The term " generation gap " was first used in the 1960s . During that time , the younger generation in question commonly referred to as " baby boomers " -showed a significant difference in their beliefs and opinions , compared to that of their parents ' generation . Sociologists use nomenclature to refer to different generational segments . For example , millennials , which are those individuals born between 1982 and 2002 , are called " technology natives " because they have lived with digital technology their entire lives , and this is all they've ever known . By contrast , older generational members , known as " digital immigrants , " tend to be less comfortable with personal usage of technology . Consequently , technology companies market products differently to each group .