Of Creativity And Madness

I’ll admit, I’m not great at remembering which generation is which, and I do get a kick out of how people like to pit one against another. I guess that’s just the way we do everything these days. OK Boomers vs. Millennials. Gen Z vs. Gen X. And is it wrong that I didn’t even know there was such a thing as the Silent Generation? That doesn’t sound very supportive, especially as they were preceded by the Greatest Generation. Who gets to name these groups, anyway?

My personal issues aside, the folks at Best By The Numbers put together the infographic below charting the reading habits of five generations: Generation Z (age 5-25), Millennials (age 26–40), Generation X (age 41–55), Baby Boomers (age 56–75), and The Silent Generation (age 76–95). So it’s time to pick your favorite, select your nemesis, and bend the numbers to support your preconceptions.

But seriously, there is some interesting information here, and seeing how different generations consume, select, and engage with their reading materials is enlightening — and sometimes surprising. Among other things, now we know:

• Gen Z prefers fantasy to other genres.
• Millennials read more books than other generations.
• Gen X reads more online news than other generations.
• Baby Boomers rely on best-seller lists to find their books.
• The Silent Generation spends the most time reading each day.
• A preference for physical books spans all generations.