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{{Short description|Social cohort spanning the late Baby Boomer Generation and the early Generation X}}
{{Short description|Social cohort spanning the late Baby Boomer Generation and the early Generation X}}
{{Globalize|1=article|2=United States|date=March 2022}}
{{Globalize|1=article|2=United States|date=March 2022}}
{{use mdy|date=March 2022}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Multiple image
{{Multiple image
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| header = Members of Generation Jones
| header = Members of Generation Jones
| image1 = Prince Brussels 1986 (retouched).jpg
| image1 = Tim Berners-Lee-Knight-crop.jpg
| image2 = Kamala Harris during her term as District Attorney of San Francisco.png
| image2 = MadonnaO2171023 (97 of 133) (53269593787) (cropped).jpg
| image3 = Michael Jackson in 1988.jpg
| image4 = Prince Brussels 1986 (retouched).jpg
| image5 = President Barack Obama.jpg
| image6 = Diana, Princess of Wales 1997 (2).jpg
| image7 = Tom Cruise by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
| image8 = Kamala Harris Vice Presidential Portrait.jpg
| caption_align = center
| caption_align = center
| caption1 = [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], born 1958
| caption1 = [[Tim-Berners Lee]], born 1955
| caption2 = [[Kamala Harris]], born 1964
| caption2 = [[Madonna]], born 1958
| caption3 = [[Michael Jackson]], born 1958
| caption4 = [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], born 1958
| caption5 = [[Barack Obama]], born 1961
| caption6 = [[Diana, Princess of Wales|Princess Diana]], born 1961
| caption7 = [[Tom Cruise]], born 1962
| caption8 = [[Kamala Harris]], born 1964
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'''Generation Jones''' is the generation or social cohort between the [[Baby Boom generation]] and [[Generation X]]. The term was coined by American [[cultural commentator]] Jonathan Pontell, who argues that the term refers to a full distinct generation born from 1954 to 1965.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Jeffrey J. |date=March 31, 2014 |title=Not My Generation |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/Generation-Jones/145569 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009033716/https://www.chronicle.com/article/Generation-Jones/145569 |archive-date=October 9, 2017 |access-date=January 27, 2019 |work=The Chronicle of Higher Education}}</ref> Media coverage of Generation Jones typically has described it as a distinct generation, using Pontell's dates.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Boylan |first=Jennifer Finney |date=2020-06-23 |title=Opinion {{!}} Mr. Jones and Me: Younger Baby Boomers Swing Left |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/opinion/baby-boomers-trump.html |access-date=2024-08-01 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Not My Generation |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/not-my-generation-145569/ |access-date=2024-08-01}}</ref> Others see this as a subset of the Baby Boom Generation, primarily its second half.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Astor |first=Bart |title=Baby Boomers Are Different Than Generation Jones - We're Proud Of Being Old |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/bartastor/2018/07/30/baby-boomers-are-different-than-generation-jones-were-proud-of-being-old/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lubrano |first=Alfred |date=2023-02-23 |title=Generation Jones folks can't relate to their Baby Boomer brethren |url=https://www.inquirer.com/life/baby-boomer-millennial-generation-jones-vietnam-woodstock-401-k-pensions-20230223.html |access-date=2024-08-01 |website= |language=en}}</ref> A third view is that Generation Jones is a [[Cusper|cusp]] or micro-generation between the Boomers and Xers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Wayne |date=2017-07-02 |title=Carter: What’s an xennial? Me, apparently |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2017/07/02/carter-whats-an-xennial-me-apparently/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=Baltimore Sun |language=en-US}}</ref>
'''Generation Jones''' is the social [[Cohort (statistics)|cohort]]<ref name="Howe1">{{Cite news |last=Howe |first=Neil |date=December 7, 2008 |title=Who is the Real 'Dumbest Generation'? |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/05/AR2008120502601.html?hpid=opinionsbox1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102101443/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/05/AR2008120502601.html?hpid=opinionsbox1 |archive-date=January 2, 2017 |access-date=February 7, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref name="Hendricks">{{Cite journal |last=Hendricks |first=Jon |date=March 1, 2012 |title=Considering Life Course Concepts |journal=The Journals of Gerontology |series=B |volume=67B |issue=2 |pages=226–231 |doi=10.1093/geronb/gbr147 |pmid=22391748 |doi-access=free}}</ref> worldwide and micro generation [[cusper]] segment<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pontell |first=Jonathan |date=2009-04-03 |title=Generation Jones and the new era in global leadership |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/generation-jones-and-the-new-era-in-global-leadership/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |publisher=[[Politico]]}}</ref> of the latter half of the [[Baby boomers|baby boomer generation]] to the first year of [[Generation X]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jensen |first=J. B. |url=http://uk.fremforsk.dk/vis_bog.asp?AjrdcmntId=179 |title=Future consumer tendencies and shopping behaviour: The development up until 2015-17. Research paper No. 1 |publisher=Marianne Levinsen & Jesper Bo Jensen |year=2007 |location=Denmark |pages=13–17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122103446/http://uk.fremforsk.dk/vis_bog.asp?AjrdcmntId=179 |archive-date=2013-01-22 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Seigle |first=Greg |date=April 6, 2000 |title=Some Call It 'Jones' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/04/06/some-call-it-jones/d3bb2edf-7416-437e-b363-0d5f8612db1c/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828201605/https://www.washingtonpost.com/web/20170828201605/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/04/06/some-call-it-jones/d3bb2edf-7416-437e-b363-0d5f8612db1c/?utm_term=.d8a04ddeb400 |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |access-date=May 2, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref name="scoop">{{Cite news |date=September 13, 2005 |title=Press Release: Generation Jones is driving NZ Voter Volatility |url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0509/S00161.htm |access-date=February 18, 2007 |publisher=Scoop Independent News (NZ)}}</ref><ref name="telegraph">{{Cite news |last=Wastell |first=David |date=October 15, 2000 |title=Generation Jones comes of age in time for election |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2000/10/15/wpres115.xml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070307092653/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2000/10/15/wpres115.xml |archive-date=March 7, 2007 |access-date=June 12, 2009 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London}}</ref> The term Generation Jones was first coined in 1999 by the American [[cultural commentator]] Jonathan Pontell, who identified the cohort as those born from 1954 to 1965 in the U.S.,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Jeffrey J. |date=March 31, 2014 |title=Not My Generation |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/Generation-Jones/145569 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009033716/https://www.chronicle.com/article/Generation-Jones/145569 |archive-date=October 9, 2017 |access-date=January 27, 2019 |work=The Chronicle of Higher Education}}</ref> who were children during [[Watergate scandal|Watergate]], the [[1973 oil crisis|oil crisis]], and [[stagflation]] rather than during the 1950s, but slightly before Gen X.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 19, 2008 |title=Jump up |url=http://www.fnpInteractive.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221183359/http://www.fnpinteractive.com/ |archive-date=February 21, 2010 |access-date=August 2, 2010 |work=The Frederick News-Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 11, 2009 |title=In Obama, many see an end to the baby boomer era |url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1372376,w-obama-baby-boomer-era-011109.article |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125183857/http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1372376,w-obama-baby-boomer-era-011109.article |archive-date=January 25, 2009 |access-date=September 19, 2015 |work=Chicago Sun-Times}}</ref>


Unlike "Leading-Edge Boomers", most of Generation Jones did not grow up with [[World War II]] veterans as fathers, and, as they reached adulthood, there was no [[compulsory military service]] and no defining political cause, as [[opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War]] was for the older boomers. Their [[Silent Generation|parents' generation]] was sandwiched between the [[Greatest Generation]] and the [[Baby Boomers]].<ref name="Buck">{{Cite web |last=Buck |first=Stephanie |date=2017-11-03 |title=This niche generation within the Baby Boom is a highly coveted—and persuadable—voting bloc |url=https://timeline.com/generation-jones-baby-boom-923270cb2010}}</ref> Also, by 1955, a majority of U.S. households had at least one [[television]] set,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Mitchell |title=History of Television |url=https://www.nyu.edu/classes/stephens/History%20of%20Television%20page.htm |publisher=[[New York University]]}}</ref> and so unlike Leading-Edge Boomers born from 1946 to 1953, many members of Generation Jones (trailing-edge boomers) have never lived in a world without television—similar to how many members of [[Generation Z]] <ref>{{Cite web |last=Burclaff |first=Natalie |title=Research Guides: Doing Consumer Research: A Resource Guide: Generations |url=https://guides.loc.gov/consumer-research/market-segments/generations |access-date=21 April 2022 |website=guides.loc.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bureau |first=US Census |title=2019 Data Show Baby Boomers Nearly 9 Times Wealthier Than Millennials |url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/08/wealth-inequality-by-household-type.html |access-date=18 February 2023 |website=Census.gov}}</ref> have never lived in a world without [[personal computer]]s or the [[internet]],<ref>A majority of U.S. households had PCs by 2000 and the internet by 2001; see: {{Cite report |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-569.pdf |title=Computer and Internet Use in the United States |last=File |first=Thom |date=May 2013 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] |access-date=February 11, 2020 |series=Current Population Survey Reports |place=[[Washington, D.C.]]}}</ref> or [[mobile phone]]s.<ref>A majority of all U.S. adult survey respondents reported having mobile phones by 2002; see: {{Cite report |url=http://www.asasrms.org/Proceedings/y2005/files/JSM2005-000345.pdf |title=Ownership and Usage Patterns of Cell Phones: 2000-2005 |last1=Tuckel |first1=Peter |last2=O'Neill |first2=Harry |publisher=[[American Statistical Association]] |page=4002 |access-date=September 25, 2020 |year=2005 |series=JSM Proceedings, Survey Research Methods Section |place=[[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria, VA]]}}</ref> Generation Jones were children during the [[sexual revolution]] of the 1960s and 1970s and were young adults when [[HIV/AIDS]] became a worldwide threat in the 1980s. The majority of ''Joneses'' reached maturity from 1972 to 1979, while younger members came of age from 1980 to 1983, just as the older Baby Boomers had come of age from 1964 to 1971.
Members of Generation Jones were children and teens during [[Watergate scandal|Watergate]], the [[1973 oil crisis|oil crisis]], and [[stagflation]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 19, 2008 |title=Jump up |url=http://www.fnpInteractive.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221183359/http://www.fnpinteractive.com/ |archive-date=February 21, 2010 |access-date=August 2, 2010 |work=The Frederick News-Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 11, 2009 |title=In Obama, many see an end to the baby boomer era |url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1372376,w-obama-baby-boomer-era-011109.article |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125183857/http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1372376,w-obama-baby-boomer-era-011109.article |archive-date=January 25, 2009 |access-date=September 19, 2015 |work=Chicago Sun-Times}}</ref> Unlike "Leading-Edge Boomers", most of Generation Jones did not grow up with [[World War II]] veterans as fathers, and, as they reached adulthood, there was no [[compulsory military service]] and no defining political cause, as [[opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War]] was for the older boomers. Their [[Silent Generation|parents' generation]] was sandwiched between the [[Greatest Generation]] and the [[Baby Boomers]].<ref name="Buck">{{Cite web |last=Buck |first=Stephanie |date=2017-11-03 |title=This niche generation within the Baby Boom is a highly coveted—and persuadable—voting bloc |url=https://timeline.com/generation-jones-baby-boom-923270cb2010}}</ref> Also, by 1955, a majority of U.S. households had at least one [[television]] set,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Mitchell |title=History of Television |url=https://www.nyu.edu/classes/stephens/History%20of%20Television%20page.htm |publisher=[[New York University]]}}</ref> and so unlike Leading-Edge Boomers born from 1946 to 1953, many members of Generation Jones (trailing-edge boomers) have never lived in a world without television—similar to how many members of [[Generation Z]] (1997—2012)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burclaff |first=Natalie |title=Research Guides: Doing Consumer Research: A Resource Guide: Generations |url=https://guides.loc.gov/consumer-research/market-segments/generations |access-date=21 April 2022 |website=guides.loc.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bureau |first=US Census |title=2019 Data Show Baby Boomers Nearly 9 Times Wealthier Than Millennials |url=https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/08/wealth-inequality-by-household-type.html |access-date=18 February 2023 |website=Census.gov}}</ref> have never lived in a world without [[personal computer]]s or the [[internet]],<ref>A majority of U.S. households had PCs by 2000 and the internet by 2001; see: {{Cite report |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-569.pdf |title=Computer and Internet Use in the United States |last=File |first=Thom |date=May 2013 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] |access-date=February 11, 2020 |series=Current Population Survey Reports |place=[[Washington, D.C.]]}}</ref> or [[mobile phone]]s.<ref>A majority of all U.S. adult survey respondents reported having mobile phones by 2002; see: {{Cite report |url=http://www.asasrms.org/Proceedings/y2005/files/JSM2005-000345.pdf |title=Ownership and Usage Patterns of Cell Phones: 2000-2005 |last1=Tuckel |first1=Peter |last2=O'Neill |first2=Harry |publisher=[[American Statistical Association]] |page=4002 |access-date=September 25, 2020 |year=2005 |series=JSM Proceedings, Survey Research Methods Section |place=[[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria, VA]]}}</ref> Generation Jones were children during the [[sexual revolution]] of the 1960s and 1970s and were young adults when [[HIV/AIDS]] became a worldwide threat in the 1980s. The majority of ''Joneses'' reached maturity from 1972 to 1979, while younger members came of age from 1980 to 1983, just as the older Baby Boomers had come of age from 1964 to 1971.


The name "Generation Jones" has several connotations, including a large [[Anonymity|anonymous]] generation, a "[[keeping up with the Joneses]]" competitiveness and the slang word "[[wikt:jones|jones]]" or "[[jonesing]]", meaning a yearning or craving.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anne |first=Braly |date=January 18, 2009 |title='Generation Jones' soon to have its man in Washington |url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/jan/18/generation-jones-soon-have-its-man-washington/ |work=Chattanooga Times Free Press |access-date=June 13, 2009 |archive-date=February 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219190810/http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/jan/18/generation-jones-soon-have-its-man-washington/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Button |first=Eileen |date=April 5, 2009 |title=Generation Jones has a few good reasons to be suspicious of technology |url=http://www.mlive.com/communitynewspapers/opinion/index.ssf/2009/04/generation_jones_has_good_reas.html |work=The Community Newspapers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Stuart Wells |first=Amy |date=4 March 2009 |title=Commentary - From Obama's Generation The Audacious Hope of More Racially Diverse Public Schools |url=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/03/04/23wells_ep.h28.html?tkn=RUZF51zK56EOobsyL5j2907YVcXVtHgAAf2Q |publisher=Education Week}}</ref> Pontell suggests that Jonesers inherited an optimistic outlook as children in the 1960s, but were then confronted with a different reality as they entered the workforce during [[Reaganomics]] and the shift from a manufacturing economy to a [[service economy]], which ushered in a long period of [[mass unemployment]]. Mortgage interest rates increased to above 12 percent in the mid-eighties,<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 November 2021 |title=FreddieMac - 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages Since 1971 |url=http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/pmms30.html}}</ref> making it virtually impossible to buy a house on a single income. [[De-industrialization]] arrived in full force in the mid-late 1970s and 1980s; wages would be stagnant for decades, and [[401(k)|401(k)s]] replaced [[Pension|pensions]], leaving them with a certain abiding "jonesing" quality for the more prosperous days of the past.
The name "Generation Jones" has several connotations, including a large [[Anonymity|anonymous]] generation, a "[[keeping up with the Joneses]]" competitiveness and the slang word "[[wikt:jones|jones]]" or "[[jonesing]]", meaning a yearning or craving.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anne |first=Braly |date=January 18, 2009 |title='Generation Jones' soon to have its man in Washington |url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/jan/18/generation-jones-soon-have-its-man-washington/ |work=Chattanooga Times Free Press |access-date=June 13, 2009 |archive-date=February 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219190810/http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/jan/18/generation-jones-soon-have-its-man-washington/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Button |first=Eileen |date=April 5, 2009 |title=Generation Jones has a few good reasons to be suspicious of technology |url=http://www.mlive.com/communitynewspapers/opinion/index.ssf/2009/04/generation_jones_has_good_reas.html |work=The Community Newspapers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Stuart Wells |first=Amy |date=4 March 2009 |title=Commentary - From Obama's Generation The Audacious Hope of More Racially Diverse Public Schools |url=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/03/04/23wells_ep.h28.html?tkn=RUZF51zK56EOobsyL5j2907YVcXVtHgAAf2Q |publisher=Education Week}}</ref> Pontell suggests that Jonesers inherited an optimistic outlook as children in the 1960s, but were then confronted with a different reality as they entered the workforce during [[Reaganomics]] and the shift from a manufacturing economy to a [[service economy]], which ushered in a long period of [[mass unemployment]]. Mortgage interest rates increased to above 12 percent in the mid-eighties,<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 November 2021 |title=FreddieMac - 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages Since 1971 |url=http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/pmms30.html}}</ref> making it virtually impossible to buy a house on a single income. [[De-industrialization]] arrived in full force in the mid-late 1970s and 1980s; wages would be stagnant for decades, and [[401(k)]]s replaced [[pension]]s, leaving them with a certain abiding "jonesing" quality for the more prosperous days of the past.


Generation Jones is noted for coming of age after a huge swath of their older siblings in the earlier portion of the Baby Boomer population; thus, many note that there was a paucity of resources and privileges available to them that were seemingly abundant to older Boomers. Therefore, there is a certain level of bitterness and "jonesing" for the level of doting and affluence granted to older Boomers but denied to them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pontell |first=Jonathan |year=2007 |title=Generation Jones |url=http://www.jonathanpontell.com/aboutgenjones.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713115711/http://www.jonathanpontell.com/aboutgenjones.htm |archive-date=July 13, 2011 |access-date=October 30, 2012 |website=The Jonathan Pontell Group}}</ref>
Generation Jones is noted for coming of age after a huge swath of their older siblings in the earlier portion of the Baby Boomer population; thus, many note that there was a paucity of resources and privileges available to them that were seemingly abundant to older Boomers. Therefore, there is a certain level of bitterness and "jonesing" for the level of doting and affluence granted to older Boomers but denied to them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pontell |first=Jonathan |year=2007 |title=Generation Jones |url=http://www.jonathanpontell.com/aboutgenjones.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713115711/http://www.jonathanpontell.com/aboutgenjones.htm |archive-date=July 13, 2011 |access-date=October 30, 2012 |website=The Jonathan Pontell Group}}</ref>
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==Cultural, economic, and political dimensions==
==Cultural, economic, and political dimensions==
While charismatic leaders like John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. inspired millions of older Boomers to work for—and witness—positive social change, younger Boomers were in preschool or not yet born. The [[Woodstock]] pop festival (1969) was a defining moment for older Boomers; younger Boomers have few memories from before the Watergate scandal (1972–1974) and the cultural cynicism it begat. While in high school, members of Generation Jones had a distinct feeling of having just missed the real hippie era.
While charismatic leaders like John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. inspired millions of older Boomers to work for—and witness—positive social change, younger Boomers were in preschool or not yet born. The [[Woodstock]] pop festival (1969) was a defining moment for older Boomers; younger Boomers have few memories from before the Watergate scandal (1972–1974) and the cultural cynicism it begat. While in high school, members of Generation Jones had a distinct feeling of having just missed the real hippie era.

Many came of age during the 1970s and early 1980s. They shared similar pop culture and MTV with Gen Xers. They were young adults navigating the workforce in the 1980s and 1990s but still felt the 2008 economic crisis. This hit them hard because they had to help and advise their older Millennial children while also providing for their younger Gen Z kids.


Generation Jones has been covered and discussed in newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio shows.<ref name="cincypost">{{Cite news |last=Lang |first=John |date=January 8, 2000 |title=Generation Jones: Between the Boomers and the Xers |url=http://www.cincypost.com/news/2000/jones010800.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050115184413/http://www.cincypost.com/news/2000/jones010800.html |archive-date=January 15, 2005 |work=[[The Cincinnati Post]] |publisher=[[E. W. Scripps Company]]}}</ref><ref name="davidrowan">{{Cite web |last=Rowan |first=David |date=May 2005 |title=A guide to electionspeak |url=http://www.davidrowan.com/2005/05/times-op-ed-guide-to-electionspeak.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070407011729/http://www.davidrowan.com/2005/05/times-op-ed-guide-to-electionspeak.html |archive-date=April 7, 2007}}</ref><ref name="talkradionews">{{Cite news |date=October 30, 2006 |title=Political analyst Jonathan Pontell on what political party different generations vote for and why |url=http://talkradionews.com/2006/10/talk-radio-news-service-interviews-political-analyst-jonathan-pontell-on-what-political-party-different-generations-vote-for-and-why/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110911013454/http://talkradionews.com/2006/10/talk-radio-news-service-interviews-political-analyst-jonathan-pontell-on-what-political-party-different-generations-vote-for-and-why/ |archive-date=September 11, 2011 |access-date=December 7, 2008 |publisher=Talk Radio News Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Aguilar |first=Louis |date=December 2000 |title=Many in the 35-46 Age Bracket Identify with 'Generation Jones' |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-6452129_ITM |publisher=The Denver Post |location=Denver, Colorado}}</ref> Pontell has appeared on TV networks such as [[CNN]], [[MSNBC]], and [[BBC]], discussing the cultural, political, and economic implications of this generation's emergence.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7vbsVu75do |title=Generation Jones discussion on CNN day before ElectionDay'08 |date=January 15, 2009 |access-date=September 19, 2015 |work=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBk1GZ747F8 |title=Generation Jones conversation on Canada's most popular national TV talk show |date=February 27, 2009 |access-date=September 19, 2015 |work=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ollivier |first=Debra |date=December 15, 2011 |title=So You Think You're A Boomer? Think Again |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/debra-ollivier/gen-jones_b_1149703.html |access-date=February 10, 2014 |work=[[The Huffington Post]]}}</ref>
Generation Jones has been covered and discussed in newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio shows.<ref name="cincypost">{{Cite news |last=Lang |first=John |date=January 8, 2000 |title=Generation Jones: Between the Boomers and the Xers |url=http://www.cincypost.com/news/2000/jones010800.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050115184413/http://www.cincypost.com/news/2000/jones010800.html |archive-date=January 15, 2005 |work=[[The Cincinnati Post]] |publisher=[[E. W. Scripps Company]]}}</ref><ref name="davidrowan">{{Cite web |last=Rowan |first=David |date=May 2005 |title=A guide to electionspeak |url=http://www.davidrowan.com/2005/05/times-op-ed-guide-to-electionspeak.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070407011729/http://www.davidrowan.com/2005/05/times-op-ed-guide-to-electionspeak.html |archive-date=April 7, 2007}}</ref><ref name="talkradionews">{{Cite news |date=October 30, 2006 |title=Political analyst Jonathan Pontell on what political party different generations vote for and why |url=http://talkradionews.com/2006/10/talk-radio-news-service-interviews-political-analyst-jonathan-pontell-on-what-political-party-different-generations-vote-for-and-why/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110911013454/http://talkradionews.com/2006/10/talk-radio-news-service-interviews-political-analyst-jonathan-pontell-on-what-political-party-different-generations-vote-for-and-why/ |archive-date=September 11, 2011 |access-date=December 7, 2008 |publisher=Talk Radio News Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Aguilar |first=Louis |date=December 2000 |title=Many in the 35-46 Age Bracket Identify with 'Generation Jones' |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-6452129_ITM |publisher=The Denver Post |location=Denver, Colorado}}</ref> Pontell has appeared on TV networks such as [[CNN]], [[MSNBC]], and [[BBC]], discussing the cultural, political, and economic implications of this generation's emergence.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7vbsVu75do |title=Generation Jones discussion on CNN day before ElectionDay'08 |date=January 15, 2009 |access-date=September 19, 2015 |work=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBk1GZ747F8 |title=Generation Jones conversation on Canada's most popular national TV talk show |date=February 27, 2009 |access-date=September 19, 2015 |work=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ollivier |first=Debra |date=December 15, 2011 |title=So You Think You're A Boomer? Think Again |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/debra-ollivier/gen-jones_b_1149703.html |access-date=February 10, 2014 |work=[[The Huffington Post]]}}</ref>
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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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Campanelli |first=Melissa |date=September 20, 2007 |title=How to Reach 'Generation Jones' Online |url=http://www.emarketingandcommerce.com/content/how-reach-generation-jones-online |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213193139/http://www.emarketingandcommerce.com/content/how-reach-generation-jones-online |archive-date=December 13, 2019 |access-date=July 9, 2009 |publisher=eMarketing & Commerce}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wells |first=Ellen C. |date=September 2005 |title=Keeping Up With The Jonesers |url=http://www.flowerink.com/pdfs/GardeningThruAges_Jones.pdf |journal=Today's Garden Center |pages=44–45 |access-date=July 9, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Green |first=Brent |title=Marketing to Leading-Edge Baby Boomers |year=2006 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lHeYQrZA4VMC&dq=%22Generation+Jones%22&pg=PA29 |publisher=Paramount Market Publishing |isbn=978-0-9766973-5-0}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Welch |first1=Jim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tyfr-dU5Na0C&dq=%22Generation+Jones%22&pg=PA104 |title=Grow Now |last2=Bill Althaus |publisher=The Growth Leader, Inc. |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-934144-02-2 |pages=204}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Stroud |first=Dick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wU3Mgdaxc8EC&dq=%22Generation+Jones%22&pg=PA108 |title=The 50 plus market |publisher=Kogan Page Publishers |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7494-4939-1 |pages=314}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Toops Scoops: Keeping up with the Jonesers |url=http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2003/343.html |access-date=September 19, 2015 |website=foodprocessing.com |archive-date=August 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815225151/http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2003/343.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Carat UK]], a European media buying agency, has done extensive research into Generation Jones consumers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who is Generation Jones? |url=http://www.generationjones.co.uk/gen_jones/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050215211523/http://www.generationjones.co.uk/gen_jones/ |archive-date=February 15, 2005 |access-date=February 10, 2014 |website=Project Britain |publisher=Carat UK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dutta |first=Kunal |date=January 23, 2006 |title=Carat taps into singleton spending |url=http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/article/537226/carat-taps-singleton-spending?DCMP=ILC-BETASEARCH |access-date=February 10, 2014 |work=MediaWeek}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Campanelli |first=Melissa |date=September 20, 2007 |title=How to Reach 'Generation Jones' Online |url=http://www.emarketingandcommerce.com/content/how-reach-generation-jones-online |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213193139/http://www.emarketingandcommerce.com/content/how-reach-generation-jones-online |archive-date=December 13, 2019 |access-date=July 9, 2009 |publisher=eMarketing & Commerce}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wells |first=Ellen C. |date=September 2005 |title=Keeping Up With The Jonesers |url=http://www.flowerink.com/pdfs/GardeningThruAges_Jones.pdf |journal=Today's Garden Center |pages=44–45 |access-date=July 9, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Green |first=Brent |title=Marketing to Leading-Edge Baby Boomers |year=2006 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lHeYQrZA4VMC&dq=%22Generation+Jones%22&pg=PA29 |publisher=Paramount Market Publishing |isbn=978-0-9766973-5-0}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Welch |first1=Jim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tyfr-dU5Na0C&dq=%22Generation+Jones%22&pg=PA104 |title=Grow Now |last2=Bill Althaus |publisher=The Growth Leader, Inc. |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-934144-02-2 |pages=204}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Stroud |first=Dick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wU3Mgdaxc8EC&dq=%22Generation+Jones%22&pg=PA108 |title=The 50 plus market |publisher=Kogan Page Publishers |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7494-4939-1 |pages=314}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Toops Scoops: Keeping up with the Jonesers |url=http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2003/343.html |access-date=September 19, 2015 |website=foodprocessing.com |archive-date=August 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815225151/http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2003/343.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Carat UK]], a European media buying agency, has done extensive research into Generation Jones consumers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who is Generation Jones? |url=http://www.generationjones.co.uk/gen_jones/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050215211523/http://www.generationjones.co.uk/gen_jones/ |archive-date=February 15, 2005 |access-date=February 10, 2014 |website=Project Britain |publisher=Carat UK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dutta |first=Kunal |date=January 23, 2006 |title=Carat taps into singleton spending |url=http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/article/537226/carat-taps-singleton-spending?DCMP=ILC-BETASEARCH |access-date=February 10, 2014 |work=MediaWeek}}</ref>


Politically, Generation Jones has emerged as a crucial voting segment in US and UK elections.<ref name="page" /><ref name="Fenn" /> In the [[2006 United States general elections|U.S. 2006 congressional]] and [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 presidential elections]], and the [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005 U.K. elections]], Generation Jones's electoral role was widely described as pivotal by the media and political pollsters.<ref name="scoop" /><ref name="davidrowan" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Key to election is 'keeping up with Joneses' |url=http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200504/85503c19-df76-48ab-a2fb-3ef731c1459a.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013223238/http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200504/85503c19-df76-48ab-a2fb-3ef731c1459a.htm |archive-date=October 13, 2008 |access-date=September 19, 2015 |website=epolitix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 9, 2004 |title=Pollster says Generation Jones tipped election for Bush |url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2004/12/09_genjones2/ |access-date=September 19, 2015 |website=publicradio.org}}</ref> In the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 U.S. Presidential election]], Generation Jones was again seen as a key electoral segment because of the high degree to which its members were swing voters during the election cycle. Influential journalists, like [[Clarence Page]]<ref name="page">{{Cite news |last=Page |first=Clarence |author-link=Clarence Page |date=October 22, 2008 |title=Generation Jones is in play |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped1022pageoct22,0,2775732.column |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201174422/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped1022pageoct22,0,2775732.column |archive-date=December 1, 2008 |access-date=December 7, 2008 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref> and [[Peter Fenn]],<ref name="Fenn">{{Cite web |last=Fenn |first=Peter |date=October 23, 2008 |title=Why the 'Generation Jones' Vote May Be Crucial in Election 2008 |url=http://pundits.thehill.com/2008/10/23/why-the-%E2%80%98generation-jones%E2%80%99-vote-may-be-crucial-in-election-2008/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130012949/http://pundits.thehill.com/2008/10/23/why-the-%E2%80%98generation-jones%E2%80%99-vote-may-be-crucial-in-election-2008/ |archive-date=January 30, 2009 |access-date=December 7, 2008 |website=The Hill's Pundits Blog}}</ref> singled out Generation Jones voters as crucial in the final weeks of the campaign.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Paulsen |first=David |date=October 26, 2008 |title=Attention GenY'ers! Talk To Your Parents! Don't Let GenJonesers Vote Against Themselves! |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-paulsen/attention-genyers-talk-to_b_137937.html |access-date=December 7, 2008 |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |department=Politics}}</ref> Numerous studies have been done by political pollsters and publications analyzing the voting behavior of Gen Jonesers.<ref name="Independent Introducing">{{Cite news |last=Rentoul |first=John |date=April 10, 2005 |title=Introducing Generation Jones voters who hold the key to No 10 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/introducing-generation-jones-voters-who-hold-the-key-to-no-10-482274.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523163756/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/introducing-generation-jones-voters-who-hold-the-key-to-no-10-482274.html |archive-date=May 23, 2009 |work=The Independent |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 27, 2004 |title=Generation Jones Women are Swing Voters |url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/generation_jones_women_are_swing_voters |access-date=September 19, 2015 |publisher=Rasmussen Reports}}</ref> Generation Jones voters are likely to contain the highest proportion of Brexit voters.
Politically, Generation Jones has emerged as a crucial voting segment in US and UK elections.<ref name="page" /><ref name="Fenn" /> In the [[2006 United States general elections|U.S. 2006 congressional]] and [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 presidential elections]], and the [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005 U.K. elections]], Generation Jones's electoral role was widely described as pivotal by the media and political pollsters.<ref name="scoop">{{Cite news |date=September 13, 2005 |title=Press Release: Generation Jones is driving NZ Voter Volatility |url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0509/S00161.htm |access-date=February 18, 2007 |publisher=Scoop Independent News (NZ)}}</ref><ref name="davidrowan" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Key to election is 'keeping up with Joneses' |url=http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200504/85503c19-df76-48ab-a2fb-3ef731c1459a.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013223238/http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200504/85503c19-df76-48ab-a2fb-3ef731c1459a.htm |archive-date=October 13, 2008 |access-date=September 19, 2015 |website=epolitix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 9, 2004 |title=Pollster says Generation Jones tipped election for Bush |url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2004/12/09_genjones2/ |access-date=September 19, 2015 |website=publicradio.org}}</ref> In the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 U.S. Presidential election]], Generation Jones was again seen as a key electoral segment because of the high degree to which its members were swing voters during the election cycle. Influential journalists, like [[Clarence Page]]<ref name="page">{{Cite news |last=Page |first=Clarence |author-link=Clarence Page |date=October 22, 2008 |title=Generation Jones is in play |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped1022pageoct22,0,2775732.column |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201174422/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped1022pageoct22,0,2775732.column |archive-date=December 1, 2008 |access-date=December 7, 2008 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref> and [[Peter Fenn]],<ref name="Fenn">{{Cite web |last=Fenn |first=Peter |date=October 23, 2008 |title=Why the 'Generation Jones' Vote May Be Crucial in Election 2008 |url=http://pundits.thehill.com/2008/10/23/why-the-%E2%80%98generation-jones%E2%80%99-vote-may-be-crucial-in-election-2008/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130012949/http://pundits.thehill.com/2008/10/23/why-the-%E2%80%98generation-jones%E2%80%99-vote-may-be-crucial-in-election-2008/ |archive-date=January 30, 2009 |access-date=December 7, 2008 |website=The Hill's Pundits Blog}}</ref> singled out Generation Jones voters as crucial in the final weeks of the campaign.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Paulsen |first=David |date=October 26, 2008 |title=Attention GenY'ers! Talk To Your Parents! Don't Let GenJonesers Vote Against Themselves! |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-paulsen/attention-genyers-talk-to_b_137937.html |access-date=December 7, 2008 |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |department=Politics}}</ref> Numerous studies have been done by political pollsters and publications analyzing the voting behavior of Gen Jonesers.<ref name="Independent Introducing">{{Cite news |last=Rentoul |first=John |date=April 10, 2005 |title=Introducing Generation Jones voters who hold the key to No 10 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/introducing-generation-jones-voters-who-hold-the-key-to-no-10-482274.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523163756/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/introducing-generation-jones-voters-who-hold-the-key-to-no-10-482274.html |archive-date=May 23, 2009 |work=The Independent |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 27, 2004 |title=Generation Jones Women are Swing Voters |url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/generation_jones_women_are_swing_voters |access-date=September 19, 2015 |publisher=Rasmussen Reports}}</ref> Generation Jones voters are likely to contain the highest proportion of Brexit voters.


The [[2008 United States presidential election|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]]''),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Alter |first=Jonathan |author-link=Jonathan Alter |date=February 11, 2008 |title=Twilight of the Baby Boom |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/107583 |access-date=December 7, 2008 |publisher=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref> [[David Brooks (journalist)|David Brooks]] (''[[The New York Times]]'') and [[Karen Tumulty]] (''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'') – have characterized Obama as a member of Generation Jones.
The [[2008 United States presidential election|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]]''),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Alter |first=Jonathan |author-link=Jonathan Alter |date=February 11, 2008 |title=Twilight of the Baby Boom |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/107583 |access-date=December 7, 2008 |publisher=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref> [[David Brooks (journalist)|David Brooks]] (''[[The New York Times]]'') and [[Karen Tumulty]] (''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'') – have characterized Obama as a member of Generation Jones.
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==External links==
==External links==
* [http://generationjones.com/ Generation Jones news website]
* [http://generationjones.com/ Generation Jones news website]
* [https://genjones.net/ 2024 Generation Jones news website]


{{Generation}}
{{Generation}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Generation Jones}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Generation Jones}}
[[Category:Cultural generations]]
[[Category:Cultural generations]]
[[Category:Baby boomers]]
[[Category:1950s births]]
[[Category:1960s births]]
[[Category:1999 neologisms]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Revision as of 12:51, 25 August 2024

Members of Generation Jones
Tim-Berners Lee, born 1955
Madonna, born 1958
Michael Jackson, born 1958
Prince, born 1958
Barack Obama, born 1961
Princess Diana, born 1961
Tom Cruise, born 1962
Kamala Harris, born 1964

Generation Jones is the generation or social cohort between the Baby Boom generation and Generation X. The term was coined by American cultural commentator Jonathan Pontell, who argues that the term refers to a full distinct generation born from 1954 to 1965.[1] Media coverage of Generation Jones typically has described it as a distinct generation, using Pontell's dates.[2][3] Others see this as a subset of the Baby Boom Generation, primarily its second half.[4][5] A third view is that Generation Jones is a cusp or micro-generation between the Boomers and Xers.[6]

Members of Generation Jones were children and teens during Watergate, the oil crisis, and stagflation.[7][8] Unlike "Leading-Edge Boomers", most of Generation Jones did not grow up with World War II veterans as fathers, and, as they reached adulthood, there was no compulsory military service and no defining political cause, as opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War was for the older boomers. Their parents' generation was sandwiched between the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boomers.[9] Also, by 1955, a majority of U.S. households had at least one television set,[10] and so unlike Leading-Edge Boomers born from 1946 to 1953, many members of Generation Jones (trailing-edge boomers) have never lived in a world without television—similar to how many members of Generation Z (1997—2012)[11][12] have never lived in a world without personal computers or the internet,[13] or mobile phones.[14] Generation Jones were children during the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s and were young adults when HIV/AIDS became a worldwide threat in the 1980s. The majority of Joneses reached maturity from 1972 to 1979, while younger members came of age from 1980 to 1983, just as the older Baby Boomers had come of age from 1964 to 1971.

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.[15][16][17] Pontell suggests that Jonesers inherited an optimistic outlook as children in the 1960s, but were then confronted with a different reality as they entered the workforce during Reaganomics and the shift from a manufacturing economy to a service economy, which ushered in a long period of mass unemployment. Mortgage interest rates increased to above 12 percent in the mid-eighties,[18] making it virtually impossible to buy a house on a single income. De-industrialization arrived in full force in the mid-late 1970s and 1980s; wages would be stagnant for decades, and 401(k)s replaced pensions, leaving them with a certain abiding "jonesing" quality for the more prosperous days of the past.

Generation Jones is noted for coming of age after a huge swath of their older siblings in the earlier portion of the Baby Boomer population; thus, many note that there was a paucity of resources and privileges available to them that were seemingly abundant to older Boomers. Therefore, there is a certain level of bitterness and "jonesing" for the level of doting and affluence granted to older Boomers but denied to them.[19]

The term has enjoyed some currency in political and cultural commentary, including during the 2008 United States presidential election, where Barack Obama (born 1961) and Sarah Palin (born 1964) were on the presidential tickets. As of 2024, the current and preceding vice presidents, Kamala Harris (born 1964) and Mike Pence (born 1959) respectively, are members of Generation Jones.[20]

Cultural, economic, and political dimensions

While charismatic leaders like John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. inspired millions of older Boomers to work for—and witness—positive social change, younger Boomers were in preschool or not yet born. The Woodstock pop festival (1969) was a defining moment for older Boomers; younger Boomers have few memories from before the Watergate scandal (1972–1974) and the cultural cynicism it begat. While in high school, members of Generation Jones had a distinct feeling of having just missed the real hippie era.

Generation Jones has been covered and discussed in newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio shows.[21][22][23][24] Pontell has appeared on TV networks such as CNN, MSNBC, and BBC, discussing the cultural, political, and economic implications of this generation's emergence.[25][26][27]

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.[28][29][30][31][32][33] Carat UK, a European media buying agency, has done extensive research into Generation Jones consumers.[34][35]

Politically, Generation Jones has emerged as a crucial voting segment in US and UK elections.[36][37] 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.[38][22][39][40] In the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, Generation Jones was again seen as a key electoral segment because of the high degree to which its members were swing voters during the election cycle. Influential journalists, like Clarence Page[36] and Peter Fenn,[37] singled out Generation Jones voters as crucial in the final weeks of the campaign.[41] Numerous studies have been done by political pollsters and publications analyzing the voting behavior of Gen Jonesers.[42][43] Generation Jones voters are likely to contain the highest proportion of Brexit voters.

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),[44] 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 pessimism, distrust of government, and general cynicism.[42][45]

In Pontell's opinion, US Jonesers shifted left in 2020, which he attributed to Trump's response to the COVID-19 crisis and Trump's mocking of Joe Biden's senior moments. "There are lots of seniors out there that also have senior moments," Pontell says. "They don't really like the president mocking those one bit."[46]

See also

References

  1. ^ Williams, Jeffrey J. (March 31, 2014). "Not My Generation". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  2. ^ Boylan, Jennifer Finney (June 23, 2020). "Opinion | Mr. Jones and Me: Younger Baby Boomers Swing Left". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  3. ^ "Not My Generation". Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  4. ^ Astor, Bart. "Baby Boomers Are Different Than Generation Jones - We're Proud Of Being Old". Forbes. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  5. ^ Lubrano, Alfred (February 23, 2023). "Generation Jones folks can't relate to their Baby Boomer brethren". Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  6. ^ Carter, Wayne (July 2, 2017). "Carter: What's an xennial? Me, apparently". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  7. ^ "Jump up". The Frederick News-Post. December 19, 2008. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ Buck, Stephanie (November 3, 2017). "This niche generation within the Baby Boom is a highly coveted—and persuadable—voting bloc".
  10. ^ Stevens, Mitchell. "History of Television". New York University.
  11. ^ Burclaff, Natalie. "Research Guides: Doing Consumer Research: A Resource Guide: Generations". guides.loc.gov. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  12. ^ Bureau, US Census. "2019 Data Show Baby Boomers Nearly 9 Times Wealthier Than Millennials". Census.gov. Retrieved February 18, 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  13. ^ A majority of U.S. households had PCs by 2000 and the internet by 2001; see: File, Thom (May 2013). Computer and Internet Use in the United States (PDF) (Report). Current Population Survey Reports. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  14. ^ A majority of all U.S. adult survey respondents reported having mobile phones by 2002; see: Tuckel, Peter; O'Neill, Harry (2005). Ownership and Usage Patterns of Cell Phones: 2000-2005 (PDF) (Report). JSM Proceedings, Survey Research Methods Section. Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association. p. 4002. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  15. ^ Anne, Braly (January 18, 2009). "'Generation Jones' soon to have its man in Washington". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2009.
  16. ^ Button, Eileen (April 5, 2009). "Generation Jones has a few good reasons to be suspicious of technology". The Community Newspapers.
  17. ^ Stuart Wells, Amy (March 4, 2009). "Commentary - From Obama's Generation The Audacious Hope of More Racially Diverse Public Schools". Education Week.
  18. ^ "FreddieMac - 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages Since 1971". November 7, 2021.
  19. ^ Pontell, Jonathan (2007). "Generation Jones". The Jonathan Pontell Group. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  20. ^ Wiltz, Teresa (October 7, 2020). "What Prince Tells Us About Kamala Harris". Politico. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ a b Rowan, David (May 2005). "A guide to electionspeak". Archived from the original on April 7, 2007.
  23. ^ "Political analyst Jonathan Pontell on what political party different generations vote for and why". Talk Radio News Service. October 30, 2006. Archived from the original on September 11, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  24. ^ Aguilar, Louis (December 2000). "Many in the 35-46 Age Bracket Identify with 'Generation Jones'". Denver, Colorado: The Denver Post.
  25. ^ Generation Jones discussion on CNN day before ElectionDay'08. YouTube. January 15, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  26. ^ Generation Jones conversation on Canada's most popular national TV talk show. YouTube. February 27, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  27. ^ Ollivier, Debra (December 15, 2011). "So You Think You're A Boomer? Think Again". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  28. ^ Campanelli, Melissa (September 20, 2007). "How to Reach 'Generation Jones' Online". eMarketing & Commerce. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
  29. ^ Wells, Ellen C. (September 2005). "Keeping Up With The Jonesers" (PDF). Today's Garden Center: 44–45. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
  30. ^ Green, Brent (2006), Marketing to Leading-Edge Baby Boomers, Paramount Market Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9766973-5-0
  31. ^ Welch, Jim; Bill Althaus (2007). Grow Now. The Growth Leader, Inc. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-934144-02-2.
  32. ^ Stroud, Dick (2007). The 50 plus market. Kogan Page Publishers. p. 314. ISBN 978-0-7494-4939-1.
  33. ^ "Toops Scoops: Keeping up with the Jonesers". foodprocessing.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  34. ^ "Who is Generation Jones?". Project Britain. Carat UK. Archived from the original on February 15, 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  35. ^ Dutta, Kunal (January 23, 2006). "Carat taps into singleton spending". MediaWeek. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  36. ^ a b Page, Clarence (October 22, 2008). "Generation Jones is in play". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  37. ^ a b Fenn, Peter (October 23, 2008). "Why the 'Generation Jones' Vote May Be Crucial in Election 2008". The Hill's Pundits Blog. Archived from the original on January 30, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  38. ^ "Press Release: Generation Jones is driving NZ Voter Volatility". Scoop Independent News (NZ). September 13, 2005. Retrieved February 18, 2007.
  39. ^ "Key to election is 'keeping up with Joneses'". epolitix.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  40. ^ "Pollster says Generation Jones tipped election for Bush". publicradio.org. December 9, 2004. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  41. ^ 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.
  42. ^ a b Rentoul, John (April 10, 2005). "Introducing Generation Jones voters who hold the key to No 10". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on May 23, 2009.
  43. ^ "Generation Jones Women are Swing Voters". Rasmussen Reports. October 27, 2004. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  44. ^ Alter, Jonathan (February 11, 2008). "Twilight of the Baby Boom". Newsweek. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  45. ^ Derbyshire, David (November 24, 2004). "Generation Jones is given a name at last". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  46. ^ Boylan, Jennifer Finney (June 23, 2020). "Opinion | Mr. Jones and Me: Younger Baby Boomers Swing Left". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 16, 2021.