1940's Baby Boom

866 Words4 Pages

The Boom that occurred post WWII ushered in an era of good times for the American people. It was the catalyst that shot the United States out of the Great Depression and provided individuals with economic security. The increase in economic security also led to an increase in American consumption due to the American people desiring to spend their new money. Also, the baby boom led to a change in family dynamic and even further increased American consumption due to the need for industries to accommodate to the new customers and their newly developed “youth culture”. The 1940’s in America were such a great time that it ultimately is better than America today due to the vehemous amount of nationalism that was running throughout America and the …show more content…

Because of the fortunes that presented themselves during this time, Americans believed that this was the land of opportunity and high expectations in which anything was possible. Americans were happier during this time because they were able to live their lives in luxury as shown by the mass consumption of new inventions and residency in suburban households. The mood during this time was extremely positive and encouraged people to work harder in order to take advantage of the social mobility that was present during the 1940’s. This was especially concentrated in younger individuals, who took more risks in order to gain a greater reward. The ideology of economic opportunity, rags to respectability, and social mobility were significant concepts that the 1940’s inspired people to strive …show more content…

Couples married young and could now afford to start a family and care for their children. The baby boom also increased consumption due to the need to accommodate to the high demand of goods. Diapers alone were a $50 million business by 1957 due to the large amount of babies that needed the accessory. It also began the creation of a “youth culture”, separating parent and children. The children of this generation were more high-strung and knew that they had the potential to be more successful than their parents. This was due the opportunity that the boom of the 1940’s presented as well as the grand expectations that the American people possessed during this