A generation can be defined as a group of people in which there are similar historical events witnessed. The sociological influences are also similar. A generation can also be referred to as a group of individuals who happen to live at the same time and are in the same age range. Another terminology that can be used is a cohort. The term intergeneration is used to refer to a situation in which people of different cohorts try to reach each other while still retaining the characteristics exhibited in their cohorts. In crossing from one cohort to another, there are various characteristics in the cohort crossed into the one encountered. These characteristics are very much different from the ones one has in his or her cohort of belonging. For interaction to take place, there has to be a situation where these characteristics are harmonized. There are four generational groups. These are matures (born before the year 1946), the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980), and Generation Y who are at times called Millennials (born between 1980 and 2000).
Generations and their Characteristics
The first generation consists of the veterans. This group came into existence just after the World War 2 ended (Widman & Strilko, 2014) . They have also acquired the names Builders or a Generation of Silence. This group of individuals is known to have regard and respect for rules, hierarchy, and authority in the places where they dwell. They have a significant dedication to doing work in light of loyalty, sacrifice, and duty before any form of fun. This group of individuals is also known for having great value for the traditions of the society where they dwell.
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With Baby Boomers, they were the ones born between the years of 1943 and 1960. To this group, it is a priority to get to work. This group of individuals always seeks after having personal fulfillment, competition and they are attracted to value in any meaning they encounter (Widman & Strilko, 2014) . They are always after professional networks which are foundedstrongly.
Generation X came into being between the years 1961 and 1981. They are known to be very self-indulgent, mobile and have a love for material things (Widman & Strilko, 2014) . This generation of individuals has people who are self-reliant, desiring flexibility, skeptical, technology conscious, informal and balance value between work and life (Widman & Strilko, 2014) .
The group known as the Generation Y has been in existence and comprises of individuals born between 1982 and 2002 (Widman & Strilko, 2014) . They have a lot of diversity with great love for knowledge and technology. The kind of pace they exhibit is fast, they are very direct, entrepreneurial, like teamwork, are globally diversified, are technology savvy and have a lot of value for fun (Widman & Strilko, 2014) .
Role of Intergenerational Communication upon the Society
Intergenerational communication is aimed at establishing intergenerational cohesion so as to avoid the case of intergenerational war (Kister, 2012) . Intergenerational war is brought about when the young people are discriminated against the old and vice versa. With discrimination, a stereotype is reinforced concerning the young among old individuals. Through communication, social cohesion is enhanced with improvements in the engagements that exist between generations. An example of intergenerational conflict occurred in the 1980s and 1990s (Kister, 2012) .
Intergenerational communication creates social contact which is an important aspect of the mental well-being of older individuals. Even if it so happens that older individuals suffer in terms of health, the mental well-being of such individuals can be good just like those who have a good health status if they engage in social contact (Kister, 2012) . The first step towards understanding the importance that intergenerational communication has begins with understanding the fact that social contact is an important aspect of the mental makeup of individuals because it ensures that people of different cohorts escape loneliness.
Intergenerational communication helps in creating an understanding between individuals of different cohorts. For instance, in communication, veterans are known to communicate on the basis of trust and prefer a face-to-face kind of communication. Baby Boomers, on the other hand, show a preference for a type of communication that has very few formalities. Generation X individuals communicate using technology. Generation Y individuals tend to be impatient and like working in teams.
Impact of Intergenerational Communication on Emotions
There is an existing relationship between physiognomic cues that concern age, expressions of the age, negatively emotion driven facial expressions, and negative stereotypes built around ages of individuals. These factors play asignificant role in affecting what takes place when different generations involve themselves in communication. The ecological theory concerning the morphology of the face and the expressions done by the face to the perception of persons has an argument in place. The argument is that such relationships have a form of function for communication towards human beings.
The model known as the Communication Predicament of Aging formulated a hypothesis stating that cues concerning age have an effect on the process involved in intergenerational communication (Verhaeghen & Hertzog, 2013) . This model has its grounding in the Theory of Communication Accommodation. According to the theory, it is the desire of people to want to be effective in communication when involving their partners. In using the CPA model, this positive goal has the potential of creating among people who are young and those who are older (Verhaeghen & Hertzog, 2013) . This negative activation s brought about when physical cues that concern the age of interacting individuals activate negative stereotypes in the younger person towards the older individual. This negative talk may be accompanied by beliefs regarding declines in aspects of cognition due to age which has effects on how communication takes place between the two individuals. Through the process in which the young person adapts the declines presumed, he or she takes up a talk that has a patronizing speech style. Such a move may be well-meaning, but it is just an over-accommodation that has the potential to lead to further decline in the physical and psychological health that older individuals find themselves in, according to the predictions made by the CPA model.
Age-related changes in the face of individuals often initiate the negative feedback that is outlined by the CPA model. Such changes in the face are associated with emotions which have negative implications. This means that such facial morphology is responsible for initiating the cycles of feedback talked about in CPA models. In comparing communication characteristics of messages related to elder-speak from individuals who are young in age with those who are in their middle ages, there is a sense of nurturing in the communication of the middle-agedindividuals. This is different from the kind of communication seen in the younger ones which areperceived as giving directives and providing control (Verhaeghen & Hertzog, 2013) . This gives the suggestion of an increase in the competence of communication with age. This increment is also associated with a movement towards a style of affirmation.
Conclusion
Generations comprise different cohorts of people born in a givenperiod. Each generation is known to carry individuals with certain distinct characteristics. The interaction between these cohorts means that a balance has been struck between the differences because if it has not, there will likely be a conflict between the cohorts. This interaction is what is called intergenerational communication.
References
Kister, C. (2012). Intergenerational Communication in an Organizational Setting. Retrieved November 9, 2016, from Diital Commons: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1099&context=comssp
Verhaeghen, P., & Hertzog, C. (2013). The Oxford Handbook of Emotion, Social Cognition, and Problem Solving in Adulthood. New York: Oxford University Press.
Widman, F., & Strilko, V. (2014). Communicating Across Generations. Retrieved November 9, 2016, from UCSC: http://advising.ucsc.edu/advisers/forum/docs/2014/WB-Comm%20Across%20Generations%20Diversity%20Inclusion.pdf
