As Gamers and Boomers collide in one of the biggest culture clashes in history, society is being reshaped. What will the impact be on libraries? And how can libraries attract Gamers and serve both generations?

By Tom Storey

Prominent sociologists note that a subtle but large-scale shift is quietly taking place in popular culture today. About 77 million Baby Boomers, who have shaped and dominated society since the mid 1960s, are approaching retirement. And their influence on art, music, fashion, business, politics—almost every category imaginable—is waning to a new generation most aptly called Gamers, those born after 1970 and raised on video games.

Gamers are very different from any generation that has come before them. And, with 90 million strong, organizations that don’t understand or acknowledge them run the risk of becoming increasingly isolated and irrelevant. Gamers and Boomers represent the two largest population segments that libraries serve. Designing content, access, collections, services and programs to meet the demands of both is a challenge but a growing necessity.

Gamers

Time calls them Twixters. Trendwatching.com calls them Generation C. ABC News calls them Millennials. But to John C. Beck, they are simply the Gamer generation.

This generation, born after 1970 and raised on video games, is about four to five years away from dominating society, says Beck, President of the North Star Leadership Group, a management consulting firm, and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center for the Digital Future.

The experience of games has molded a generation with these characteristics, according to Beck.

• Motivated. Gamers are competitive and love a challenge. Winning is very important. They are motivated to contribute and to earn their way through whatever hurdles it takes. They believe that anything is possible and that they are capable of amazing things. However, they do not have an appreciation for doing things “just because.”

• Resilient. Failure isn’t the end of the world; gamers have each failed thousands of times on the way to whatever success they have had with games. Crashing and burning isn’t so bad, they believe, and persistence pays off in the end.

• Confident. Gamers think of themselves as experts and want to tackle problems head on. They are used to being the hero and have a more positive outlook on life than nongamers. They are more flexible about change. They are ready to be great leaders.

• Sociable. Since a lot of gaming is done with friends and over the Internet, gamers value other people and have a greater need for human relationships than other groups. They are great team players and are very loyal to the teams and organizations of which they are a part.

• Analytical. Gamers learn from the games they play. By sampling so many different realities through games, they become very good at seeing problems in a deeper, strategic perspective and at handling risk and uncertainty. They believe that taking measured risks is the best way to get ahead.

Boomers

Born from 1946 to 1964, the Baby Boom Generation is about 77 million Americans, or roughly 28 percent of the current U.S. population. Their name was coined for the explosion in the birth rate after World War II, and they have been shaped by the Cold War; the space race; assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King; the Vietnam War; the civil rights movement; Woodstock; and Watergate.

In less than 10 years, the entire Baby Boom generation will be over 50 and set to revolutionize the meaning of retirement, just as they have led other social revolutions throughout their lives. Boomers still think of themselves as young and continue to seek adventure. They expect fulfillment in their careers and many expect to keep working past traditional retirement age.

Now a “Sandwich Generation” with both children and parents to care for, Boomers have been called the most stressed generation in history. Eight-four percent say they feel the need to reduce their stress; 81 percent want to simplify their lives, according to Entrepreneurial Connection.

• Career-driven. Money, title and recognition are important to most Boomers. They are ambitious and want a stellar career, sometimes at the expense of family time, as evidenced by the high divorce rate among Boomers. Gamers, on the other hand, want freedom and flexibility, and work that has meaning.

• Materialistic. Boomers were raised to expect more than their parents and they have been on a buying spree for most of their adult lives. Their estimated annual spending power is $2.1 trillion.

• Skeptical. Boomers have relatively little confidence and trust in some of society’s major institutions, such as government, corporations and churches. They have doubts about the role of the U.S. on the global stage and a feeling that the U.S. is losing power around the world.

• Independent. Boomers feel they are special and prize their individuality. Rules are made to be broken if breaking them leads to good experiences and personal growth. Unlike their conservative parents, Boomers disdain authority and traditional values.

• Idealistic. When they were growing up, Boomers believed that a single human being could positively change the world. Today, they are ready to turn their golden years into an intense time of social activism, volunteerism and lifelong learning.

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