Generation Gap in Aspies?

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I see that many of the people on this site are young people whose special interests are those of Generation X and beyond. I am from the Baby Boomer generation, and it seems to me that Baby Boomer Aspies are quite different in the type of "Aspie" traits that they exhibit. For example, most Baby Boomer Aspies that I know love Classical music, have read all the great literature of the past, are mathematically inclined, and have a strong sense of social justice, making them Liberal or socialistic in their political views. Many Aspies were involved in the Vietnam War protests of the late 1960's and early 1970's. Therefore, I feel a little awkward at times visiting this Wrong Planet site, as I feel out-dated. There is not much discussion of social issues or culture, as I am accustomed to. This doesn't mean that I do not understand or appreciate the statements and opinions of younger people with AS. I just wonder how many of the "Aspie-like" Baby Boomer traits and interests will crop up in the lives of these younger people as they get older. [I should add that "Aspies" from the pre-Baby Boomer era seem to have had their own specific traits, as well.]

Hello and welcome.Many of the old-timers are hanging out in the "cafe" in the "getting to know you" section.Come for a visit.Sometimes we are "sillier" then your average bear but most are well read.

I'm 43,so I have read some of the "classics" but I prefer rock to classical.I also love anima and learned how to play video-games after years of thinking they were a "waste of time".Even in the Dino cafe,the adults seem to keep it "lite",not much politics or heated debate.I guess that is saved for the politics section?

I am a Gen X'r and apparently ASPIE. I like classical music(Whether what they called classical in my day, or classic rock), but read more current stuff. I will have to get to, and have been thinking about reading some of the "great literature of the past". I haven't been so mathematically inclined, though I struggled to be exposed to that LONG ago. I am working on that also. I have a strong sense of social justice, but that means I am NOT liberal or socialist. "liberals" tend to have a steal from the middle class, and pay everyone else type mentality. Just look at the Clintons to see what I mean. They are stealing millions a year from the middle class FOR THEMSELVES ALONE, but still claim the middle class is so rich and should "Pay their fair share"! Socialists often just automate it, or institutionalize it. FORGET THAT!



Well, I am a fairly old genx'r and the vietnam war drew to a close before I was a teenager. Still, I was against the vietnam war.



Well, Genx-rs are at least the third most common here. I guess it could be worse. Still, as I showed, your assertions of homogeneity of Gen-x are not all that valid.

Question: Do you frequent the adult forum? There's more discussion about mature lifestyles down there. Current Events gets political too.

As for your question about the generation gap. I think the gap is universal. I frequent a forum for a (long-deceased) author and it's apparent there are whole perception differences that didn't seem to exist 30+ years ago. I think creating teenagers in the 20th century has changed how young people imprint socially and intellectually.
For instance, we (at this other board) got in a debate about "family programming" on tv and movies. Before the 80's (and cable) we didn't have segregated tv channels or programming. Primetime tv was family time and so the shows had to appeal to multigenerational audience. Once cable came out and they created children's channels, Black channels, Spanish-language channels, teen channels, music channels, news channels, movie channels, etc etc, the shows themselves became different entities and our viewing habits changed. People who grew up in the 80's (with cable or videos) don't realize the importance of segregated entertainment.

I do think Aspies and autistics imprint more intensely so what we are introduced to as children really sticks. My 7-year old son is really into video games in an obsessive way. I loved video games, but we had to go to an arcade to play them. So, we viewed them differently. They were a treat, not a lifestyle. I imprinted on listening to all sorts of dance music-mostly from the 50's and 60's. I obsessed over it and have a huge, eclectic collection of music. But again, I was raised when music was shared in the family and 50's music was popular in the 70's.

Hello and welcome!

I am a borderline baby boomer/ gen x'er, but prefer the conversation of the baby boomer Aspies. I listen to classical music among many other older genres and I have read most of the great writers. To NT's and Aspies my own age I am incredibly eccentric and boring. I have so much more in common with the people on here. I spend most of my time in the Dino Aspie ex-cafe in the Getting to Know..... thread but tend to venture elsewhere occasionally. I think you will find many like-minded baby boomers here, it just takes a little time to get oriented to the site.

Last edited by blessedmom on 23 Aug 2007, 1:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I'm from Planet Boomer too.

It's not good to generalize Baby Boomers are this way and Gen X is like that. I'm nearly 39 and yet I'm considered to be part of Gen X. But I'm sorta on the cusp and relate more to Baby Boomer ideals. Also Gen X does not represent the majority of people here. There was another generation after X which I have heard called Y and even D (for Digital). I think the teens populate more of WP and are not Gen X.

The older Aspies I think don't post as much because they are busy with work and family. The newer generation of Aspies are not as likely to be living the same kind of lifestyle as NT's do unlike the older AS people that seem to fit in better. Or perhaps fake it is a better term.

Yeah, I'm generation X at 37 and have historical experience with them, but don't relate. I relate to bits and pieces of my generation and the WWII crowd. I don't get Baby Boomers at all, at least the NTs. My parents were between WWII and Baby Boomers. They were born during WWII and didn't have any of the Baby Boomer experience at all.

A Generation Y-er here.

...

not sure what else to add.

At 40 years old, I am also one of the older GenX people here. I will listen to Classical Music, as well as Jazz, Rock and undergound punk and rock music. --The more obscure the better. My world view is fairly well shaped by the Boomer Generation and the 60's counterculture, as my parents, most particularly my mother were a part of this.

I'm also not particularly a big fan of classic literature, unless you consider more contemprary writers like Kurt Vonnegut and William Burroughs Classic.

I really can't bring myself to pass judgement on the current generation, as I also happen to like a lot of the stuff the current generation likes, though I'm not terribly fond of Video/Computer Gaming.

I'm a Generation Y-er.

I like classical music (my sister loves it too and she's not aspie), and I have a strong sense of justice too

Have the generation Z's arrived yet?

Update- there was a meeting today at work...anyways the presenter used the terms Baby Boomer, Generation X and after that she said something weird like Milleninicals... I can't spell it let alone pronounce it, but the word is derived from Millenium. I think Gen Y started in '85-90 though and they are like a sub group of Millenicals. Maybe there is some real literature on this. I will try to research it more this weekend as to the cut-offs of the generations & names, etc.

Personally I think the current under 25 age group should be called Generation Text. A young gal was showing me the other day that new method of fast text messaging called something like 9 key or something. OH Good God! I felt really old for the first time in my life. I always considered myself tech savy and mechanically literate, but I have no freakin clue how she can text that way. Mind boggling. I now feel like an old woman. Err maybe an old hag now.

I'm a late-end BBoomer (Born in 1960),so...

I'm a teenager and I can't stand to listen to music that is not classical or jazz. I consider myself to have a strong sense of social justice, though study of economics convinvced me against full-blown Socialism. I like math. I consider the author whose pseudonym I've taken as my own to be perhaps the last good writer, I do tend to prefer the "classics" of literature. More substance than the stuff writers turn out today. I wasn't around for Vietnam, but I oppose the occupation of Iraq. Pretty much the same thing, from what I've read about 'Nam.

I'm 82 (b. 1925) but don't find those of my own generation very interesting. Most of them are dead anyway. People of my children's generation make better friends for me and have for a long time -- I'm careful not to mention my aches and pains and am fortunate not to have many of them (yet).

So, to all of you pushing 40: If you're lucky, old age doesn't have to be bad. Take as good care of yourselves as you can.

Now, you'll have to pardon me while I go have my swig of Geritol.