Each generation faces struggles and cultural norms that are unique to their time. Many things influence what shapes the education and societal experiences lived. Some are joyful while others are not, just as some are antiquated while others are subject to current events.
My generation had a mix of post-war paranoia and space age innovation. We saw the end of the Cold War and the invention of the internet. We became the bridge between the traditional and the modern.
“Generational experience refers to the unique life circumstances and events that shape a cohort of people born within a specific timeframe, often characterized by a common set of historical and social influences. These shared experiences influence values, beliefs, and behaviors, creating distinct generational characteristics.”
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I was born in 1971. My generation was born during the Viet Nam war (1955 to 1975) and with the Cold War (1947 to 1991) in effect. My peers understood the fears our parents and grandparents had with fallout shelters, and we were even taught how to protect ourselves if there was an attack. These tactics were called, “duck and cover” drills.
Duck and cover drills, a Cold War-era practice designed to teach people how to survive a nuclear attack, were discontinued in the 1980s. This shift coincided with a decline in focus on civilian defense programs and the end of the Cold War.
AI Overview
While I was in elementary school, we ran these drills. It provoked a lot of anxiety, especially because I couldn’t see how it would help. I was thankful when The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989 because it meant a new era of peace for the world. Perhaps that was why they stopped the “duck and cover” drills?
Each generation has its own struggles and advancements. The collective experiences help us to develop, but they are also a part of generational trauma and generational amnesia. Our shared experiences can cause us damage that we pass on to our children (trauma). Sadly, we tend to neglect to pass on information to our children or, sometimes, that information becomes obsolete in their generation, becoming lost to future peoples (amnesia).
The “duck and cover” drills were a trauma my grandparents and parents lived through. It was passed on to my generation, but then, it was lost when it came to my children. My kids have no idea what I am talking about and my grandkids even less. It is fascinating how I bridge fears of WWII with the innovations of a modern world in the new millennium for my grandkids.
J.M. NORTHUP 