Cyberpsychology and Artificial

Intelligence in Society
dr Marta R. Jabłońska
 Social generations

2 Cyberpsychology and Artificial Intelligence in Business and Society

A,B,C…Z
Are you Gen Z?

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What is a generation?
Generation, in kinship terminology, is a structural term designating the parent-
child relationship.
The term is also often used synonymously with cohort in social science; under
this formulation the term means "people within a delineated population who
experience the same significant events within a given period of time“.
Generation in this sense of birth cohort, also known as a "social generation", is
widely used in popular culture, and has been the basis for societal analysis.
Serious analysis of generations began in the nineteenth century, emerging from
an increasing awareness of the possibility of permanent social change and the
idea of youthful rebellion against the established social order.
Some analysts believe that a generation is one of the fundamental social
categories in a society, while others view its importance as being overshadowed
by other factors such as class, gender, race, education, and so on.
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Traditional understanding of the term
A familial generation is a group of humans constituting a single step in the line of descent from
an ancestor. In developed nations the average familial generation length is in the high 20s and
has even reached 30 years in some nations.

Factors such as greater industrialisation and demand for cheap female labour, urbanisation,
delayed first pregnancy and a greater uncertainty in relationship stability have all contributed to
the increase of the generation length from the late 18th century to the present.

These changes can be attributed to both societal level factors, such as Gross domestic product
(GDP) and state policy, and related individual level variables, particularly a woman's educational
attainment.

Conversely, generation length has changed little and remains in the low 20s in less developed
nations.
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World’s population

o Stats for the whole world and selected countries.

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Social generations
Social generations are cohorts of people who were born in the same
date range and share similar cultural experiences.

The idea of a social generation, in the sense that it is used today,

gained currency in the 19th century.

Prior to that the concept "generation" had generally referred to

family relationships, not broader social groupings. In 1863, French
lexicographer Emile Littré had defined a generation as, "all men living
more or less at the same time".

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…
Several trends promoted a new idea of generations, as the 19th century
wore on, of a society divided into different categories of people based on
age.

These trends were all related to the processes of modernisation,

industrialisation, or westernisation, which had been changing the face of
Europe since the mid-18th century. One was a change in mentality about
time and social change.

The increasing prevalence of enlightenment ideas encouraged the idea

that society and life were changeable, and that civilization could progress.
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…
Two important contributing factors to the change in mentality were the change
in the economic structure of society.

Because of the rapid social and economic change, young men particularly were
less beholden to their fathers and family authority than they had been. Greater
social and economic mobility allowed them to flout their authority to a much
greater extent than had traditionally been possible. Additionally, the skills and
wisdom of fathers were often less valuable than they had been due to
technological and social change.

During this time, the period of time between childhood and adulthood, usually
spent at university or in military service, was also increased for many people
entering whitecollar jobs. This category of people was very influential in
spreading the ideas of youthful renewal.
…
Another important factor was the breakdown of traditional social and
regional identifications.

The spread of nationalism and many of the factors that created it (a

national press, linguistic homogenisation, public education, suppression of
local particularities) encouraged a broader sense of belonging beyond
local affiliations.

People thought of themselves increasingly as part of a society, and this

encouraged identification with groups beyond the local.
Why?

List of generations is used in economic and social areas.

How do we live and work?

What are our core life values and attitudes?
How do we communicate?
What are the generation gaps?

How do we use the Internet and what our online life looks like?
 List of
generations

12
Classifications of generations

The Lost Generation The Greatest Generation The Silent Generation

Inaccuracies in dates, ranges or even names

The Baby Boomers Generation X Generation Y

Millenials Generation Z Generation alpha

Generation C Generation V …
• List of generations

The ‘offline’
generations
Really offline?
All classifications are general by nature.

We can not claim that elder people do not use the Internet or have ‘poor’ online life.

Yet, due to the fact, that – if at all – they encountered the Internet at late period of their lives,
some general remarks describing their internet behaviour and attitudes can be done.

But it is important to remember that in every generation there are – and will be – standing out
individuals.
The Lost Generation
Also known as the Generation of 1914 in Europe, is
a term originating with Gertrude Stein to describe those who
fought in World War I. The members of the lost generation were
typically born between 1883 and 1900.

The term was popularized by Ernest Hemingway, who used it as

one of two contrasting epigraphs for his novel, The Sun Also Rises.
In that volume Hemingway credits the phrase to Gertrude Stein,
who was then his mentor and patron.
 Franz Kafka
Isadora Duncan
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Erich Maria Remarque

Gabrielle Chanel
Sergei Prokofiev
Born between 1883 and 1900, representatives of the lost generation went down in history.

They probably had no truck with computers (the beginning of ARPANET is the late 60.).
The Greatest Generation
Also known as the G.I. Generation, is the generation that includes the veterans who fought in
World War II. They were born from around 1901 through 1924, coming of age during the Great
Depression.

The term "The Greatest Generation" originated from Tom Brokaw's 1998 book of the same
name. In the book, Brokaw wrote, "it is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever
produced." He argued that these men and women fought not for fame and recognition, but
because it was the "right thing to do."
Born from around 1901 through 1924, the youngest representatives may be today in their
nienities.

Just as the lost generation they probably didn’t reckon with ICT technologies.
Yet…
The Silent Generation
Also known as the Lucky Few, were born from 1925 until
1942. It includes most of those who fought the Korean War
and many during the Vietnam War.

The name was originally applied to people in North America

but has also been applied to those in Western Europe,
Australia and South America.

Generally recognized as the children of the Great Depression,

this event during their formative years had a profound impact
on them.
Martin Luther King, Jr Andy Warhol Robert F. Kennedy

Ray Charles

John Lennon
Clint Eastwood

Jimi Hendrix
The generation of this era has generally been found to be ambitious, often seeking achievement,
power and status.

A need for achievement, status and power increased with higher degrees of economic depravity.
Perhaps economic losses that effected a one's family status left children with an ambitious desire
to overcome such losses, leading to a generation of aspirations, goals, and purpose.

This generation has also been found to be patriotic and trusting of the government. Furthermore,
this generation came of age during World War II, when patriotism ran high.
Characteristics: Hard working, married young, family-friendly, affluence, domesticity, activism,
conventional, morally confused.
 
Defining events: World War II, the start of the Cold War, sub-urbanization, Elvis Presley, the Beat
movement, the Korean War, Women’s liberation.

The silent generation, so called because of their lack of voice, was encouraged to conform to
social norms, but this generation struggled with the aspirations thrust on them from past
generations with the revolutionary ideals of the growing civil rights movement and the women's
liberation movement.
Born from 1925 until 1942, the youngest can be in their seventies/eighties.

They may use computers and the Internet. If they come from, in example, an academic
background or remain active and interested in new technologies, they can use computer quite
well.

Still, they may be afraid of online shopping, payments or sharing personal data. They can be also
susceptible to Internet swindlers. They also probably do not feel the need of participating in social
media.
• List of generations

The ‘online’
generations
The Baby Boomers
The Baby Boomers are the generation that was born following World War II, generally from the
early 1940s up to the early 1960s, a time that was marked by an increase in birth rates.

The term "baby boomer" is sometimes used in a cultural context. Therefore, it is impossible to
achieve broad consensus on a defined start and end date.
In general, baby boomers are associated with a rejection or redefinition of traditional values;
however, many commentators have disputed the extent of that rejection, noting the widespread
continuity of values with older and younger generations.

In Europe and North America boomers are widely associated with privilege, as many grew up in a
time of affluence.

One of the features of Boomers was that they tended to think of themselves as
a special generation, very different from those that had come before them. In the 1960s, as the
relatively large numbers of young people became teenagers and young adults, they, and those
around them, created a very specific rhetoric around their cohort, and the change they were
bringing about.
Richard Gere
Steve Jobs
Bill Clinton

Bill Gates

George W. Bush
Mr T
Characteristics: Experimental, individualist, free spirited, self-belief, self-fulfillment, self-
improvement, rejection or redefinition of traditional values, spiritualism, sub-cultural explosion.
 
Defining events: The Cold War, the rise of television, the Kennedy and King assassinations, the civil
rights movement, the Beatles, the Vietnam War, first Apollo moon landing, Woodstock.
 
The exact dates for this generation are subject to much discussion, but they are stereotypically
associated with cultural touchstones like the Star Trek and Mission Impossible TV shows,
Woodstock, and the anti-Vietnam war movement.
The baby boomers may be fluent in computer and Internet usage.

They may have online life, using net to communicate, entertaining, shopping or work.

Using social media, talking through Skype, buying in online stores and working online – for the
Baby Boomers all of this can be everyday life. Yet, they are not always aware of all online dangers.
Still, they are usually careful about their personal data sharing (but this is not a rule…).
Facebook age statistics (2019)
Generation X
Commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western Post–World War II
baby boom.

Demographers, historians and commentators use birth dates ranging from the early 1960s to the
early 1980s. The term has also been used in different times and places for a number of different
subcultures or countercultures since the 1950s.
The term Generation X was coined by the Magnum photographer Robert Capa in the early 1950s.
He used it later as a title for a photo-essay about young men and women growing up immediately
after the Second World War.

Yet, the name Generation X is most commonly associated with author Douglas Copeland’s 1991
novel of the same name, it also has been referred to as the baby bust generation, because of the
drop in birth rates after the baby boom.

Other tags include YIFFIES (young individualistic freedom-minded few), the brash pack, FLYERS
(fun-loving youth en route to success), DINKYS (double income no kids yet) the NIKES (no income
kids with education), the indifferent generation, and the invisible generation.
Characteristics: Rebelliousness, independent, entrepreneurial, anti-establishment, skeptical,
ecology-minded, anti-consumerist, short attention spans, multi-career minded.
 
Defining events: Watergate, the 1970s oil shocks, the Iran hostage crisis, rising divorce rates, the
PC revolution, AIDS, grunge music.

Gen X is known for its independent and skeptical approach to mass marketing and, now in their
30s and 40s, they represent an affluent demographic that are buying homes earlier and starting
families later. This love affair with consumerism stems from a childhood dealing with recession,
single-parent households, the Internet, and other personal technology. Consequently, Gen X
consumes media differently than earlier generations and presents an interesting dilemma for
marketers, mainly because of their transient tastes and lack of identity.
Gen X is made up of poor decision makers; they have few heroes, crave entertainment, and hate
yuppies, hippies, and druggies.

With a consummate fear of divorce, they are loathed to marry but hold family life dear. They are
inspired by nature and want to make a difference, a characteristic that is evident from the huge
numbers of entrepreneurs in this group.
 Jennifer Lopez Gordon Ramsay
Sarah Jessica Parker

Gwen Stefani
Jay Z

Victoria Beckham
Generation X was the first one that had wide access to computers and the Internet at quite early
stages of life (as today they are in their thirties, up to fifties).

As a result, they are smoothly using the cyberspace. With broad spectrum of Internet usage, they
are also aware of online threats and personal data protection issues.

The generation X is a kind of breakthrough: generations before them were highly „offline”, while
generations after are getting more and more „online”.
Generation Y
How Are Millennials Different From Other
Generations?
Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation, or Millennials, is the demographic cohort
following Generation X.

Commentators use birth dates ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.

Authors William Strauss and Neil Howe wrote about the Millennials in Generations: The History of
America's Future, 1584 to 2069, and they released an entire book devoted to them, titled
Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation.

In 1987, they coined the term "around the time 1982-born children were entering preschool and
the media were first identifying their prospective link to the millennial year 2000".
American sociologist Kathleen Shaputis labeled Millennials as the boomerang generation or Peter
Pan generation, because of the members perceived tendency for delaying some rites of passage
into adulthood for longer periods than most generations before them.

These labels were also a reference to a trend toward members living with their parents for longer
periods than previous generations.
Generation Y is the most researched generation ever! In example….

Junco and Mastrodicasa (2007) expanded on the work of William Strauss and Neil Howe to
include research-based information about the personality profiles of Millennials, especially as it
relates to higher education.
They conducted a large-sample (7 705) research study of college students and found that Next
Generation college students, born between 1983–1992, were frequently in touch with their
parents and they used technology at higher rates than people from other generations.
In their survey, they found that 97% of these students owned a computer, 94% owned a cell
phone, and 56% owned an MP3 player. They also found that students spoke with their parents an
average of 1.5 times a day about a wide range of topics.
Among other findings, survey revealed 76% of students used instant messaging, 92% of those
reported multitasking while instant messaging, 40% of them used television to get most of their
news, and 34% of students surveyed used the Internet as their primary news source.
Generation X and Millennials were the first to grow up with computers in their homes.

In a 1999 speech at the New York Institute of Technology, Bill Gates encouraged America's
teachers to use technology to serve the needs of the first generation of kids to grow up with the
Internet.

One of the more popular forms of media use by Millienials is social networking. In 2010, research
was published which claimed that students who used social media and decided to quit showed the
same withdrawal symptoms of a drug addict who quit their stimulant.
Kim Kardashian

Macaulay Culkin
Kate Middleton

Keira Knightley

Beyonce Knowles

Emma Watson
Usain Bolt
Characteristics: Style-conscious, tech-savvy, prematurely affluent, independent, needy, socially and
environmentally aware, pro-community, pro-multi-culturalism, pro-gender equality.
 
Defining events: The fall of the Berlin Wall, the birth of the Web, the dotcom boom and bust,
anime, 9/11, growth in social media, rebirth of pop culture.
 
Never has there been a more needy generation than Y. An article in The Economist stated: “Gen Y
are spoiled, narcissistic layabouts that can’t spell and waste too much time on instant messaging
and Facebook.”
Generation Y is also called net generation or wired generation.

They are fluent in the Internet, bringing some parts of their life online: shopping, friends,
communication, work, education, entertainment, hobby, etc.

Still they can distinguish real life from online one.

Defined by the rise of instant communication technologies, thanks to the birth of e-mail, texting,
instant messaging (IM), new media used through Web sites such as YouTube and social
networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, Generation Y's reputation for being peer-oriented and
for seeking instant gratification is well-earned. They have strong authenticity radar and loathe
blatant advertising, meaning that consumer brands are turning to Gen Y’s own communication
means to get their brand messages across.
 
But for all these negatives, there are many virtues: they are Internet savvy, are natural
collaborators, are frequently in touch with their parents, use technology at a far higher rate than
any previous generations, cannot function socially without
a mobile phone, and have refined the art of multi-tasking to such an extent that they can text, surf
the Internet, download music, and chat to friends on IM simultaneously.
Generation Z (iGen)
Born between 1995 and 2012, the first of iGen graduated from college last spring. (iGen is sometimes called “GenZ,”
but with millennials no longer called “GenY,” “GenZ” is unlikely to stick.) Businesses and managers need to take note:
The techniques that worked to recruit, retain, and manage millennials won’t always work for iGen.
First, the good news: iGen is more focused on work than millennials were at the same age. In a large national survey
conducted every year, 55% of high school seniors in 2016 said they were willing to work overtime to do a good job—
up from 44% of millennial teens in 2004. iGen’ers are also more likely to say that they would work even if they had
plenty of money and to expect work to be a central part of their lives. Perhaps because they experienced the Great
Recession as children and have witnessed growing income inequality, iGen realizes they are going to have to work hard
to make it.
iGen’ers grew up more slowly as teens, taking longer to work, drive, and date than previous generations. Although
there are many positives to those trends, more young people now arrive in the workplace with less experience with
independent decision-making. Give them careful instructions for tasks, and expect they will need more guidance.
Managers who learned to be cheerleaders for millennials will find they are more like therapists, life coaches, or parents
for iGen’ers.
Another big difference: iGen is not as brash and confident as their millennial predecessors. In the large national
surveys, iGen feels less optimistic about their career prospects and are lower in self-confidence than millennials were at
the same age. Thus, they might be less likely than millennials were to expect to be CEO of the company within 5 years
and less likely to express feelings of entitlement. As iGen begins to dominate the pool of entry-level talent, expect to
see more young employees who are eager to do a good job but are scared of making mistakes. Whereas millennials
demanded praise, iGen’ers want reassurance.
Generation Z (iGen)
iGen is also very concerned with safety. They are safer drivers and are less likely to binge drink than teens just a
few years ago, and are less likely to say they want to take risks. iGen is also concerned about what they call
“emotional safety”—they want to be protected from offensive comments and emotional upset just as they want
to be protected from physical harm. Expect to hear more young employees ask about how your company
creates a safe environment, and take steps toward creating a more nurturing atmosphere while still educating
iGen’ers about the realities of business.
This generation socializes differently, using their phones instead of getting together in person. The number of
high school seniors who say it’s important to have a job where you can have “a chance to make friends” or that
allows “contact with a lot of people” reached all-time lows with iGen. They are so focused on connecting via
social media that the social aspects of work hold less appeal. Thus, don’t expect social outings and get-
togethers to be much of a selling point for this generation. In addition, some iGen’ers may have more trouble
with social skills, given that they have spent less time socializing in person than any previous generation.
Another piece of good news: Contrary to popular belief, managers needn’t worry that young iGen’ers will all be
itching to be entrepreneurs instead. Likely due to their risk aversion, iGen is actually less likely to want to own
their own business than previous generations: only 30% of high school seniors in 2016 believed that being self-
employed was desirable, down from 48% in 1987. Instead, iGen wants stable jobs in enduring industries. This is
a fantastic opportunity for managers at established companies, who can recruit a generation looking for steady
work. Practical, career-focused, and cautious but with less experience with independence, iGen is willing to work
hard for the managers who can understand them. Do so, and their potential is limitless.
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt
Suri Cruise

Brooklyn Beckham
Blue Ivy Carter
iGen: The Smartphone
Generation
Dr. Jean M. Twenge tackles society’s smart-
phone addiction through a generational lens.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qypKjzUOhBM
https://www.populationpyramid.net/world/2019/
http://hatalska.com/2015/01/22/generacja-z-pokolenie-ktore-zmieni-nasz-swiat/
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/01/25/on-107th-birthday-oldest-facebook-user-says-think-about-others-before-yourself/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/376128/facebook-global-user-age-distribution/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT8IYKMgadQ
https://qz.com/work/1177712/igen-the-new-young-generation-of-workers-is-almost-everything-that-millennials-are-not/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA8kZZS_bzc
https://spurlinfamily.wordpress.com/new-generation-terms-definitions/
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/meet-gen-c-youtube-generation-in-own-words.html

54 References