| Generation | Year Born | Characteristics Affecting Communication |
|---|
| Matures | Before 1946 | Born before the Second World War, these generations lived through the Great Depression and the First World War. They are largely conformist with strong civic instincts. |
| Baby Boomers | 1946–1964 | The largest generation, products of an increase in births that began after the Second World War and ended with the introduction of the birth control pill. In their youth, they were antiestablishment and optimistic about the future, but recent surveys show they are more pessimistic today than any other age group. |
| Generation X | 1965–1980 | Savvy, entrepreneurial, and independent, this generation witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of home computing. |
| Millenials | 1981–2000 | The first generation of the new millennium, this group includes people under 30, the first generation to fully integrate computers into their everyday communication. |
| Pluralist | 2001–Current | These digital natives were born into a media-rich, networked world of infinite possibilities that enables them to use digital tools for engagement, learning, creativity, and empowerment. They are the most diverse of any generation and are more likely to have social circles that include people from different ethnic groups, races, and religions. |