How Real is the Generation Gap?

The generation gap, we've all heard of it.

It's a catch-all explanation to explain every argument you ever have with your kids or your parents or anyone else's kids or parents.

You think my amazing new pants aren't fashionable.

That's the generation gap.

You hate the music I love and I hate the music you love.

That's the generation gap.

Have a different view about negative gearing or franking credence or transgender rights.

Generation gap.

But what actually is it? Is it inevitable that teens and those in their 20s will have a different view of things than those in their 40s, 50s, 60s, etc.? Or is the generation gap just a kind of vague general term that emphasises the things differently aged people disagree about while ignoring the many things they agree about? Ian, is the generation gap a...

A real thing? You know, I used to always hate it in television where they'd say, you know, you get very specific ratings and they'd say, oh, we've got to appeal to 50-year-olds.

We've got to appeal to 25-year-olds.

As if every 50-year-old was exactly the same as every 25-year-old.

Was exactly the same.

I guess 50-year-olds have more in common with each other than 25-year-olds do, but is there some inevitability that there'll be some conflict between the generations, or is that just normal dynamics of growing up?

Boy, so many questions in one question, James.

Yes, yes, no, and yes.