Baby Boomers

As young men returned home from fighting World War II, the years that followed, 1946 to 1964, produced a record number of births. These children are referred to as baby boomers. The increase in population demanded an increase in housing, shopping opportunities, and road improvements, as well as an increase in services. Cities around the country boomed as their infrastructure was expanded.

The baby boomers are familiar with the advent of television, the assassination of president Kennedy, and the protest of the Vietnam War. They are associated with not approving of traditional values and going against them at every turn. The boomers looked at themselves as changing mankind. They also thought of themselves as being special, a force to be reckoned with. They attained higher education than generations before them did, and many went on to reach influential and important positions in government and business. President William Clinton and George W. Bush were both baby boomers.

The whole social atmosphere of the United States changed with the baby boomers. The boomers were a more liberal generation, which brought a large spasm between their conservative counterparts regarding abortion and homosexuality. Baby boomers never had to worry about being drafted, because there no longer was any draft in the United States. They were also known to use drugs freely, which was quite disturbing to the mainstream populous.

The baby boomers are just now reaching retirement age. Some have worked for one company their entire working career and are looking forward to retirement, while others are entrepreneurs, operating their own businesses with no plans to retire.