It is common to broadly group people of different ages into “generations” and to speak of distinctions between such groups in terms of “generational differences.” The problem with this practice, is that there exists no credible scientific evidence that (a) generations exist, (b) that people can be reliably classified into generational groups, and (c) that there are demonstrable differences between such groups. We have already noted an emerging generationalized rhetoric that has characterized how people of different ages have been affected by and reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic. These narratives have been especially present in discussions of how work and careers will be affected by this crisis. In this essay, we outline problems with applying the concept of generations, especially for researchers seeking explanations for how COVID-19 will affect careers and career development. We urge researchers to eschew the notion of generations and generational differences and consider alternative lifespan development theoretical frameworks that better capture age-graded processes.

人们通常将不同年龄的人大致分为“代”，并用“代际差异”来谈论这些群体之间的区别。这种做法的问题在于，没有可靠的科学证据证明（a）世代存在，（b）人们可以可靠地分为几代群体，以及（c）这些群体之间存在明显的差异。我们已经注意到一种新兴的代际化言论，它描述了不同年龄段的人如何受到 COVID-19 大流行的影响和反应。这些叙述尤其出现在有关工作和职业将如何受到这场危机影响的讨论中。在本文中，我们概述了应用世代概念的问题，特别是对于寻求解释 COVID-19 将如何影响职业和职业发展的研究人员。我们敦促研究人员避开代际和代际差异的概念，并考虑更好地捕捉年龄分级过程的替代寿命发展理论框架。