Generation Jones

Generation Jones is a term coined by the author Jonathan Pontell to describe those born from approximately 1954 to 1964, while other sources place the start point after 1957.[1][2] This group is essentially the latter half of the "Baby Boomers" to the first years of Generation X.[3][4][5] Pontell defined Generation Jones as referring to the last years of the post–World War II baby boom.[6] The term also includes first-wave Generation X.

The name "Generation Jones" has several connotations, including a large anonymous generation, a "keeping up with the Joneses" competitiveness and the slang word "jones" or "jonesing", meaning a yearning or craving.[7][8][9][10] It is said that Jonesers were given huge expectations as children in the 1960s, and then confronted with a different reality as they came of age during a long period of mass unemployment and when de-industrialization arrived full force in the mid to late 1970s and 1980s, leaving them with a certain unrequited "jonesing" quality for the more prosperous days in the past.

The generation is noted for coming of age after a huge swath of their older brothers and sisters in the earlier portion of the Baby Boomer population had come immediately preceding them; thus, many Generation Jones members complain that there was a paucity of resources and privileges available to them that were seemingly abundant to those fellow Baby Boomers born earlier. Therefore, there is a certain level of bitterness about and a "jonesing" for the level of freedom and affluence granted to older boomers but denied to their generation.[11]

The term has enjoyed some currency in political and cultural commentary.

Cultural, economic and political dimensions

Generation Jones has been covered and discussed in newspapers and magazines and on TV and radio shows.[12][13][14][15] Pontell has appeared on TV networks such as CNN, MSNBC, and the BBC, discussing the cultural, political, and economic implications of this generation's emergence.[16][17][18]

In the business world, Generation Jones has become a part of the strategic planning of many companies and industries, particularly in the context of targeting Jonesers through marketing efforts.[19][20][21][22][23][24] Carat UK, a European media buying agency, has done extensive research into Generation Jones consumers.[25][26]

Politically, Generation Jones has emerged as a crucial voting segment in Western elections.[27][28] In the U.S. 2006 congressional and 2004 presidential elections, and the 2005 U.K. elections, Generation Jones's electoral role was widely described as pivotal by the media and political pollsters.[5][13][29][30] In the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, Generation Jones was again seen as a key electoral segment, and because of the high degree to which its members were swing voters during the election cycle. Influential journalists, like Clarence Page[27] and Peter Fenn,[28] singled out Generation Jones voters as crucial in the final weeks of the campaign.[31] Numerous studies have been done by political pollsters and publications analyzing the voting behavior of GenJonesers.[32][33][34]

The election to the presidency of Barack Obama, born in 1961, plus Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, born 1964, focused more attention on Generation Jones. Many journalists, publications, and experts — including Jonathan Alter (Newsweek),[35] David Brooks (The New York Times) and Karen Tumulty (Time) — have characterized Obama as a member of Generation Jones.

Key characteristics assigned to members are less optimism, distrust of government, and general cynicism.[33][36]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Jump up". The Frederick News-Post. December 19, 2008. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
  2. ↑ "In Obama, many see an end to the baby boomer era". Chicago Sun-Times. January 11, 2009. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  3. ↑ Jensen, J. B. (2007). Future consumer tendencies and shopping behaviour: The development up until 2015-17. Research paper No. 1. Denmark: Marianne Levinsen & Jesper Bo Jensen. pp. 13–17.
  4. ↑ Seigle, Greg (April 6, 2000). "Some Call It 'Jones'". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
  5. 1 2 "Press Release: Generation Jones is driving NZ Voter Volatility". Scoop Independent News (NZ). September 13, 2005. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
  6. ↑ Wastell, David (October 15, 2000). "Generation Jones comes of age in time for election". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
  7. ↑ Anne, Braly (January 18, 2009). "'Generation Jones' soon to have its man in Washington". Chattanooga Times Free Press.
  8. ↑ Button, Eileen (April 5, 2009). "Generation Jones has a few good reasons to be suspicious of technology". The Community Newspapers.
  9. ↑ Stuart Wells, Amy (4 March 2009). "Commentary - From Obama's Generation The Audacious Hope of More Racially Diverse Public Schools". Education Week.
  10. ↑ Rohan, Virginia (June 30, 2008). "Baby Boomers ready for next challenge". North Jersey Media Group.
  11. ↑ Pontell, Jonathan (2007). "Generation Jones". The Jonathan Pontell Group. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  12. ↑ Lang, John (January 8, 2000). "Generation Jones: Between the Boomers and the Xers". The Cincinnati Post. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on January 15, 2005.
  13. 1 2 Rowan, David (May 2005). "A guide to electionspeak". Archived from the original on April 7, 2007.
  14. ↑ "Political analyst Jonathan Pontell on what political party different generations vote for and why". Talk Radio News Service. October 30, 2006. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  15. ↑ Aguilar, Louis (December 2000). "Many in the 35-46 Age Bracket Identify with 'Generation Jones'". Denver, Colorado: The Denver Post.
  16. ↑ Generation Jones discussion on CNN day before ElectionDay'08. YouTube. January 15, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  17. ↑ Generation Jones conversation on Canada's most popular national TV talk show. YouTube. February 27, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  18. ↑ Ollivier, Debra (December 15, 2011). "So You Think You're A Boomer? Think Again". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  19. ↑ Campanelli, Melissa (September 20, 2007). "How to Reach 'Generation Jones' Online". eMarketing & Commerce. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
  20. ↑ Wells, Ellen C. (September 2005). "Keeping Up With The Jonesers" (PDF). Today's Garden Center: 44–45. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
  21. ↑ Green, Brent (2006), Marketing to Leading-Edge Baby Boomers, Paramount Market Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9766973-5-0
  22. ↑ Welch, Jim; Bill Althaus (2007). Grow Now. The Growth Leader, Inc. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-934144-02-2.
  23. ↑ Stroud, Dick (2007). The 50 plus market. Kogan Page Publishers. p. 314. ISBN 978-0-7494-4939-1.
  24. ↑ "Toops Scoops: Keeping up with the Jonesers". foodprocessing.com. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Who is Generation Jones?". Project Britain. Carat UK. Archived from the original on February 15, 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  26. ↑ Dutta, Kunal (January 23, 2006). "Carat taps into singleton spending". MediaWeek. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  27. 1 2 Page, Clarence (October 22, 2008). "Generation Jones is in play". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  28. 1 2 Fenn, Peter (October 23, 2008). "Why the 'Generation Jones' Vote May Be Crucial in Election 2008". The Hill's Pundits Blog. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  29. ↑ "Key to election is 'keeping up with Joneses'". epolitix.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Pollster says Generation Jones tipped election for Bush". publicradio.org. December 9, 2004. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  31. ↑ Paulsen, David (October 26, 2008). "Attention GenY'ers! Talk To Your Parents! Don't Let GenJonesers Vote Against Themselves!". Politics. The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  32. ↑ "Generation Jones could be key to 06 midterm election results". research2000.us. November 1, 2006. Archived from the original on February 6, 2009.
  33. 1 2 Rentoul, John (April 10, 2005). "Introducing Generation Jones voters who hold the key to No 10". The Independent. London.
  34. ↑ "Generation Jones Women are Swing Voters". Rasmussen Reports™. October 27, 2004. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  35. ↑ Alter, Jonathan (February 11, 2008). "Twilight of the Baby Boom". Newsweek. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  36. ↑ Derbyshire, David (November 24, 2004). "Generation Jones is given a name at last". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved May 3, 2010.

External links

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