Generation Jones Is Real — Meet The Sub-Generation That Considers Themselves Too Cool To Be Boomers
insta_photos | Shutterstock When people think of baby boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964, most people immediately think of the stereotypes attached to them: that they're cranky, judgmental and elderly. Like all stereotypes, this reputation isn't exactly fair, but boomers are tracked as significantly less progressive these days than Gen millennials and Gen Z.
Interestingly, there is a whole sub-generation of people who are technically boomers that don't fit in with this group at all. Specifically, the later group known as Generation Jones, who relate more strongly to Gen X than those born in the 1940s and 50s. This group includes some very famous celebrities you'd never suspect are boomers.
Why so many baby boomers would rather be Generation Jones than classic boomers.
As generational trends expert named Daniel Levine told Newsweek, younger baby boomers have very different experiences compared to older baby boomers. Levine explained that many young baby boomers instead relate to Generation Jones, especially when it comes to their identities.
He explained that the first half of the Boomer generation were in their teens and twenties during the Summer of Love, while Jonesers came of age during Watergate, relate more to the music of the '80s than the '70s, and reached college after the decade's protests had largely died out.
The term Generation Jones was first coined by writer, television producer, and social commentator Jonathan Pontell to describe the decade of Americans born between 1954 and 1965, who grew up in the '60s and '70s. In an article for Politico, Pontell described Jonesers as practical idealists who were "forged in the fires of social upheaval while too young to play a part."
They're sometimes likened to the cool older siblings of Gen-X and were described as being the younger siblings of the Boomer civil rights and anti-war activists who grew up witnessing and being moved by the passion and effects of those movements but were met with a fatigued culture by the time they themselves came of age and were able to join the fight.
According to Pontell, their competitiveness and identity as a "generation aching to act" may make Jonesers particularly effective leaders.
Pontell has written that Jonesers fill the space between Woodstock and Lollapalooza, and that they have a unique identity separate from Boomers and Gen-Xers, one backed by an avalanche of attitudinal and behavioral data. He added that the cohort weren't engaged in that era's ideological battles the way older Boomers were, and that their non-ideological pragmatism positions them to bridge the volatile divide between Boomers and Gen-Xers, and to lead.
Celebrity examples of Generation Jones
The divide becomes clearer when you look at who falls on each side of it.
Early Baby Boomers, the group the stereotype was built around, include Donald Trump, Dolly Parton and Susan Sarandon born in 1946. This group also includes and King Charles III of England, born in 1948 and Sen. Hillary Clinton, born in 1947.
In contrast, stars like Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, and Michael Jordan were all born in 1963, which technically makes them Baby Boomers even though they sit squarely within the Generation Jones range. Former President Barack Obama, born in 1961, is one of the most frequently cited Jonesers. President Obama has even said he doesn't consider himself a Boomer at all!
There are a number of people who don't relate to the generation they fall under
In a March 2024 survey conducted by YouGov among 13,083 adults, an overwhelming majority of Boomers consider themselves part of that generation. On the other hand, only about four in 10 people born since 1981 identify themselves with the generation that they are typically associated with.
The survey found that 27% of people don't identify as the generation they fall under, and 15% said they aren't even sure what generation they are.
Gen-Z were the most likely to say they don't match the category they fall into, with 45%, followed by Millennials, with 39%. In contrast, 86% of Boomers said they match the official definition of their generation.
Levine told Newsweek that the concept of Generation Jones isn't a new one and that the idea appeals to people who don't feel seen under the concept of Boomers. "I continuously see that people in this generation who become aware of it are attracted to the concept and feel like it fits quite nicely."
"Generation Jones grew up on the fumes of the '60s, with its promise of freedom and change. But they came of age in the Nixon era when TV brought war into their living rooms, and politics was front and center on the evening news," he added. "The concept really resonates with people in this age group. Marketers would benefit from better understanding this group."
It's unrealistic to assume that every single person in each generation is going to be the same. We've all lived different lives, had unique upbringings, and different circumstances that have molded us into the people we are today.
Generational differences and stereotypes aren't set in stone, and it's perfectly normal to feel as if you maybe don't relate to the other people around you.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.
