Generation Jones

Generation Jones is a term that describes people in certain English-speaking countries born between the years 1954 and 1965. American social commentator Jonathan Pontell identified this generation and coined the term to name it. [http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/03/05/generation.jones/ Overshadowed generation prepares to steer political agenda, author claims - March 4, 2000 ] ] [http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2000/may/26424.html Lost Generation - Entrepreneur.com ] ] http://www.marinaassociation.org/news2.cfm?NewsID=730&archive=y&inputMM=8&inputYYYY=2005] [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2000/10/15/wpres115.xml Generation Jones comes of age in time for election - Telegraph ] ] Generation Jones has been referred to as a heretofore lost generation between the Baby boomers and Generation X, since prior to the popularization of Pontell’s theory, its members were included with either the Boomers or Xers. The name connotes a large, anonymous generation, and derives from the slang term “jonesing”, referring to the unrequited cravings felt by this generation of unfulfilled expectations.

The term has been cited in the United States, [ Seigle , Greg, “Some Call It ‘Jones’”, The Washington Post, April 6, 2000, [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/52287975.html?dids=52287975:52287975&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=APR+06%2C+2000&author=Greg+Seigle&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Some+Call+It+'Jones'&pqatl=google Washington Post Archive Search result - fee] retrieved on 2007-02-18] the United Kingdom, [Landesman, Cosmo, “I’ve Finally Found My Generation,” The Sunday Times (London), 28 November 2004 [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1378017,00.html Times Online] retrieved 2007-02-18] Western Europe, [ [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:w_x2G3LLFGQJ:www.fohns.dk/default.php%3Farchive%3Dtrue%26month%3D2%26year%3D2003+%22Generation+Jones%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=494] ] Australia, [Sinclair, Lara, “Keeping Up With The Jonesers,” The Australian, December 24, 2004 [http://www.newstext.com.au/docs/AUS/2004/get.jsp?docid=AUS-20041224-1-013-4475664V1@NAT-NEWS-2004-2003 The Australian - fee] retrieved 2007-02-18] and New Zealand Press Release: Generation Jones is driving NZ Voter Volatility, Scoop Independent News (NZ), 13 September 2005 [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0509/S00161.htm Scoop website] , retrieved 2007-02-18] . The birth years typically used in the U.S. are 1954-1965, but these tend to vary slightly in other countries, usually starting no earlier than 1953, and ending no later than 1968. [ [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:og4Bz0UIl9UJ:www.thefuturelaboratory.com/newsletters/2005%2520FutureLab%2520Spring%2520Newsletter.pdf+%22Generation+Jones%22,holland&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us] ] [ [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:T6c-vIArNpkJ:www.promax.tv/europe/conf_europe04programme.asp+%22Generation+Jones%22,promax&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us] ]

In demographic terms, Generation Jones was part of the baby boom which ended in the early 1960s. However, the events stereotypically associated with generational discussion of Boomers, including protests over civil rights and the Vietnam war and the emergence of rock music took place while the members of Generation Jones were still children or early teenagers. This is the situation described by Sex Pistols bass player Sid Vicious, who said that he had missed the Summer of Love because he was too busy playing with his Action Man. Thus the early life experience of this group was more similar, in many respects, to that commonly imputed to Generation X.

This age group became politically active in the United States during the Presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan, who was extremely popular among people of this age group. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE7D61F30F932A05753C1A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all Political Memo; G.O.P. Makes Reagan Lure Of Young a Long-Term Asset] ] "The turn toward the Republicans was based very much on how the young felt about Ronald Reagan's performance in office," said Helmut Norpoth, a political scientist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. In the 2008 election, surveys found that fans of classic rock music, popular during this period, tended to favor the Republicans [ [http://www.jacobsmedia.com/articles/tech4politics.asp Jacobs Media; Tech Survey IV Politics/Election 2008] ] .

Since its discovery, Generation Jones has been the recipient of extensive media attention. It has been written about in hundreds of newspapers and magazines and discussed frequently on TV and radio shows.cite news|url=http://www.cincypost.com/news/2000/jones010800.html|title=Generation Jones: Between the Boomers and the Xers|author=John Lang|first=John|last=Lang|work=The Cincinnati Post|publisher=E. W. Scripps Company|date=2000-01-08|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050115184413/http://www.cincypost.com/news/2000/jones010800.html|archivedate=2005-01-15] Rowan, David [http://www.davidrowan.com/2005/05/times-op-ed-guide-to-electionspeak.html A guide to electionspeak] ] http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:ywTXnI0LQNcJ:www.talkradionews.com/audio/index.php%3Fstart%3D150+%22Generation+Jones%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=93] [ [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-6452129_ITM Many in the 35-46 Age Bracket Identify with 'Generation Jones'. | The Denver Post (Denver, Colorado) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News) (December , 2000) ]
[http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20041223-0222-ch-ch-ch-chia.html SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Features - Chia, the kitschy 'growing' pottery, a cult holiday hit ]
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:RXHy56JwsFMJ:www.lovelife.com/Shows/+%22Generation+Jones%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=385
[http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2001/mar01/mar12/4_thurs/news3thursday.html A lost generation found: Meet the Joneses ]
[http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/_chictrib-keeping_up.htm Book Review | Keeping Up With The Joneses; For Kids Of The ‘70s, It's Time To Talk About Our Generation ]
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:vpNfK5eYpJ0J:www.the-seeker.com/formerradio2.htm+%22Generation+Jones%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=386
[http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20061101-091539-6482r.htm Washington Times - Keeping up with the Joneses ]
[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20050417/ai_n13620284 ELECTION SPECIAL 05.05.05: THE SWING VOTERS - GENERATION JONES: 'I | Independent on Sunday, The | Find Articles at BNET.com ] ] Pontell appears regularly on TV networks like CNN, MSNBC, and BBC, discussing the cultural, political, and economic implications of this generation’s emergence. [ [http://www.highbeam.com/Search.aspx?q=%22Generation+Jones%22knight-ridder "Generation Jones"knight-ridder - Research the news about "Generation Jones"knight-ridder - from HighBeam Research ] ] [ [http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1999/11/12/loc_who_is_generation.html Who is Generation Jones? ] ] [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:wb81a-gN_7UJ:news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast/4507725.stm+%22Generation+Jones%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=441] [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15592086/ Keeping up with the Joneses - The Most - MSNBC.com ] ] [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:-Fj3lo9BNysJ:marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2000/06/06_mpp.html+%22Generation+Jones%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=297] [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:ApviWaYr8MwJ:www.jimbotalk.net/page1562.html+%22Generation+Jones%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=367]

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. [ [http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2003/343.html Toops Scoops: Keeping up with the Jonesers ] ] [http://www.carat.co.uk/main282.htm] Numerous industries have created new products and brands to specifically target Jonesers, like the radio industry, which has created “GenJones” radio formats. [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:1j5kP3j0SUMJ:blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2005/09/san_franciscos_.html+%22Generation+Jones%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=271] [ [http://www.wlzq.com/advertise.htm Advertise on The New Q101 ] ] [ [http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=GENJONES-11-11-05 Scripps Howard News Service ] ]

Politically, Generation Jones has emerged as a crucial voting segment in Western elections. In the U.S. 2006 Midterm and 2004 Presidential elections, and the 2005 U.K. elections, Generation Jones’ electoral role was widely described as pivotal by the media and political pollsters. [ [http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200504/85503c19-df76-48ab-a2fb-3ef731c1459a.htm ePolitix.com - Key to election is 'keeping up with Joneses' ] ] [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:xsmfWT5S1m8J:post-gazette.com/pg/04340/421595.stm+%22Generation+Jones%22,%22mason-dixon%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=9] [ [http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/westburn/jmm/2005/00000021/00000009/art00016 IngentaConnect Grey Power, School Gate Mums and the Youth Vote: Age as a Key Fac ] ] [ [http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2004/12/09_genjones2/ MPR: Pollster says Generation Jones tipped election for Bush ] ]

ee also

* List of generations
* Baby Boomers
* Generation X

Notes

External links

* http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15592086/
* [http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/generation_jones_women_are_swing_voters Rasmussen Reports: Generation Jones Women Are Swing Voters]
* http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200504/85503c19-df76-48ab-a2fb-3ef731c1459a.htm
* http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=GENJONES-11-11-05
* http://www.research2000.us/2006/11/01/generation-jones-could-be-key-to-06-midterm-election-results/
* http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2004/11/24/njones24.xml