The phrase "Lost Generation," as coined by Gertrude Stein, refers specifically to ex-patriot writers who left the United States to take part in the literary culture of cities such as Paris and London during the 1920s. This group, including Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and T. S.
The young adults of Europe and America during World War I. They were “lost” because after the war many of them were disillusioned with the world in general and unwilling to move into a settled life. Gertrude Stein is usually credited with popularizing the expression.
The Lost Generation made an impact on society because the writings that came out of this period showed the effects war has on people. War was a terrible thing that made men lose their masculinity, gave people a sense of disillusionment, and made people want to return to a simpler, idealistic past.