Trust Gap In My Generation: The Trust Gap In My Generation

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The Trust Gap in “My Generation”
A trust gap between each generation group has existed for countless generations. While it is most common to see a lack of trust in the younger generations displayed by the elder generations, the trust gap is able to work in either direction. The song “My Generation,” by The Who, brings up the lack of trust given to the youth. The lyrics of the song share the troubles of a young adult trying to make a statement in the world. The song lyrics explain that the young adult has been pushed down. Through the lyrics, it can be inferred that a person was put down by someone from an elder generation because the artists sings about not wanting to get old. Despite being written over 40 years ago, the theme of trust gaps is arguably more prevalent today than when the song was originally released. The song “My Generation,” by The Who expresses how the youth in society past and present is making progress in the world and learning to use its voice, but the older generations push the youth down and fail to see the value in the future generation.
To explain how trust gap begins, one must know that people are grouped into generation groups. In today’s world, the groups who conflict with one another are the Millennials, or Generation Y, and Generation X, otherwise known as the Gen-Xers. Millennials are people born between the years 1982 and 2004. Gen-Xers are people born between the years 1965 and 1981. Before the Gen-Xers is the Baby Boomer Generation (Ellin). The term “generation gap” was coined in the 1990s as the Gen-Xers were beginning to gain leadership in the world. At this time, the Gen-Xers realized that the work completed by the generations before them needed a spiritual transformation (How...

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...ced technology, it is possible for the generational trust gap to come to an end. This trust gap has existed for over fifty years, and was recognized over forty years in the song “My Generation,” by The Who. The lyrics of this song are written from the point of view of a member of the youth. In this way, the song critiques the older generation of their condescending opinions towards the youth of the world. The song writer makes the point that the youth is attempting to stand up for what is right, yet it is difficult to take a stance when the world’s leaders only push against the youth. This song has been powerful propaganda in expressing the troubles of the youth. Songs from varying time periods in the history of the world are able to share their critiques on society and it is fascinating when a song written in a former generation still relates to society today.

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