Home > All articles   Baby Boomers and Breaking Age Related Norms In the past, after World War II, a new kind of generation was born in the United States. Because of the after effects of the World War II, the United States experienced an economical boom, which resulted in high income jobs, and unemployment rates were non-existent. Education was also enhanced by the government and universities and colleges were prompting people to get a college degree. Education was cheap, and was readily available. In fact, many took college courses to open up higher paying job opportunities Because of this lifestyle, many people became financially secure and prompted them to produce more children. After the World War II and before the start of the Vietnam War, there was a significant increase in birth rates. This generation was called the baby boomers era. People who were born within this period are called baby boomers. First of all, the baby boomers grew up in a world where unemployment was virtually non-existent and their parents had high income jobs. Provided if you were Caucasian, everyone had a job. Baby boomers also came of age during the time of civil rights protests were on the streets. In fact, most people who protested for civil rights and equality were baby boomers. They fought against race, creed, gender, and age discrimination. Because of the world they grew up in, baby boomers are considered to be politically active and are watching every move that the government makes. Another reason why baby boomers are so politically active is that they also grew up during the Cold War where the socialists and communist governments were the enemy. The American military is also the most powerful armed forces in the world during those times. They experienced the arms race against communist Russia and have been brought up by their parents knowing that the United States is the most powerful nation in the world. Culturally speaking, baby boomers also introduced a new kind of music called rock + roll. They introduced and accepted the different kinds of music that has been popping out during this era, including jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock + roll. In fact, most of the music you hear today is influenced by the music baby boomers introduced. In every generation there is a distinct norm that you will see. In the baby boomers generation, you will see that they are not really retiring and are continuing to work. They are more focused on their careers and are very politically active. In fact, the United States government today is being run by a baby boomer. Ex-president Bill Clinton and incumbent president George W. Bush are the first two baby boomers who held the highest office of the United States. Baby boomers want to follow their passion, give something back to the society, and are always trying extra hard to achieve their maximum potential. You will also observe that baby boomers that are already in the retiring age are still continuing to work today. This is because they want to be active in activities that make them happy and retirement is not one of them. Baby boomers are also more concerned about their health than their parents. Because of this, they constantly visit their doctors and know the value of their health. In fact, studies suggest that baby boomers will live longer than their predecessors. There are the four things that you can expect from baby boomers once they reach the retirement age: • Total retirement • Entrepreneur • Worker • Volunteer Most baby boomers prefer to have their own business. Or, if they are incapable of starting their own business, they often do volunteer work they are interested in. Sometimes, you will see some baby boomers traveling all over the world to help the less fortunate on charity events. They also expect respect in the workplace but they seldom find it because of age discrimination. It is ironic that these people are being discriminated in the work place where they were one of the people who fought for equal employment and civil rights. As you can see, past norms, where when people reach a certain age, they can now retire, are very different from the baby boomers era. They are freer and are taking advantage of that freedom to do whatever they want and they do this by contributing to society or do something that they truly enjoy. They are a generation who is in to their careers and a generation that expects to be respected. About The Author Roger Mitchell has spent lots of years writing informative articles on baby boomers like baby boomer health insurance coverage. Other related subjects can also be found at http://www.HealthyGlow.org/sitemap/index.html. By Roger Mitchell Date 05-09-2008