hairstyles from the
past that have made
a reappearance in
the 21st century.
in
s po p u l a r
What wa e is now
D a d ’s t i ma c k i n f a s h i o n .
coming b
With their distorted
colours and grainy effects,
Holgas and Blackbirds
are winning fans with
their simplicity, and
the excitement of
developing each
new roll.
STILL
POPULAR
18 Again (1988)
G
N
I
M
O
C
F U LL
E
L
C
R
I
C
FILM CAMERAS
Walking a mile in the shoes of another
generation can make all the difference.
A 50-year-old mother tries
out pole dancing, while her
24-year-old daughter dabbles
with Chinese painting.
MediaCorp programme
Chakia and Sneakers is
the one place in real life
where family members get
to switch roles for a day.
RO
JAK
OF
OLD & NEW
Three food places
that appeal to the
generations alike.
Pi xi e cu t
(1 95 0s ); Th e
To m bo y
Singapore Food Trail
A food court set in
the 1960s, with all
the famous food stalls
from the past.
Pe rm ed ha ir
(1 98 0s );
Th e Au nt ie
ur
Th e Po m pa do
(1 95 0s an d
19 80 s) ; Th e
Ah Be ng
NERD-SPECS
Who could’ve
guessed those thick
black frames on
your primary school
Chinese teacher
would one day
be attractive?
@Singapore Flyer. Try: ice balls, the
old-school version of ice-kachang
Tiong Bahru Bakery
It’s got old fashioned
decor, but the bakery
carries over 200 items
from one of Paris’s
top artisan bakers,
Gontran Cherrier.
@#B1-11, Raffles City Shopping
Centre/ 56 Eng Hoon Street.
Try: Squid-ink bread
Ya Kun
Set up as a simple,
family-run stall by Loi
Ah Koon in 1944, it’s
now a huge franchise
serving traditional
Singaporean breakfast
at affordable prices
@18 China Street. Try: Crispy, thin
brown toast and soft-boiled eggs
ART THAT HAS SURVIVED
THE GENERATIONS
The Songkok artist
Songkok wearing will outlive traditional
songkok making. With his newspapers,
satin cloth and thread, Abdul
Wahab at Tanjong Katong Shopping
centre is one of the remaining
songkok makers in Singapore.
Tay Guan Heng Manufacturers
Crafting traditional Chinese figurines
with just wood, incense, clay and
popsicle sticks is no mean feat. But
for the Tay brothers of Tay Guan
Heng Manufacturers, it’s a skill that’s
been passed down four generations.
Hello Kitty
She might not
have the same fame
today as she did in
the ‘90s, but this
furry white cat has
claimed the hearts
of generations in a
way Felix the Cat
(who?) has not.
Transformers
The battle between
the Autobots and
Decepticons hasn’t
gotten old. In fact, it’s
one of the most
successful metaseries
around. Perhaps
Megan Fox had
something to
do with that.
Batman
First seen in 1939,
Gotham City’s
caped crusader has
moved from comic
books to the big
screen – and is still
a popular superhero
despite having no
superpowers.
OLD
STORIES
WORTH
LISTENING
Since 1979, the National
Archives of Singapore’s Oral
History Centre has recorded
and preserved social memories
of people from all walks of life.
The recordings are selectively
supplemented with transcripts
and available at the Archives
Reference Room.
Read more: bit.ly/RHkhUe
e
v
o
L
e
W
e
l
p
o
Pe
T H E
G E N E R A T I O N S
1964
1981
BABY BOOMERS
GENERATION X
GENERATION Y
Ivan Heng, 49
Role: Actor, theatre director, founder
of W!LD RICE theatre company
Achievement: The first Singaporean
male actor to break into an Englishspeaking role in a Hollywood film.
His big break was in The Fifth
Element (1997) with Milla Jovovich.
Eric Khoo, 47
Role: Director, producer
Achievement: Put Singapore on
the international film map with his
film Mee Pok Man (1995). He’s also
been recognized with the Singapore
Youth Award for his contribution
to the Singapore film industry.
Boo Junfeng, 29
Role: Director
Achievement: Made his mark
in the Singapore film scene when
his debut feature film Sandcastle
had its world premier at the
Cannes Film Festival in 2010.
Fandi Ahmad, 50
Role: Footballer
Achievement: Captain of the Singapore
team from 1993 to 1997. He also has
three SEA Games silver medals under
his belt. He’s also the first Singaporean
footballer to play in Europe.
Joscelin Yeo, 33
Role: Swimmer
Achievement: Holds four SEA
Games records, and has won a
good 40 medals. Also competed in
four Olympic Games – the most
for any Singaporean to date.
Jasmine Yeong-Nathan, 24
Role: Bowler
Achievement: Became the first
Singaporean to win the AMF World
Cup Champion in 2008. Just a year
later, she was named Singapore
Sportswoman of the Year 2009.
Catherine Lim, 70
Role: Writer
Achievement: Best-selling
Singaporean author with stories
on Singapore society and
traditional Chinese culture.
Alfian Sa’at, 35
Role: Writer, poet, playwright
Achievement: Published his first
book of poetry at age 21. The book
was hailed as a “landmark” in the
Singapore literature scene. But his
many awards aside – what we really
like is how Alfian writes fluently
in both English and Malay.
Laremy Lee, 29
Role: Playwright, freelance writer
Achievement: A former teacher at
St Andrew’s JC, Laremy is versatile
in writing for many genres, but focuses
on the stage. His plays, Full Tank!
and Radio Silence, were staged at the
OCBC Singapore Theatre Festival 2008.
Research and writing by Fiona Liaw / Edited by Bridgette See / Designed and illustrated by Ammanda Choo / ©Challenge Magazine
A C R O S S