The most startling fact about the younger generation is its silence. With some rare exceptions, youth is nowhere near the rostrum. By comparison with the flaming youth of their fathers and mothers, today's younger generation is a still, small flame. It does not issue manifestos, make speeches, or carry posters. It has been called the "Silent Generation."
The Time magazine article used the birth dates of 1923–1933 for the generation, but the term somehow migrated to the later years currently in use. A reason later proposed for this perceived silence is that as young adults during the McCarthy Era, many members of the Silent Generation felt it was unwise to speak out.
The term "Silent Generation" is also used to describe a similar age group in the UK, but has been at times described as a reference to strict childhood discipline that taught children to be "seen but not heard." In Canada, it has been used with the same meaning as in the United States. The cohort is also known as the "Traditionalist Generation.
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