"The reason of the generation gap". Is it caused by young or old generation? Give 3 reasons why you see it is caused by the old or young people.I need a good thesis statement to convince the reader...


I need a good thesis statement to convince the reader of my opinion.

Asked on by lola21

10 Answers | Add Yours

e-martin's profile pic


Posted on

Yes, as has been said above, neither generation is completely responsible for the "generation gap". However, I would suggest that older people have learned that maintaining a connection between generations is extremely difficult and they have a (wise) tendency to give up on trying to stay connected to the culture of teenagers when they are well past their own teenaged years.

litteacher8's profile pic

litteacher8 | High School Teacher | (Level 3) Distinguished Educator

Posted on

I'd argue that the generation gap is caused by both the old and the young. It really is about communication. There is essentially too much miscommunication between the two groups because their culture and experiences are too different for them to understand each other.
sandrahunter's profile pic

sandrahunter | College Teacher | (Level 1) Adjunct Educator

Posted on

The question implies that the "generation gap" is the fault of either old or young people. You might want to consider that the issue is whether the experience of the former makes it impossible for them to relate to the experience of the latter -- and vice versa.

Think of all the things that are important to young people -- music, clothes, TV shows, movies, art and so on.

Those things were important to older people, too, when they were younger. It's just that there was different music, clothes, TV shows, etc.

Other important issues to young people might include environmental concerns and social issues.

Older people are interested in those things, too, but their interests are influenced by what they've already experienced. Someone who's experienced World War II will have a different attitude to the war in Afghanistan.

Imagine how a young person might view a vegan diet and compare that to the view of an older person who might have dietary issues and may not be able to tolerate certain foods.

In other words, we tend to view the world according to the limits of our experience.

Going back to your question, now try thinking of a way to frame a thesis that would address the issue of experience, instead of merely blaming one group or another.

akannan's profile pic


Posted on

As already stated, I don't see the generation gap as being necessarily caused by one side or the other.  Rather, I think it's a result of how one group perceives reality or consciousness over another.  It has to do with a culture that is defined by age and the values that such an age based culture share.  The perceptions and understandings that each culture have are not something that automatically makes one to blame over another, but rather is a statement of reality that has to be understood and accepted as part of the condition of being within a multigenerational and heterogeneous setting.

lfawley's profile pic

lfawley | College Teacher | (Level 1) Associate Educator

Posted on

I agree with the above respondent in that the "gap" is not "caused" by one or the other. It is more a reflection of the way that society changes. Opinions change - for instance the growing acceptance of diversity in response to a rapidly globalizing society has caused us to look at different belief systems with more of an open mind that past generations. Look at the transition from slavery to equality. People believed that slavery and discrimination were okay because they were socialized to believe that. It was the norm. As the norm changed, attitudes changed as well. Similarly, technology has changed. Today, we take the Internet and the ability to communicate instantly with anyone, anywhere for granted. It is the norm for us. For our parents and our grandparents, this was not the case. While today's youth have grown up surrounded by computers, their parents did not. As a result, the younger generation is more comfortable with technology because it has grown along with them. They are not having to learn something new. Therefore, I would argue that it is overall changes in society, from technology to government structure, religion, and belief systems or norms that causes the "gap" to exist, not individuals themselves young or old.

pohnpei397's profile pic

pohnpei397 | College Teacher | (Level 3) Distinguished Educator

Posted on

To be honest, I don't think it can be caused by one or the other.  You can't have a gap without misunderstanding on both sides.  But I'll give you some ways to argue that the old are the ones who cause this.

  1. The old ought to be more understanding.  They have been young and understand how the young feel whereas the young have never been old.
  2. The old are the ones who generally set the rules.  So if they are setting rules that cause gaps between them and the young, it is their fault.
thewanderlust878's profile pic

thewanderlust878 | Student, College Freshman | (Level 3) Salutatorian

Posted on

This is a fantastic question! Honestly, I find it intriguing that there needs to be someone to "blame" per say for the "generation gap". This seems a bit silly to me, but I digress. 

To answer your question, I suppose it would have to be both the young and the old. Like it has been stated above, I think that both sides are to "blame" and it it mostly the product of a misunderstanding, for any generation. The old could try to understand the young more, and vice versa. It's all a matter of perception. 

Hope this helps!

subrataray's profile pic

subrataray | High School Teacher | (Level 1) Valedictorian

Posted on

Mechanical -life , ultra-modern technology , innovations in education ,adaption with global-market , and compulsion of rejecting the moral -values , are the reasons of generation -gap .The parents are helpless to teach their wards in their own ways .From nursery to primary -schooling the children grow with the changing models of education , and culture .We board them in a super-fast train , the train runs , they see different stations , and passengers .While they alight from the train , they discover themselves in a new province .

If any generation gap happens , it is in the elders , not in the young-ones .For example a man of forty , gets dismayed about his values  , witnessing the last twenty -changes .He by no way can accept the "go as you like" the present .

krishna-agrawala's profile pic

krishna-agrawala | College Teacher | (Level 3) Valedictorian

Posted on

Generation gap refers to the differences in ways of thinking and behaving that exists between older people, considered to be from the earlier generation, and the younger people, considered to be from later generations. This often leads to lack of communication and understanding between people of different generations.

These different thinking of the people are shaped by the environment they face and the experiences that they go through. Particularly the impressions formed in the earlier years of the life are more enduring than the ones formed later in life. Thus the impressions and feelings developed by older generation do not change that easily with changing times. At the same time the younger generations that have never been exposed to the environment of faced by the earlier generation are no able to appreciate the impact of such environment. For example, people who lived through the depression learnt to put great importance on material possessions and financial security. Most people who grew up in later periods had no idea of what it is like to have to struggle for money and job. They felt baffled by the great importance put by their parents on material possession and financial security. This resulted in kind of generation gap that developed during 1960's.

From the above discussion it is clear that neither young or old generation could be held responsible for the generation. It is the changing environment, faced by different generation that causes generation gap. If at all we have to hold one of the two generation responsible, I would choose the older generation, as they have greater power to shape the thinking of their children. The elders could also take special care to educate younger generation on their past and its effect on their thinking.

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