What is a cohort?

Cohort refers to a group of people who were born around the same time, and as a result, experience many similar important life events. Our reading gave an example of a boy who grew up during World War II and explained how his life situation, while nuanced and unique in some ways, was also similar to the experiences of others who grew up around the same time that he did. A group that shares these experiences that ultimately shape many of their values and beliefs is called a cohort. What struck me, personally, about this idea of a cohort was how the reading's example of a boy growing up around WWII strangely paralleled many of my grandfather's life experiences. Because of the uncanny connections I drew between this some-what stereotypical life and my grandfather's very own real experiences, I wondered what my own cohort's shared storyline might look like 50 years from now.

As we discussed in class, my cohort's shared experiences may not strongly revolve around a particular war, but instead around the ever-changing world of technology and media that we are constantly exposed to through cellphones, television, computers, tablets, the internet, etc. How are these everyday outside influences ultimately shaping our lives and values? We certainly value communication; having access to at least one communication device at all times makes it necessary for us to communicate on a near-constant basis. Conversely, it would seem rude to wait even a full day to respond to a text or e-mail, and in the context of business, also somewhat unprofessional. But looking back even a quarter of a century ago we can observe that communication patterns were nowhere near so desperate and needy as they have become today. Humans may be pro-social by nature, but should we really feel obligated to communicate at all times? I believe this need for communication is something my cohort shares and I am interested to see how it may affect our values and beliefs as our lives play out.