[Lancey]

While generational groups may have similar experiences, and therefore similar worldviews based on those experiences, it seems to me that the labels themselves aren't used in that way. They're used more as labels of pride and prejudice, and much of their associated feelings and statements are based on personal beliefs rather than actual human interaction. Consider how many news articles are writing about the habits of Millenials these days with regards to work and life. Most, if not all, of them are written as rants looking to pin the author's dislike of modern culture on a younger generation. Even Boomers had their share of unfounded, ranting criticism from their predecessor generations when they were younger, and it's fair to assume that in the future we'll have articles written by Millennials about how Gen-Z is lazy and ungrateful. Generational cohorts have a place, but we often confuse them with the nature of our entire society rather than just those of a certain age.

[VLM]

"They're used more as labels of pride and prejudice"

Accurate, but also consider the idiom "divide and conqueror"

[ArkyBeagle]

"Baby boomer" became a thing when advertisers needed to hawk advertising. If advertising was pointed at the "youth market", then you would have forty years of sales of Marlboros to that person, so invest more.

I suppose with GenX it's bicycles and Mountain Dew, which became ever related through all those ads.