Flappers, Hippies, and Millennials: An Analysis of The New York Times Discourse About Youth From 1925 to 2015

Abstract

The following research is an analysis of the discourse of youth generations and youth culture in The New York Times. The articles are examined from three different time periods—1925 to 1935, 1965 to 1975, and 2005 to 2015—in order to learn about the changes and similarities in these articles over time. Three major themes appeared in the articles: Perceived Narcissism, Technology and Life, and Generation Gap. All of the themes were present in each time period, with each theme growing progressively more popular throughout time. Even though small changes between the time periods were found, overall the discourse was found to be similar between the time periods.