What do former U.S. president Bill Clinton, TV talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, pop goddess Madonna, computer guru Bill Gates, and possibly your grandparents have in common? They are all "baby boomers," people who were born after World War II, between 1946 and 1964. But these people are defined by more than just the years in which they were born. Baby boomers are a generation that has both created and witnessed profound changes in the United States during a critical period in its history.
After World War II, soldiers came home, and the Western world enjoyed a period of relative peace. Many countries created legislation to help returning soldiers reintegrate into society. In the United States, the government passed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (more commonly known as the G.I. Bill), which paid for war veterans to attend universities. Higher education led to better-paying jobs, which meant that couples could afford to have larger families. In addition, the bill provided low-interest home loans, which allowed many people to buy houses in the suburbs to better accommodate their growing families. These rapidly developing suburbs caused a "building boom," as more houses, stores, schools, and shopping malls were constructed, creating dramatic changes in both the demographics and landscape of the nation.
During the postwar era, there was a great emphasis on family and stability. Everyone’s role in the family was clearly defined by society. The father worked in the office. The mother was a homemaker in the suburbs. The children did what they were told. This lifestyle is obvious in the seemingly perfect families of American TV shows like Leave It to Beaver, where the mother always wears a clean apron over her dress. But all of this changed in the tumultuous 1960s. One of the most important developments of this period was the availability of the birth control pill, often simply called "the Pill," which allowed women to control the number of children they had. In 1964, a large drop in the birth rate signaled the end of the baby boom. At the same time, other sectors of society were experiencing drastic changes as well.
In domestic politics, African Americans, led by Martin Luther King Jr., joined in mass demonstrations to demand equal civil rights, such as the right to vote and the right to a quality education. The decade was marked by the violent assassinations of leaders who had once brought hope to politics, such as Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy, and his brother Robert. The presidency of Richard Nixon was plagued by the Watergate scandal, which made many Americans feel disillusioned and cynical about their government. In the international arena, the cold war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was intensifying, with the two countries competing against each other to develop their space programs, build larger stores of nuclear weapons, and increase their influence on other countries. The U.S. was embroiled in the Vietnam War. Thousands of young Americans became "draft dodgers" and avoided military service in what they thought was an immoral war by crossing the border into Canada. Finally, in 1975, the last American troops withdrew from Vietnam, bringing about the end of the war and closing this period of political unrest.
On the social level, the Pill and the rise of feminism led to an increase in the number of women leaving the home in order to pursue their own careers. The financial independence of women also led to a rise in divorce, which became less scandalous and more accepted. Meanwhile, in the world of music, rock and roll and its rebellious attitude were shaping the young generation, whose motto was "don’t trust anyone over thirty." They held festivals such as Woodstock, where they listened to rock music for days and proved that their reputation for being antiestablishment and antirules was well deserved. Many young people became long-haired "hippies," refusing to conform to society’s norms and seeking liberation from its restrictions. They saw their parents as slaves to a materialistic lifestyle. Instead of joining the workforce, many hippies lived together in cooperative communities. They preferred to go back to nature; the men grew long hair and beards, the women wore free-flowing, long dresses that they often made themselves, and many of them ate vegetarian diets. They promoted peace and love. They also often experimented with Eastern religions and drugs.
By this time, each household had its own TV set. The baby boom generation was the first to grow up watching the world on "the box," as television was often called. Of course, the advertising industry would not let an opportunity like this pass by. Companies used TV to promote their products, and the economy, as a result, grew in the direction of the whims of the baby boomers.
In the United States alone, the baby boom generation makes up 77 million people, which is about 28 percent of the population! Just by their sheer numbers, the boomers are the movers and shakers who form contemporary society. In fact, the Baby Boomer Headquarters Web site boasts, "We are the economy." It is true that the majority of those working right now are part of this generation. Furthermore, most of the decision-makers in society today are of this generation. Most experts agree that baby boomers will be in positions of control in government and industry until the 2020s.
Another example of the continuing influence of this generation is the growing market for beauty and health products, cosmetic surgery, and other services to preserve youth and delay aging. No one can deny that the multibillion-dollar fitness industry got a huge push from another baby boomer, Jane Fonda. She set the trend for other boomers by promoting exercise as a way to remain young. Consumerism in general saw a significant increase in this generation. Unlike the grandparents of the baby boomers, who lived during the Great Depression and were cautious about spending, the baby boomers enjoyed a time of relative peace and prosperity. This affluence encouraged the boomers to become lavish consumers.
As the baby boomers begin to retire, the changes in countries’ economies will be enormous. First of all, the workforce will lose many of its most-skilled members. Moreover, the cost to pension funds and social-security systems will increase astronomically. Some predict that the burden will be too great for the economy and cause it to suffer. There are concerns, too, that the health-care system will not be able to deal with the vast population of senior citizens, who will need more medical attention at the end of their lives. These issues have prompted many to try to find a way to provide for this aging generation without damaging the economy, but a solution has not yet been found. There is no doubt the baby boomers’ economic impact will be felt for many years to come.
Strangely enough, it is not the boomers’ effect on the economy that has had the greatest influence on modern life; rather, it is the social norms that have been, in many cases, totally reversed due to their choices. They have demonstrated the power that groups have when they work together to push for political or social change. Their attitudes have shaped the way future generations view politics, social norms, and even the natural process of aging. Women of this generation have gained greater and greater financial stature and political power. Above all, the baby boomers have helped create a society of people that will not accept at face value what is placed in front of them. Rather than accept the rules, they make their own.