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© 2018 Dental Press Journal of Orthodontics Dental Press J Orthod. 2019 Nov-Dec;24(6):7-8 7 The Americans William Straus, author and playwright, and Neil Howe, historian, published in 1991 the book “Generations: The history of America’s future, 1584 to 2069”1, in which they proposed the idea that generations influence society. The Strauss-Howe generation theory describes a recurrent cycle of same-aged groups with specific behavior patterns that change every 20 years. According to this theory, an 80-year cycle is crucial, when every four generations is associated to a crisis that impacts the ongoing social order and creates a new one. The four generations of this century are classified as: (a) baby boomers, from 1943 to 1960; (b) generation X, from 1961 to 1981; (c) the millennials, or generation Y, from 1982 to 2004; and (d) generation Z from 2005 to the present. The baby boomers are part of a post-war generation that were born in a period of increased birth rate and economical growth, allowing greater expenditure. An idealistic generation that defied the ongoing social, political and cultural establishments, with movements such as anti-consumerism and feminism. The generation X was born in the oil economical crisis, in a position of dissatisfaction and apathy due to the exhaustion of alternatives to capitalism. This generation was the first to be raised in a mass consumerism culture, generating an enormous impact in the next generation. Individuals of the generation Y, or the millennials, were born in a digital world and are used to social media and the Internet. They are considered functional consumers, used to find what they wish in a fast and easy manner and transfer this situation to other aspects of life. Generation Z was born in the current technology, they are more adaptive and cannot live without a smartphone and social media. The way of sharing information by social network creates a group of individuals more concerned with concepts such as collaborative economy, environment-friendly purchase and sustainability. Nevertheless, it is too early to establish the general behavior of generation Z. In the dusk of this decade, I can notice that the four generation theory seems to be predictable, and in 2025 we will be arriving at the end of the births of generation Z, while presently we are watching the maturing of generation Y. The changes in social behavior are clear, especially in relation to how generation Y deals with information. Until 100 years ago information was spread by printed media, which itself was a revolution for humanity, making knowledge widely available. Then, other medias such as cinema, radio, television, and more recently, the Internet, were developed2. It is impossible not to notice the significant acceleration in exchange of ideas and information, and Flavia Artese In the digital world, all roads lead to Rome.