Generations change inevitably with the passage of time and influence societal values, politics and most importantly: consumer products. Advertisers throughout the years have remained intent on simplifying generational differences to categorize and stereotype generations.

Simply put, members of the Silent Generation are hardworking and disciplined as the conditions during the Great Depression shaped them to be. Baby Boomers are independent and competitive, which are characteristics rooted from the significant increase in births during the era. Generation X-ers, by definition, are self-sufficient and resourceful as a result of the decreased parental supervision and shifting societal values during the 60s and 70s. Millennials are confident and ambitious, echoing their Baby Boomer parents. What about us? We’re pragmatic, tech-dependent change-makers. Capitalizing on these traits makes it easier to sell products, collect data and identify patterns.

According to the Forbes article entitled “13 Strategies For Marketing To Generation Z”, advertisers should strategically appeal to Gen Z, also referred to as iGen, or the cohort of individuals who came of age after Sept. 11, 2001. This generation, composed of young adults and teenagers, supposedly poses a new challenge for advertising. As iGen gains buying power in the global market, advertisers are now advised to design products that are inspiring, with an image that is high-tech and authentic, along with an appeal that involves personalization.

But confining entire generations to a handful of key characteristics stifles compromise and understanding between groups that, after all, aren’t that different in the first place.

With the rapid development of technology, it’s easy to believe that iGen is exceptionally unique, that the values we stand for—individualism, creativity, social change—are unprecedented. The clear-cut labels advertised by marketers and the media were, admittedly, attractive; distinguishing our generation from our parents and grandparents just felt good. Who doesn’t want to be special? We want to remain under the impression that our generation’s habits were never before seen and will have the most substantial impact on our world.

Confining entire generations to a handful of key characteristics stifles compromise and understanding between groups that, after all, aren’t that different in the first place. However, we will never quite be the same as our parents and grandparents. Social media has connected people in ways that the bag phone of the 1980s never could. With the help of technology, our generation is perceived as more politically active than anyone before us. We’re unquestionably more impatient than our predecessors, and technology has drastically altered the way we see the world, with information more transparent than ever before.

Sure, generational clichés can be somewhat useful; advertisers, historians and anthropologists benefit from categorizing generations into bite-size groups. But if we want to reduce finger pointing and increase understanding, dismantling generational stereotypes is key. The experiences of past generations shape our understanding of the world; for us, events that influenced our parents and grandparents are distant, but the values gleaming from them aren’t foreign. Acceptance is the key toward bridging the generational gap that has separated us for far too long.