The Greatest Generation won World War II, and the Baby Boomers brought about revolutionary social transformation. But what did Generation X do?
Based on the news coverage and academic treatises about those born between 1965 and 1980, it looks like the answer would be “nothing.” But is that short shrift justified? Read our list of 10 reasons no one cares about Gen X and decide for yourself.
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1. They don’t have the numbers
It’s not a massive difference, but when you compare Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and even Generation Z, Generation X is the smallest at approximately 65 million in the United States. Meanwhile, there are over 72 million Millennials in the United States.
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2. What did they accomplish, really?
Baby boomers brought us the social phenomenon of people taking lots and lots of acid while following the Grateful Dead across the globe. Millennials brought us the tech boom. Gen X has no signature accomplishment, and no, the Pantera catalog doesn’t count.
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3. No specific social media application
Baby boomers love to be on Facebook, griping with one another about how kids today aren’t spanked enough and listen to too much hip-hop. Generation Z, meanwhile, is all about those short-form videos on TikTok. Generation X uses those platforms and several others, but no single platform is identified with them.
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4. The latchkey lifestyle
It didn’t necessarily apply across the board, but Generation X was the first to be raised widely by their parents giving them housekeys and something to microwave. This may have caused a lot of Gen Xers to assume early on that they were on their own and that if they had grievances, they should go to their rooms and listen to the Cure.
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5. They’re in middle age right now
It may have always been this way – the generation in middle age will probably find themselves largely ignored by the culture around them. The elderly get a lot of politicians courting their votes, and the young get the attention of advertisers, but people in middle age? You might get an offer of a tote bag for joining AARP if you’re lucky.
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6. Analog natives
Like it or not, many media companies are not impressed by those who reluctantly embraced digital technology in their 30s. They only want to hire people who grew up with digital technology as the dominant form, so if you were born before the 1990s, too bad.
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7. No consistent parenting style
Boomer parents were known for being pretty hands-off with their charges, while Millennial parents are often characterized as “helicopter parents.” This has left Generation X parents in the mushy middle, with children who won’t complain about them enough to stigmatize them. Sad!
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8. Let’s get cancelled
Baby boomers are old enough now that if they say something culturally insensitive, most people will wave it off and dismiss it as a byproduct of grandpa being tired. Millennials and Generation Z, meanwhile, are woke enough to know what not to say. This leaves Generation X in the unenviable position of having grown up watching “All in the Family” but getting canceled if they repeat any of the jokes.
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9. They didn’t cause the ‘Great Recession’ but they certainly got hit by it … and no one cares
The economic downturn of 2008 was hugely damaging to just about everybody, but for many members of Generation X, it happened as they were crowding 40 and of age to do things like buy a home. The Great Recession has since been declared over, but for many Gen Xers, it hit them at precisely the wrong time, and many still have yet to get back on their feet.
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10. Cynicism and disengagement
In the early 1990s, when Generation X first gained notice, much was made of their lack of investment in society. In short, they were called “slackers” and said not to give a toss about much of anything. It was interesting back then, but much less so now that they’re in their 50s, and if no one wants to pay much attention to unmotivated people in middle age, can you blame them?
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
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