At a social level, there is a standardized and chronological denomination of the different consumer generations. Currently, there is a lot of talk about millennials. This generation are people born between 1981 and 1995. Its main characteristic is that it is a digital native generation, which has become very important in recent decades as a result of the technological boom.
However, previous generations are often forgotten, and little reference is made today to baby boomers or even less to the silent generation. The latter are also often referred to as senior builders and are the group of people born between 1928 and 1945. Today, they are people between the ages of 77 and 94. In addition, people born from 1901 to 1927 are categorized as the great generation, to whom we plan to dedicate a later blog.
Globally, they were people who lived through an era marked by the Great Depression, experienced the rise of Nazism and the catastrophic devastation caused by the nuclear bomb. These events are some of the reasons why they were a generation that grew up in fear, preferring to work hard and stay out of political events. Thus earning them the label of "silent".
This generation is characterized by large families. In addition, because of their childhood experiences, they are people who tend to be thrifty and prefer to maximize the useful life of goods. It is a consumer who is distant from technology (although this gap has narrowed in recent years). For that reason, they are people who value talking in person, contact with others and the more traditional means of communication such as radio, television or newspapers.
At the mentality level, the silent generation are people who are careful with their health, tend to be close to their families, seek to be conservative because they do not like to go against the rules. In addition, they demonstrate values such as respect, loyalty and discipline and are susceptible to loneliness and isolation.
In terms of habits, these people enjoy reading, watching television and manual hobbies, they enjoy family visits and are careful with their expenses, as they practice saving to ensure their economic stability.
In the consumer area, they feel safer making payments in cash. Since they are not as involved with technological resources, they prefer to go physically to the places to make their purchases, or receive help from their relatives to acquire their products and services.
Understanding the differences between generations creates a bridge between them. Understanding their characteristics helps us to communicate better and look for new ways of integration at the family and social level. In addition, as elderly people, they are a group that contributes a lot to society thanks to their legacy, mentality and behavior. Therefore, understanding their characteristics helps to give them the place they have earned.
At Verdeza, we are committed to the needs of the elderly. For that reason, we keep our staff trained to understand the worldview of the different generations with whom we interact. We work in an environment of constant learning to promote a more caring, understanding and empathetic environment.
