Event that shaped your generation

The big world event that most shaped your generation's outlook.

A reflective self-identification of the major world event that most shaped your outlook growing up — varies by age and place. (Generation-defining world events)

Groups

• The Cold War — Growing up under its shadow.
• Fall of the Berlin Wall — The end of the Cold War era.
• 9/11 & its aftermath — The post-2001 world.
• The 2008 financial crisis — Recession and its long tail.
• The rise of social media — Coming of age online.
• The COVID-19 pandemic — Lockdowns and a changed world.
• The AI era — Growing up as AI arrives.

Related topics

• Generational cohort
• Decade you identify with
• The age you feel
• Your sense of time
• Time perspective (Zimbardo, ZTPI)

All topics on ArtaQuest