We research. A lot. We spend so much time foraging online for generational knowledge that it’s an internal joke at BW that “we’ve finished the internet.”
Setting aside the dubious truth of that statement, one of my personal favorite things about scouring the far corners of the world wide web is the plethora of generational jargon that folks love to come up with. Some of it really strikes a chord, some of it is hilarious, and some of it is just plain wrong. Either way, it’s nothing if not amusing and whenever we talk about these terms internally they spark some really good conversations. So, in an effort to spice up the small-talk at your next workplace happy hour, I’ve compiled this short list of six terms that have caught our eyes most recently. Arranged alphabetically for your reading pleasure:
Adultescent
An adult that continues to enjoy and participate in youth culture. This one is often—not kindly—applied to Millennials. But adultescence doesn’t have to be a bad thing…
Boomerang Children
Young-adult/college-grad children that, you guessed it, boomerang back home to live with their parents. This term is also most commonly applied to Millennials, many of whom donned their cap and gown right in the midst, or shortly after, the Great Recession. Tanked economy + massive amounts of student debt = a perfect boomerang recipe.
Brogrammers
I’m going to let Urban Dictionary do the heavy lifting on this one: “A programmer who breaks the usual expectations of quiet nerdiness and opts instead for the usual trappings of a frat-boy: popped collars, bad beer, and calling everybody 'bro.'” We actually referenced this term at a recent Generations + Gender presentation. Sadly, this brogrammer mentality is one of the biggest barriers to getting more womenfolk into (and staying in) STEM careers.
DINK
An acronym for Dual Income, No Kids. DINK couples have been around for ages, but their numbers are on the rise. Millennials as a demographic are putting off marriage and delaying having children. As the“DINK” demographic continues to grow, they’ll be an important group for marketers to keep a pulse on as they’ll likely have spare cash on hand.
GlamMa
This one should be fairly obvious. A GlamMa is a glamorous, youthful, age-defying grandma. Think Goldie Hawn. Susan Sarandon. The untouchable Betty White.
Sen-sters (Senior Hipsters)
In simplest terms, a “Senior Hipster.” We’re thinking this term has sprung out of some recent Boomer migratory patterns. Many Boomers are flocking to more urbanized areas—taking advantage of public transportation, walkable neighborhoods with trendy restaurants, and feeding off the youthful vibe. Boomers, after all, are the first “youth culture” generation. For them, age ain’t nothing but a number.