The Cohort Effect.

More than just our ages alone, we are able to identify with people our age groups not just because we share a similar birth year, but more because of the experiences and events that have occurred throughout our lives which became a major part in how we live our lives, experience things, and relate to people through such experiences. This can be known as the cohort effect, in which particular major and or common events define a particular groups of ages who can share an understanding of these events and thus relate to it more. While birth year can represent a particular cohort, traumatic world events, music and tv shows, can also be of the most impacting effects. Even without truly knowing someone close to your age group, a lot of times sharing a cohort can help spark conversations in which common experiences can be expressed, and we tend to grow more fond to these people in our cohort. When I first met my roommate we barely knew anything about each other, but we found that when we would play old N'sync songs, we could sing all the words and talk about which N'sync member we loved the most. Other older or younger cohorts may not be able to relate to N'sync because it might not have been of their time, but they can relate to other artists that were the most popular within their lifespan. 

I have a sister whose only 4 years younger than me, and the similarities and differences in our cohorts can be easily perceived. Both being 90's babies, we can relate on some level to popular events or trends that we both shared, but in particular world events I've found that are cohort are completely distinct. Recently in school, my sister was asked how being from New York (she know attends high school in Georgia) she was impacted by the attacks on september 11th. I always considered the event to be as traumatic for me as it was for my sister, but really she expressed that it was difficult to identify with that event, and felt that it had no overall impact on her life. Then I recalled that although I was emotionally truamatized by that event at 9 years old, my sister was only 5 years old and can only remember getting to leave kindergarden early that day. She told me how other kids her age also felt un-impacted by that day but her cohort shares knowledge of later events like witnessing the historical event of having a black president.

On the other hand, my experience of 9/11 was a lot more different and traumatic for me. Other than attending school close to the twin towers, I can recall every detail of what happened and what I  did before and after the towers were hit. When events are as traumatic and newly felt for an individual, they are better able to recall every single moment of it. My sister can only remember leaving school early, but I remember gathering my belongings to evacuate the school, running with my classmates from the dark clouds following us, and walking from downtown manhattan to uptown hoping my mother would be able to find me. When I speak to other New York friends who were attending school this same day as me, we can all share our different experiences, but the impact it had on our lives is such a common place for us that it is a meaningful part of our history, lives, and memories to this day. Even 2 or 3 years after the attack, my group of friends shared that same fear or terrorism and un-comfortability of understanding what war truly was. I'm apart of many cohorts of my time, but the attack on 9/11 will forever remain a major and common experience for the young lives within my cohort.