منذ انتهاء الحرب العالمية الثانية وبدايات السلام في العالم الغربي عموماً وفي الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية تحديداً لجأت شركات الدعاية والإعلان والتسويق إلى إطلاق مسمى جيل أطفال الطفرة على نتاج هذا الجيل، وهو شكّل أكبر كثافة وأهم كتلة سكانية كان لها التأثير الاستهلاكي الأهم والأعظم ساهم في تحديد وتغيير أنماط الاستهلاك في السيارات والمنازل والمواد الغذائية والملابس والموسيقى والرياضة. وأسّست هذه السابقة قاعدة جديدة في تسمية كل جيل عقب ذلك ومحاولة تشريح هوية هذا الجيل على كافة الأصعدة الممكنة سواء أكان ذلك على الصعيد الاجتماعي أو الاقتصادي أو الثقافي.
وقد مكّنت تلك التصنيفات لكل جيل متتالٍ من أن يكون لكل منها هوايتها وبالتالي خدماتها ومنتجاتها المختلفة، مما أدى إلى تعظيم المبيعات ورفع الأرباح وزيادة التأثير. وعلى الصعيد المحلي كانت هناك أشكال مختلفة، ولكنها جديرة بالاهتمام والتمعن في تصنيف الأجيال، وإن كان هذا التصنيف مبنياً بشكل أساسي على قدر غير بسيط من العاطفة والشجن والحنين. ولعل أبرز تلك التصنيفات المستخدمة هو تصنيف جيل الطيبين الذي يميل إلى الحنين إلى «الماضي الجميل» و«الزمن الجميل»، واعتبار أن كل ما مضى كان أفضل وأجمل وأصدق. وهي ثقافة قديمة متجذرة وشديدة التأثير والفعالية.
وهناك تصنيف آخر عادة ما يتسلل في مقارنات اقتصادية واجتماعية متنوعة ومختلفة ويطلق عليه «جيل الطفرة»، والمعني فيها الجيل الذي حضر وشهد أولى طفرات النفط الاقتصادية التي شكّلت ثروات للناس بشكل مفاجئ وقياسي وكان لها الأثر الكبير على حياة الناس، وكان ذلك في بدايات فترة السبعينات الميلادية من القرن الماضي.
وبعدها جاء تصنيف صريح آخر هو جيل الألفية، الذي يشمل جيلاً جديداً له علاقة بالعولمة والفضائيات التلفزيونية وعالم الإنترنت اللا محدود. وهو جيل عابر للحدود يتأثر بالثقافات العالمية وذائقته حساسة جداً لما هو سائد في أرجاء المعمورة في مجالات الموضة في الملابس والموسيقى والأفلام والرياضة والطعام ووجهات السفر والسيارات والكتب. وهو جيل شكّل إلى حد كبير كتلة واحدة من ناحية الشكل والتأثير.
والآن هناك تصنيف جديد وهو جيل زي، أو حرف Z باللغة الإنجليزية، وهو جيل شديد التأثير على الصعيد الاستهلاكي، وهو نتاج عالم وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي بامتياز، يتبع سياسة القطيع في قراراته ورأيه مستمد من مجموعة من المشاهير يطلق عليهم وصف المؤثرين ويتبعهم على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي مئات الآلاف من الناس بمختلف الميول والأهواء ويأخذون بتوجيهاتهم بشكل مطلق. التغيير سنّة الله في الكون لأن دوام الحال من المحال، ومعرفة أسباب التغيير وهوية كل جيل تفكك شيفرات الغموض وطلاسم التعجب وتجعل من الممكن التعامل مع كل جيل تربوياً واجتماعياً واقتصادياً بشكل فيه الحد الأدنى من التكافؤ والاحترام.
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
Since the end of World War II and the beginnings of peace in the Western world in general, and in the United States specifically, advertising, marketing, and public relations companies have resorted to launching the term "Baby Boomer Generation" to describe the products of this generation. This generation represented the largest density and most significant population group that had the most important and greatest consumer impact, contributing to the determination and change of consumption patterns in cars, homes, food, clothing, music, and sports. This precedent established a new basis for naming every generation thereafter and attempting to dissect the identity of each generation on all possible levels, whether social, economic, or cultural.
These classifications for each successive generation enabled each to have its own hobbies and thus its own services and products, which led to increased sales, higher profits, and greater influence. On the local level, there were various forms, but they are worthy of attention and reflection in the classification of generations, even if this classification is primarily based on a considerable amount of emotion, nostalgia, and yearning. Perhaps the most prominent of these classifications is the "Good Old Generation," which tends to yearn for the "beautiful past" and the "good times," considering that everything that has passed was better, more beautiful, and more sincere. It is a deeply rooted and highly influential culture.
There is another classification that often sneaks into various economic and social comparisons, referred to as the "Baby Boom Generation," which pertains to the generation that witnessed the first economic oil booms that unexpectedly and dramatically created wealth for people and had a significant impact on their lives, occurring in the early 1970s.
Following that, there came a more explicit classification known as the Millennial Generation, which includes a new generation related to globalization, satellite television, and the limitless world of the internet. It is a borderless generation influenced by global cultures, and its tastes are very sensitive to what is prevalent around the world in areas such as fashion in clothing, music, films, sports, food, travel destinations, cars, and books. This generation has largely formed a cohesive block in terms of appearance and influence.
Now there is a new classification known as Generation Z, which is a generation that has a significant impact on consumer behavior. It is the product of the social media world par excellence, following a herd mentality in its decisions and opinions, derived from a group of celebrities referred to as influencers, who are followed by hundreds of thousands of people on social media with various inclinations and preferences, taking their guidance absolutely. Change is God's law in the universe because permanence is impossible, and understanding the reasons for change and the identity of each generation unravels the codes of mystery and astonishment, making it possible to deal with each generation educationally, socially, and economically with a minimum of equity and respect.
These classifications for each successive generation enabled each to have its own hobbies and thus its own services and products, which led to increased sales, higher profits, and greater influence. On the local level, there were various forms, but they are worthy of attention and reflection in the classification of generations, even if this classification is primarily based on a considerable amount of emotion, nostalgia, and yearning. Perhaps the most prominent of these classifications is the "Good Old Generation," which tends to yearn for the "beautiful past" and the "good times," considering that everything that has passed was better, more beautiful, and more sincere. It is a deeply rooted and highly influential culture.
There is another classification that often sneaks into various economic and social comparisons, referred to as the "Baby Boom Generation," which pertains to the generation that witnessed the first economic oil booms that unexpectedly and dramatically created wealth for people and had a significant impact on their lives, occurring in the early 1970s.
Following that, there came a more explicit classification known as the Millennial Generation, which includes a new generation related to globalization, satellite television, and the limitless world of the internet. It is a borderless generation influenced by global cultures, and its tastes are very sensitive to what is prevalent around the world in areas such as fashion in clothing, music, films, sports, food, travel destinations, cars, and books. This generation has largely formed a cohesive block in terms of appearance and influence.
Now there is a new classification known as Generation Z, which is a generation that has a significant impact on consumer behavior. It is the product of the social media world par excellence, following a herd mentality in its decisions and opinions, derived from a group of celebrities referred to as influencers, who are followed by hundreds of thousands of people on social media with various inclinations and preferences, taking their guidance absolutely. Change is God's law in the universe because permanence is impossible, and understanding the reasons for change and the identity of each generation unravels the codes of mystery and astonishment, making it possible to deal with each generation educationally, socially, and economically with a minimum of equity and respect.
