Defining "generations" is not an exact science. The breakdowns are subjective and the traits of each cohort are generalized. For the most part, date ranges for generations are based around common economic, social, or political factors that happened during formative years. One can find disagreements and complaints over date ranges, generation names, and the over-generalized "personality" of each generation. However, marketers and journalists do sometimes find these groupings useful in targeting their marketing to particular age groups.In 2023,Pew Research Center published a critical reflection 
on the use of generations in research, including limitingthe use of generational comparisons in their own reports and looking at additional variables beyond age cohorts when analyzing responses.
This page is a re-creation of the earlier guide "Generational Market Segmentation." The sources here are not meant to be exhaustive, but provide a general background into consumer groups segmented demographically by generation.
