The Fourth Turning — Unravelling the quirky theory that gave us “Millennials” and “Boomers”
Boomers, Millennials, Zoomers — we’re constantly talking about our generations.
These words influence the strategy of corporations, charities and governments alike, while the media and education system integrate it into our consciousness. Each name carries an expectation of how each group behaves, what they value, buy, watch and avoid.
It’s also led to a number of societal stereotypes, including the purpose-driven Millennial saving the planet (one like at a time), the materialistic Baby Boomer giving outdated advice to young people and the overprotected Zoomer getting life advice from TikTok.
But have you ever wondered why we label generations in the first place?
It’s an important question, given how much society defines people by them. This article explores the theory behind the labels, how it’s applied and whether it has any scientific basis.
Enter The Fourth Turning
The theory behind these words is the Strauss-Howe Generational Theory, popularised by the 1991 book Generations and revised in the 1997 book The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy.
