The term age group is commonly used in the social environment to analyze the time series of the people living in the community. In understanding this term, it is important to make a definition of the word age. Age is an indication of the number of years that a person has lived from the time he or she was born to the present time (Martin 10). It can also be used to show the period of time within which certain economic and political activities took place. From the definition of age, we can argue that an age group is a collection of individuals who have lived for the same number of years from the time they were born to the present time. It is important to note that the term age group is different from the term age set. The latter refers to a group of people in the society who perform certain activities together.
Age groups are found in various places in the world. The fact that different people fall under the same age group may be termed as a coincidence. During birth, most mothers know that there are other children that are born on the same date. However, they do not get the chance to meet them. Similarly, young people may not know the people who fall under the same age group until they get the chance to meet them. If a person gets to know that he has many people who are in his age group, he will have a sense of belonging. This is due to the fact that he has seen people who have similar characteristics with him. Age groups may be found in organizations, learning institutions and residential areas (Martin 13). In some places, one may fail to find people who fall under their age group.
After interviewing my roommate, Michael, it turned out that he was aware that he was a member of a particular age group. According to Michael, he was in the young generation. In the modern society, the young generation is simply known as the “Generation Y.” This is a broad category that includes many age brackets. It consists of people who are between the age of one and thirty years. This is a very large margin which needs to be dissipated into specific age brackets. This is the major reason why many socialists argue that people who have the same age should consider themselves to be in the same age group (Martin 15).
According to Michael, age has affected the way he thinks. For instance, the various problems affected by him regarding day to day situations are influenced by the members of his age group. He is young and is now at the age of 22. At this age, the members of his age group fall under the same age bracket with a variance of one year. Some of the day to day solutions may involve seeking advice from the other members of the age group. The advice given by these members may be different from the advice given by elder members. According to leading anthropologists, people having the same age seem to think together. The effect of age can be seen at the various stages of growth. As one grows, his thinking capacity changes since we get more knowledge as we age.
According to the roommate, he has received various treatments from people based on their age groups. For instance, he has received a lot of respect from the younger individuals who think that he has more knowledge than them. The people who are in the same age group with him treat him in a nice manner since most of them share birthdays. Most of them show love and concern to him. The elder people, especially the family members act as correction agents who try to rectify his behavior whenever he does something wrong. According to leading anthropologists, the treatment of a person by other people will depend on the way he relates with them irrespective of the ages (Martin 15). At his current age, it is very unlikely that he will be bullied by the elder people. This is due to the fact that he has now matured to a big person who when provoked can fight back.
The age group of a person may affect the lifestyle that he has. The lifestyle of young people is different from the lifestyle of aged people. Many young men prefer living a life full of movies and music. On the other hand, the aged people do not have time to participate in these kinds of activities since they are working. Michael is so much into movies and this consumes most of his free time both at school and at home. Young people tend to have more sleeping hours than the elder people. Some young people spend most of their time watching movies at night while others go to night clubs. They end up sleeping late and thus extend their sleeping period since they have been busy at night. The aged people may decide to sleep earlier in order to wake up earlier enough to avoid getting late for the job.
The lifestyle of individuals in various age groups may also be analyzed based on fashions, tastes and preferences. Young people buy their clothes and commodities based on the fashions that are prevailing in the market system. They change their purchasing behavior as the fashions change from time to time (Martin 16). On the other hand, the elder people do not have adequate time to look for the most fashionable commodities. According to my roommate, it is difficult for him to purchase a commodity without evaluating whether the commodity is of the latest fashion. He argued that his parents thought that fashions are irrelevant since they undergo rapid changes in the market system. Michael however seems to enjoy his lifestyle since it is similar to that of individuals who are in his age group.
Michael provided additional information regarding how his current age affects his behavior. People of the same age group are likely to be affected by peer influence. According to Michael, many of his age mates are alcohol addicts who abuse drug without taking into consideration the effects of these actions. He argues that the counseling teacher saved him from the situation since he gave him strong advice to avoid abusing drugs. At times it is very difficult to avoid associating with people of the same age group since the influential members may victimize you (Martin 17). The decisions made by a group of individuals are made on the basis of the arguments of the majority.
The age of a person may limit the activities that are performed by various individuals. Michael argues that he can mostly chat with people of his age in school. The major reason for this is that there will be optimal sharing of ideas since there is no person who fears the other. He also argues that most of the people who are in the same class with him are in the same age bracket with him. This makes the students to feel equal in the performance of activities in school. Their age however limits them from learning disciplines that are meant for people who have advanced to a higher level. Most of the assignments given by lecturers are mostly discussed in teams based on age groups.
In conclusion, it is important to analyze the various aspects involved in an age group. This will be important for various individuals, especially marketers. Marketers will benefit from the analysis of the behavior, preference and lifestyle of individuals since it will help them know the changes in quantity demanded of their products brought about by the changes in these variables. From the above points of view, it is evident that age groups are major determinants of thinking capacity and treatment from other people. However, people should form good relationships with everyone regardless of any differences in age.
Martin, W, 2007. Age Groups in the World. London. Palgrave Macmillan.
