Leeds Salon presents....Stop Mugging Grandma by Jennie Bristow

"The so-called ‘generational divide’ seems to inform much political debate today. Millennials have been encouraged to regard their parents' generation as entitled and selfish, and to blame the Baby Boomers of the Sixties for the cultural and economic problems of today – whether it’s unaffordable housing, a plundered planet, or the prospect of having to foot an enormous pensions and healthcare bill.

In her new book Stop Mugging Grandma, Jennie Bristow looks at generational labels and argues that the popularity of terms like 'Baby Boomer', 'Millennial', and 'Snowflake' in mainstream media operates as a smoke-screen – presenting economic problems as generational conflicts to encourage a pessimistic sense of grievance amongst younger people, and most importantly, to let policy-makers off the hook.

So, have the Baby Boomers ‘had it all’, depriving Millennials of the opportunity to create a life for themselves? Can turning the generations against each other ever solve anything?

"