I’m hard pressed to find a group of Americans getting more of a bum rap than the baby boomers. Whenever they’re not taking the heat for everything from declining church attendance to global warming, they get the blame for just about everything else!
If a war breaks out somewhere in the far reaches of the world, it’s those pesky boomers again.
No lasting peace effort between the Palestinians and Israelies? Gotta be the BB’s—who else?
Lots of theories floating around out there regarding this massive generation of people. I thought it might be a good idea to stick to the facts for once, like:
- Who are they?
Boomers are blooming across lifestages. On the younger side, they’re in the throes of kids, education costs, careers and commuting. At the upper end, they’re empty-nesting, grandparenting and reinventing retirement. As pensions evaporate, Social Security falters and real estate (their investment of choice) flattens, 2007 could be a wakeup call for the Me Generation’s financial future; trading up could mean staying put. As ever, they’ll scrimp and splurge to share the good life with loved ones, from kids to pets to aging parents. Fave indulgences are food, travel, creature comforts, tech toys, fun fitness, hobbies and a well-feathered nest for entertaining. With life expectancy growing, Boomers’ focus is on health and hipness quotients to fight “old” aging and keep them in the game. - They are a massive generation 141 million was the Estimated U.S. population in 1946. Today, the nation’s population stands at 297.7 million. The biggest addition? Boomers
- 33% and 5% = The proportions of adults age 25 and older with at least a high school diploma and at least a bachelor’s degree, respectively, in 1947. By 2004, the respective proportions had risen to 85% and 28%.
- 78.2 million = Estimated number of baby boomers, as of July 1, 2005.
- Baby boomers are the 1st generation in American history in which the majority have obtained at least some form of higher education.
- For Baby Boomers, health care is shifting from a medical topic to a blend of entertainment, fitness, beauty and spiritual well-being.
- Gardening is the #1 hobby for adults over 50.
- Boomers make up 60% of all divorced people over the age of 15 in the U.S.
- The median consumer for a new Harley-Davidson cycle is a 46-year old male.
- One in four boomers in the U.S. has a second home, and the typical vacation home buyer was 52 years old, earned $82,800 and purchased a property that is 197 miles (median) away from their primary residence. The largest concentration of vacation home buyers is in the midwest.
- The top 6 concerns of Baby Boomers are: a) Having enough money to retire; b) Overall financial health; c) Having enough energy to do what they want; d) Having enough money for health care; e) Taking action to prevent disease; and f) Getting good advice from doctors.
Some Fun Facts:
| What are the official years of the Baby Boom Generation? |
| 1946 – 1964 saw a marked increase in the number of births in North America. |
| How did the birthrate rise and fall during the baby boom years in the US? |
|
| 1940 |
2,559,000 births per year |
| 1946 |
3,311,000 births per year |
| 1955 |
4,097,000 births per year |
| 1957 |
4,300,000 births per year |
| 1964 |
4,027,000 births per year |
| 1974 |
3,160,000 births per year |
| Symbols of the Baby Boom in Suburbia |
1950 |
1960 |
| Hot Dog Production (millions of lbs) |
750 |
1050 |
| Potato Chip Production (millions of lbs) |
320 |
532 |
| Sales of lawn and porch furniture (millions of dollars) |
53.6 |
145.2 |
| Sales of power mowers (millions of dollars) |
1.0 |
3.8 |
| Sales of floor polishers (millions of dollars) |
0.24 |
1.0 |
| Sales of Encyclopaedia (millions of dollars) |
72 |
300 |
| Number of Children age 5-14 |
24.3 |
35.5 |
| Number of baseball Little Leagues |
776 |
5,700 |
| According to TV comedies, how has family life changed for the Baby Boomer Generation? |
|
| 1950s |
I Love Lucy |
| 1960s |
The Andy Griffith Show |
| 1970s |
All in the Family |
| What books have the Baby Boomers made famous? |
|
| Doctor Zhivago |
by Boris Pasternak |
| The Spy Who Came in from the Cold |
by Jon Le Carr |
| Valley of the Dolls |
by Jacqueline Susann |
| Love Story |
by Erich Segal |
| Jonathon Livingston Seagull |
by Richard Bach |
| Music the Baby Boomers Have Taken to Heart |
|
| Rock Around the Clock |
by Bill Haley and His Comets |
| Heartbreak Hotel |
by Elvis Presley |
| Smoke Gets in Your Eyes |
by The Platters |
| Save the Last Dance for Me |
by The Drifters |
| Duke of Earl |
by Gene Chandler |
| I Want to Hold Your Hand |
by The Beatles |
| You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ |
by The Righteous Brothers |
| The Sounds of Silence |
by Simon and Garfunkel |
| Aquarius |
by The Fifth Dimension |
| American Pie |
by Don McLean |
| Which movie stars have symbolized the Baby Boom Generation? |
| John Wayne |
| Marilyn Monroe |
| Rock Hudson |
| Doris Day |
| Paul Newman |
| Julie Andrews |
| Robert Redford |
| Barbra Streisand |
| What celebrity deaths have most affected the Baby Boomers? |
| John F. Kennedy |
| Marilyn Monroe |
| Martin Luther King |
| John Lennon |
| Fads of the Baby Boomers |
| Hula Hoops |
| Frozen Foods |
| Poodle Skirts and Saddle Shoes |
| Panty Raids |
| Barbie and GI Joe Dolls |
| Bikinis |
| Frisbees |
| Yo-yos |
| Ouija Boards |
| Dune Buggies |
| Which athletes have been immortalized by the Baby Boom Generation? |
|
| Golf |
Ben Hogan Arnold Palmer Jack Nicklaus |
| Baseball |
Willie Mays Mickey Mantle Yogi Berra Jackie Robinson |
| Football |
Joe Namath OJ Simpson |
| Hockey |
Rocket Richard Gordie Howe Bobby Hull |
| Basketball |
Bill Russell Wilt Chamberlain Dr. J |
| Boxing |
Muhammed Ali Sugar Ray Robinson |
| Tennis |
Billie Jean King Jimmy Connors |
In short, they are a ginormous force to be reckoned with!—Actually the greatest potential of all may still lie right here with these folks and how they lead the next generation. So I say, let’s court’em, encourage’em, equip’em, and send them out to take the world for Christ.
Tomorrow I’ll tell you how.