As a GenX all I can say is, "I've always been labeled. I just don't care. Their opinion of me is none of my concern." I always considered us the Chameleon Generation. We blend in, watch, take notes of what not to do, move on.
We're observant driven and intelligent. We not only learn from our mistakes, but also from the mistakes of others. We then use those lessons to find a better way to move forward.
Agree. Unlike our boomer elders, we are tech savvy, and because we are so self-sufficient, we just find what we want rather than waiting to be told what we want.
I agree Jennifer. I don't care what 'they' (the other generations) think. I don't care about being forgotten - I'll just do my own thing. Not sure how I feel about this Talk, just doesn't seem to fit. 🤔
We raised ourselves and really don't care what anybody thinks. Tell us something shouldn't or couldn't be done and will prove you wrong every time. We are rebellious and survivors.
I'm a latched key kid, did my homework, sucked it up, never embarassed my mom with attention seaking behaviour, radio music was my therapist and the TV fueled so many dreams and through it, I envisioned my future. I might be silent but I'm here and I know how to work with or without technology.
I knew how to create my own world with my friends. We entertained ourselves and didn't need to be taught everything like babies. We had guts and ingenuity.
I'm surprised she didn't say the phrase that describes us best, "Free Range Kids". We played outside and did what we wanted. Learned to take care of ourselves. NO helicopter parenting. A bicycle meant freedom. We could entertain ourselves for a whole week outside with a role of masking tape, some imagination and our friends.
You had masking tape?!?! Lucky dog! But I think I have you upstaged, there were gas cans all over and I learned when I was 10 how to accidentally make a flamethrower from what I thought would be a nice little firepit, RIP 10 yr old eyebrows. Such an early age to learn that gas doesn't behave like charcoal starter fluid.
@Mike_H76 LMAO 🤣.. I seem to remember something similar where all the hair on my arm got singed off. Speaking of gasoline, my dad and I had to fix the gas tank in our van, so dad had me siphon the gad out of the tank. I ended up getting a mouthful and burping gas for 3 days. My dad just laughed and said I learned a valuable lesson. 🤣
@@krash66 Remember when gas station attendants would smoke while filling your car up? My uncle demonstrated to me that it's safe, by throwing a lit cig into a bucket of gas... it goes out before it can ignite (personally, I don't suggest this!) Siphoning, ugh... I can almost taste it! Valuable lesson learned indeed, I CAN'T TRUST YOU, it's a set-up!
As a Gen-Xer (1965), I can’t believe that she left out that we watched All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Blazing Saddles, Richard Pryor, and George Carlin and didn’t scream “I’m offended!” at the top of our lungs before going to our safe spaces with our coloring books. We actually laughed at things that were funny!
I saw a video recently on how to manage GX. "Let them do their thing, don't micromanage, give them as much training as they want, and expect them to stay in a job for 5-7 years unless you make it worth their while." Pretty accurate actually.
Yes, we thrive on autonomy, will communicate honestly, seek connectedness without drama, know how to write a handwritten note so you know it is personal and from our hearts. We ask the right questions at the right time to motivate thinking and effect change without badgering or threats. We are able to feel reward from doing what is for the greater good. This is what makes humanity sustainable we know when to make a point and when to stop and let people embrace it instead of fighting until there is nothing left. We value being able to think because we remember the oppression of less fortunate people. Many of us believe in something greater than ourselves and what to do when there is NO money-yet still survive. We have great senses of humor when we examine the human condition, the frailty of life, and the irony of chance....
Born in 73', parents separated in 1981. I had a BMX, crashed the mall and hit the cinema practically every week to watch teen movies. "The Goonies" was only one flick, too many to list. No Internet, we were raised outside the home. Not that I regret it. You need to have experienced the 80s as a teen, late teen in some way or another to qualify....
Born in ‘75, parents divorced in ‘89, and my red and yellow BMX was my first true love. But I lived forty miles from the nearest movie theater, so it was a once or twice a year thing.
I'm Gen X and I don't need nor particularly want to be maketed to, entertained or catered to. If I'm overlooked by marketers, mainstream media and especially government, I consider that a badge of honor. We know what we like as individuals and don't need nor want anyone to tell us what we need to like. For myself, I loved my Grandpa's generation and gravitated to them, because like us, they don't thrive on self aggrandizement. We have a foot in analog and a foot in high tech. I can start and fly and fix a WW2 radial engine powered plane and navigate around high tech. Boomers and Millennials alike as well as some of my own generation for that matter, don't get what I'm about and that's okay, you live your life and I'll live mine. Many people my age feel the same. I have had a paying job since age 12, bought and fixed up my first car with that money, bought my own music, was and still am close to my parents and extended family., there is a tremendous sense of ownership in your life when you earn it yourself. I pass that on to young and old alike; don't let any person, group, or company, supplant your thinking and especially don't let 'em take your self reliance!
Greatly said! Born in 74 and loved my childhood. The greatest music, the greatest movies, and not the drama filled life we see now of kids. We did our jobs and never really fussed about it. Patience was key instead of having it now. We were the kids that didn't have technology. From having it and understanding it to not really caring about it. We have real friends and not the fake friends of social media. The world was so much better without it.
@@BloodySoup74 I was born in '72. I'm also disillusioned with my world today, but I kind of was as a kid back then too. I never understood why I never fit in; even with our own sometimes, but I would not like to be a kid today though. I'm glad I grew up when I did, while there were still some of the ww2 folks around. I'm 2/3 analog, 1/3 digital, I can appreciate TV and internet for what it is, but can happily live without it as well, (although music is somewhat of a necessity!) I'll just go play outside like I always have.
As the forgotten generation a whole lot of people sure do turn to us when then need something done or something fixed. And then they forget about us all over again.
We also grew up in the cold war which meant we lived with the possibility of being destroyed by nuclear bombs at any moment or a post-apocalyptic future. Therefore the pandemic was no big deal to us because we were prepared. Some even laughed and said it was about time since we trained our whole lives for it
@Martino2156 This generation are growing up with a new apocalyptic vision of climate change, with people terrified that CO2 will result in them burning to a crisp or drowning, rather than a nuclear bomb, marketed at them 24/7 through a zillion media channels, and therefore they have no future. That, and housing prices. At least here in the UK there were only 3 or 4 TV channels and they went off air at night!
As a late Gen X-er, I truly don't care if we are ignored. It's better to move in the shadows. That way nobody sees you coming, or going, for that matter. Gen X is the entrepreneurial generation - we value autonomy and free-range living. Most of my peers are self-employed, freelancers or business owners.
wow!!!! As a gen x member I was tickled at this, sobering and real . This is a masterpiece talking about our generation. She didn't mention directly but we are the first in the US to grow u in an integrated country, the first to have easily divorced parents and the first to "come out" as lgbt . She is spot on by repeating the latch key experience as we were the first to come home to no parents and the first to have cookbooks especially made for us, with no parents to help.
Every time I watch one of these videos about Gen X, I am blown away by just how many other latchkey kids were really out there. Now I wonder if any of them were chronic locker-outers like I was. At least I don't get locked out or lose my keys anymore. 😃
@@smrk2452 Being a latchkey kid prepared us for the responsibility as adults to be able to let ourselves into our own homes. It also showed us how lucky we were that we were given the freedom to take care of ourselves rather than having the adults constantly around to take care of us.
Just goes to show how out of touch and delusional this woman is. I say we take away her Gen X club card, and stop claiming her. She clearly doesn't understand what being Gen X even IS based on a lot of this nonsense
Born a year before the 'label'of gen x, I identify mostly with it. Although I was not a latchkey kid, I was on my own much of the time because I was OUTSIDE. The first 'video' game I played was Galaga.... 70's, 80's music was my jam... still is really.
What a great and inspiring TED talk! These videos make me feel connected to everyone else in my generation in a time when it's too easy to feel disconnected from everything. I'm just wondering when someone is going to call me out for my invocations of "CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY!" which are still necessary in the 21st century.
As a cusp gen x’r, raised by a single dad in a house full of younger siblings, I can honestly say I could care less about branding and am happy to be left alone by the media.
I am 1968 vintage. We don’t care about branding. We KNOW nobody caters to us. Our parents, advertisers, politicians ignore us. We can take care of ourselves. Always have - always will.
While it's sad, but fractal. The boomers skipped their kid and went str8 to loving and spoiling their grandkids. Idk, how Gen X thought when they see their parents playing and acting like a loving grandparent to their kid like ",Why you didn't pay attention to me? But you pay attention to your grandkid?" I'm sorry Gen X as a Gen Z, but it seems like Boomers love being a grandparent with all the spoiling and being a "fun" parent type without all the responsibilities of raising a kid, like their Gen X kids. 🥺
@@theacademictaskmaster6481 yes that’s exactly right. By the way my son is also gen Z and his grandparents my parents are boomers. Yes you’re correct. I don’t understand why either
Boomers wanted to have us, they just never wanted to see us. That's why we spent so much time outside. But you're right. They absolutely love their grandkids.
So true my sister '71 raised my sister '80 me '79 while my mom worked miles away in another state. She hangs that over my head all time like I owe her. I think my my mom had her just so that she can babysit.
76 here, and i believe gen x stopped the bs and thats our mo not the forgotten generation, no one really wants to get us started, were tired and want to be left to rest, since we started working younger and inflation has been skyrocking ever since the 90s, and cost of living has always barely covered our needs without borrowing. we are the working to make others rich generation, and also the patriots that will save our country, the last hardworking balls of steel generation. we also let music bring us all together, rap became a catagory on the mtv awards. we have united the world. Music will save the world and a Gen X patriot will save your life.
We are independent. Resourceful. Adaptable. Intelligent. Our childhood was a permanent trauma(!) but we overcame it... from then on, between ourselves, with our friends... or alone... we were used to it. In spite of the trauma... we are deeply nostalgic of those times... because we were free, we wandered off, our range was wide... That's why we became strong! Self reliant. We know what we are and what we like and we don't take bs easily! The only analog/digital generation in History! We made the (big) change! But we are now, too much enjoying Life, to brag about it! That's why we're overlooked. We don't fit... We don't care of what others think of us! We don't "go along"... And that gives me the greatest joy! I like my Generation! I'm really proud of us!
Marvelous speech! Latch key kids were in part independent, but we knew how to ask for help when we needed it. After all, we didn't have GPS, so we had to ask for directions, and had to pull off the highway to use a payphone sometimes.We actually memorized phone numbers! Learning something new of course was not digitally at our fingertips, but required a trip to the bookstore, library or having a real life tutor or learning from a box of VHS tapes. Maybe that's why we have the patience to teach. It's strange that the generation that brought neon colored clothing into fashion in the 80's has such a lackluster image.
I don't need branding. I don't care what people think so long as I get to go about my business and you leave me alone. I can do what ever I want and while I appreciate help I absolutely don't need it. I don't need anyone to notice me all I care about is being reasonable and polite as long as it doesn't put me off track to far. I will treat you with respect until you show me you don't deserve that respect and good luck getting it back once its gone. I work for me and my family not for you. Companies and people have become untrustworthy so expect me to worry about me and be skeptical about you. I'm competent at anything I need to be. "A Jack of all trades master of none is still better than a master of one" Although I'm a master of one I don't have to rely on that one. I will do what ever I need to to get what I want and expect to have to work to get where I want.
15:43. She forgot "mowing lawns when we were kids" i had to mow our lawn when i was 10. And im female 😅. Dad taught me. Also taught me how to drive a stick shift and change a tire.😊❤ rip dad, love you 🎉🤤🙏💪
Someone finally said something about us GenXers. Now back to Rockin the Casbah because we are all Men at Work. No Blaming it On the Rain here. Come on, Eileen, you know this was awesome. 🤣🤣🤣Ok, I'm done
I believe it was Plato who said that "People are people, so why should it be that you and I should get along so awfully?" I just can't understand what makes a man hate another man. Please, help me understand! 😁
Douglas Coupland, who wrote the famous book in 1991 -- Generation X, was in fact a boomer. It would be funny to send him a message saying "Okay boomer, you're fired!"
What's funny is whenever a millennial doesn't like something. They say to a gen x "okay, boomer" some of these millennials. I swear their brains are below their beltline
Most homeless I see are gen x males. I used to deliver mail, over the last twelve years there have been people who buy a used rv cheap then park it out in the woods and avoid society, they don't even want to get their mail, all gen x.
Apparently our generation has currently taken over entertainment! Stranger Things, Goldbergs, Young Sheldon, etc, and many movies with 80's themes/references, (Friday Night at Freddy's only exists because of ShowBiz pizza/Chuck e Cheese!) not to mention video game systems often throw back to Atari, and Nintendo, so yeah, we are actually everywhere!
She forgot one really really really important point. We don't care what anyone says about us. And we prefer that nobody mention us. We will come out of rooms and save the day as usual. But then return to our sanctuary, Crank up whatever of the myriad styles of music we like and performed in our youth making clear we do not want to be bothered. We are built different. We don't want you but more importantly we don't NEED you and we know it. So kindly leave us alone. You know nothing about5 us. If you did you would never call anyone from Gen X a "Karen" when "Heather" is more appropriate and would gain you a little respect!!
1973 model here. Preach it! Wish I had a 1986 dollar for every time a Boomer labelled my whole generation as 'apathetic', all the way until I graduated HS. I appreciate you aknowledging the fact everybody forgot us. Nobody really advertised to us the way they do to the younger (and older) generations. Talk about ironic apathy. We had to either blend in with the Boomers, Millenials, or be forgotten altogether. Which the latter is fine by me. I grew up being ignored by the world. I will make it, because I've made it 50 years, and I think I am good for 50 more, if that's the length of my Earthly sentance. Thanks for shouting us out.
So good. Something interesting that my husband and I (both Gen Xers) have noticed is that very few people in our age group are physically going to church. We’ve gone to large churches, small churches, different denominations and styles and wonder where all of the people in their 40s, 50s and early 60s are. Not sure if it is a local phenomenon but it is curious. Maybe our peeps are so independent that they watch church from home.
I’m a few months late to this party, however…a thought…perhaps it stems from our natural leaning towards autonomy…we’ve developed personal relationships with our God/Creator/Source, and thus don’t feel the need for the more communal aspect of a church setting. Combine that with our natural tendency towards cynicism, and it makes sense that we’d forge our own path, and not rely on the interpretation of a church/religious system.
We seek the truth. So those of us who believe in God can see the obvious hypocrisy in most churches. When the churches didn’t speak up against meanness and cruelty, I left. Never going back. They showed their true colors. Also, the patriarchy of the church completely turned me off after #45, as he made it clear as day and I woke up.
'65 here raised by agnostic silent generation parents who believed I should be allowed to grow up and decide for myself which, if any, religion to follow. Happy atheist here.
The "Boomers" were called "The Me Generation" until the they gained control of the levers of media. The X-ers were called briefly called "The Reagan Generation" until those same Boomers realized that this might have political ramifications. Branding matters. And The Unification Generation works for me. After all, we watched East and West Berlin/Germany unified, nations unified more than ever before and travel restrictions melted away, and seamless communication makes knowing someone in Korea as each as someone in Peoria, Montgomery, or DC (or at least it should). And besides, our job isn't done.
Both my boomer parents were born 9 months after their fathers returned from overseas after WWII. Two very different generations. My grandparents grew up in the great depression and saved every penny. My parents were the first generation to have a TV and spent money like it was going out of style. My generation was the last to grow up without the internet. I'm so unbelievably grateful for that. I was a latchkey kid. I walked to and from school by myself starting in grade one. I changed schools in grade four and that's when I started taking the subway by myself. I came and went as I pleased in the summer, just as long as I was home for dinner. I didn't have a curfew in high school. I really gravitate to people from my generation. They're the coolest, most no nonsense, down to earth people I know. Most sarcastic too.
GenX'ers are the last generation to be tough. Yeah, we fought on the playground, and in the bars, and work hard, and demand the American Dream. We're the generation who's had to roll their eyes at "I'm not good with computers". Young people now (younger generations) are NOT good with technology for the most part, they are good at being END USERS. That is a whole different thing. We are also still good sports, which I feel has been lost on the "I QUIT!" youth. That is the difference, and unlike the Boomers, we're not going to be soft in our old age, we're going to be demanding.
Being outnumbered by the generation before us and after us, we are simply ignored because we don't make the same amount of noise and don't take up the same amount of space as those other generations.
Yes, we were the baby bust generation. We were also the bottle baby generation, born as the women's rights movement surged. Those Boomer women gave girls like me more options and opportunities and for that I am grateful.
Gen X is only outnumbered because Pew Research redefined the boundaries. If you go with the original birthyears of 61-81, we are a larger generation than Boomers. They want a smaller generation so they can force policies on us that will benefit Millennials but not Gen X. We will be outvoted bay Millennials on some issue or another.
I remember the first time I ever heard the term "Generation X". I resented it. I didn't like the idea that pundants presumed to understand us to the point of generalizing us and even went a step further to label us. I knew that the name did not fit, but then as in any situation, once a label is given it is very difficult to rebrand in the eyes of the masses and so I have accepted the name but am careful to filter the descriptions of us.
I don’t mind the name. Better than generation doofus or something. What i do like about it is it promotes an air of mystery to us. The generations around ours just can’t figure us out and we don’t mind that one bit.
I used to roll my eyes at all the advertisers tried to put the letter X into everything in a very transparent effort to target us, when it was very clear they didn't really get us.
There is a lot of variation on the beginning and ending dates of the generations depending on which sources are cited. Especially when you get to the more recent generations where there seems to be a trend toward creating "micro generations." That being said, from my own experience, I don't have a problem with the Boomer generation being from 1946-1964. Most sources I have seen would use those years for the Boomers. Pew Research uses 1965 - 1980 for Gen X, and 1981 - 1996 for Millennials. These date ranges seem to be getting adopted more commonly these days. However, having grown up in the 80's, I don't entirely agree with these dates. It seems like all the demographers want to cut Gen X short so they can fit the Millennial generation nice and neatly around the turn of the millennium. But if a generation is describing a cohort of individuals with similar experiences, than it does not seem to work so well to cut Gen X short. That being said, I would propose that Gen X would be 1965 - 1983/84, and the Millennials would be about 1984/85 - 2003.
I think the Millennial Generation should start closer to 1990 perhaps around 1986/1987 when Cable Television started to enter the scene. That would make the oldest of them children when the internet started to become a thing and teens in the early 2000’s for the chat room/ my space era. Those to me were “Millennial-ish” technologies that shifted experiences and generations. Gen X (I’m included ,1979) could claim that these things shaped our generation: sitcom’s color tv’s, albums, tapes, microwaves, VCR’s, and Macintosh Computers with the “Oregon Trail” and “Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego?” computer games, Atari, arcade games, mall hangouts, board games, playing outside all day without “play dates” was post boomer era so yes from 1964- 1986/7 ish.
@@genaeyoung180 I certainly agree that the ending dates for Gen X should be later than the early 80's. I would add to your comments that the latchkey kid phenomenon was still common when I was growing up in the 80's. It wasn't uncommon for my brother and I to get home from school and find the key to the house hidden under a rock in a flower bed next to the house with no parents at home. This phenomenon was pretty rare, or even nonexistent, by the time the Millennials showed up. What cracks me up is that based on the year I was born, I could be labeled three different ways. I think most sources would say I belong to the end of Gen X (thankfully). But according to some others, I could be a Xennial (1977-1983). This label does not seem necessary in my opinion. All the sources that want to say the Millennial generation starts before 1981, even as far back as 1977, would say I am a Millennial. I don't tend to agree with these sources. I just can't swallow the idea that someone born in 1977, or even 1980, would be considered a Millennial. If a person were born in 1980, they lived through the entire decade of the 80's without the internet. By the time such a person did get the internet in their teen years it was aol dial up. Certainly nothing as fancy as what the Millennial folks had. LOL!
@@fakereality96 Yeah those of us born in the early 80's don't belong to the Millennial crowd in my humble opinion. My brother and I were latchkey kids a good amount of the time. I don't think Millennials were as familiar with that kind of life.
Gen X here. Leave me out of your "rebranding". This feels like it's trying so hard to make a point that we don't care about. Lots of desperate grabs at lingo we don't use or abandoned decades ago. It ain't the 80's anymore, thank the gods.
So true....we are not respected because we literally were a transitional generation. Hopefully one day we will gain our voice once again. Whether we have money or not we all lived the same basic experience and are now in a sandwich generation caring for our kids and parents as well. At the end of the day we need to connect regardless of economic situation.
As a Gen X'er, we never had a voice to begin with. We were unseen and unheard. Unless something was wanted of or from us. Still that way today. In the workplace the Boomers and millennial's are heard and listened to and us Gen X'ers are expected to perform and deliver and say nothing.
Yes, people know if we show up for a demonstration, or a special vote that the issue is VERY needed we are the "tipping point". Our quiet resistance, reliability, and caring for humanity can stop riots, rebuild after a pandemic, and create something out of nothing. All we want is a thank you...or a smile remebering our name.@@corimyers4985
What do you expect from an entire generation that was raised being told "Children should be seen, but not heard"? We learned to either keep our opinions to ourselves, or at most grumble about them amongst our close friends.
There might be some truth to that. It might also be why people from your generation are the stingiest ones I know. My aunt and her husband said they were embarrassed when one of their Gen X friends pulled out a coupon book at dinner. I tried dating a few GenXers hoping they would be more grown up than millennials but they're so so cheap. Get X men come off as gold diggers to me.
@@marybell2002 That's called being practical with one's money. Coupons aren't for social media clicks, but actually save money for anyone who doesn't have much of it to begin with. If the friends were so embarrassed by this coupon-wielding Gen X'er, they could have offered to pay the bill instead. That would have been the decent thing to do.
@@marybell2002 You're ashamed to use a fekkin coupon, and then you run around crying and not understanding why you're broke and can't afford to buy a house. Also if you think WE are embarassing with our coupons, you should have met my grandma that went through the Great Depression. You'd probably die of shock watching her use a rubber spatula to remove every last bit of mayo from a glass jar and then wash and save it, so she could re-use it to can home grown vegetables. That way she didn't have to waste money on either the Ball Jar or the food. We saw, and we learned that's probably WHY these people HAD money when they died. The biggest lesson I learned from her is that it's the small things from day to day that really sap away most of your money. The extra dollar or 50 cents here and there adds up super fast and is usually a bigger issue to financial wellbeing than the bigger buys you at least stop to think about.
Gen x was also the first generation to have millions of our fellow gen xers lives taken by legalized abortion, they truly had no voice and as a survivor, I speak for them.
GenXers! Truly Independent, technology fell on our laps and we ran with it! We laid the blue prints for today’s social media everything! We had MTV we had all day trips to the mall and hung out with friends! We had part time jobs, we lived in nice homes and saw our parents work hard and we emulated. I’m on the tail end of GenX, but I’m no Millennial! I’m a GenXer all the way!
Although social welfare helped poor families, not all had nice homes especially in comparison. There were households with either no income - lived in projects, low-income housing, trailer parks, etc. - or low-income like $10,000 to $20,000 per year. Many kids had moms either in the streets on drugs or something similar or just missing from the home and missing dads so many didn't really have a home.
Im Gen X. But no generation is more relevant or important than the others. All generations are important. To say one is more important or influential than others is nonsense.
We like being invisible. No one is paying attention while we take over the world. You'll thank and give credit to the millennials, but its X'rs that... AAAHHH... saved the universe.
I like being ignored. Who wants to be recognized by all these crazy people? Do you really want that? Careful what you ask for. Invisible is to be invincible.
Yeah. Rebranding would just call more attention to our generation and I would really hate that, honestly! I don't want it because groups are going to try to pander to us for their own selfish benefit. It wouldn't be because they actually care about us. I'm fine if they just leave our cohort alone.
Im gen X, I ask that you leave us alone, no noticing necessary, keep walking, nothing to see here. Leave sleeping dogs alone, we may be ragtag, frayed at the edges, but we really do bite when poked.
Gen X, contribute some of your material possessions to help build the culture. There is a museum that is creating a Gen X exhibit. It is called Growing up X and it is in Springfield, Illinois.
@@dalerushton1394 The exhibit has been created and is showing now. It's a good thing you aren't a leader in anything you do. You are responsible for the decline of the nation.
Don't forget the Xennial. Those of us born in the latter half of the 70s to the first half of the 80s who don't fit in with earlier GXers or millennials. We're just kinda.... There. 🤷🏼♀️
I remember being so pissed when they started calling us slackers, I couldn't believe it. I had so many different jobs I can't even remember all of them.
Same here. Sometimes he let me be the antenna man too, I got to switch arms on commercials after my arm fell asleep. Pops was very sensitive to me like that.
Gen X by the way is when X-Stream sports really got started. That's what I like to think it means. BMX, Motocross, you name it, we started all that shi$. You're welcome.
Yup, I did BMX, motocross, skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding before they would allow us snowboarders on the ski slopes. We were used to being unwanted though from always getting kicked out of places for skateboarding. By the way, what's with all the helmets and pads and safety gear nowadays ? We even gotta wear seatbelts now and can't drink in the car ( ? ). I miss all the 2nd hand smoke 🚬 inside everywhere too.
They always forget one of the most important things about GenX. Unlike Millennials and GenZ we were not an isolated generation. We grew up with our fathers and grandfathers music, movies and TV shows. Ours was never the excuse "that was before my time" or "that's old school". Because of westerns we had an idea of what previous generations had to do to survive. We saw the transition of back and white tv to color. We learned from the Silent and Boomer generations because they created TV shows, movies and music with us in mind.
Great video, though I certainly do not think the Baby Boomer Generation and the Millennial Generation want (or are able) to be unified. They will not stop until all the attention is on them, which is why there is so much conflict between those generations.
So what are the gen-x people doing if not trying to get attention that they feel like the didn't get when they were kid's. All I keep seeing and hearing from most gen-x people is how they were & think they still are being mistreated. You people need to nut-up & shut-up every gen has it's up's and downs thats just the way thing's are as long as the Human race is on this planet things will change some will miss out and others will not. So stop your damn whining!
@@annmarieknapp2480 Just one part of the reason Gen Z is a bad generation is because 1) They are true digital natives and GREATLY DEPEND ON THE INTERNET 2) They have some type of fetish for taking the path of least resistance, the easiest possible way out of any situation. 3) They're not fooling anyone by their "human shield" strategy where they want everyone else to take all the risks while they reap the rewards 4) They do not have the necessary patience to be successful as a generation over the long term
As a GenX all I can say is, "I've always been labeled. I just don't care. Their opinion of me is none of my concern." I always considered us the Chameleon Generation. We blend in, watch, take notes of what not to do, move on.
We're observant driven and intelligent. We not only learn from our mistakes, but also from the mistakes of others. We then use those lessons to find a better way to move forward.
Didn't know I was missing until ... well ... I guess now. I'm okay with that.
Check out Supreme Court.. already three. And more to come
Check out Supreme Court.. already three. Gen x And more to come
And are not really into political correctness.
If you're really gen x, you don't care about branding. Branding is for advertisers pushing consumer goods.
Which I state right at the top of the talk ~
Agree. Unlike our boomer elders, we are tech savvy, and because we are so self-sufficient, we just find what we want rather than waiting to be told what we want.
Check out Supreme Court.. already three. Gen x And more to come
@@geminikb I love our generation. The best generation. The songs she mentioned made me emotional :-) We've been through everything, literally.
I agree Jennifer. I don't care what 'they' (the other generations) think. I don't care about being forgotten - I'll just do my own thing. Not sure how I feel about this Talk, just doesn't seem to fit. 🤔
Gen X is awesome just as we are. We don't need rebranding.
Check out Supreme Court.. already three. Gen x And more to come
@@myfootballjesus nah... they can F off as well.
We raised ourselves and really don't care what anybody thinks. Tell us something shouldn't or couldn't be done and will prove you wrong every time. We are rebellious and survivors.
Even going to college, then earning an MBA in 10 months after the age of 50.
100% if I say I can, and someone says I can’t, “watch me!”
@@MatthewStevens-du1hkYou couldn’t raise good kids … 😂 shut up old man …
I'm a latched key kid, did my homework, sucked it up, never embarassed my mom with attention seaking behaviour, radio music was my therapist and the TV fueled so many dreams and through it, I envisioned my future. I might be silent but I'm here and I know how to work with or without technology.
I knew how to create my own world with my friends. We entertained ourselves and didn't need to be taught everything like babies. We had guts and ingenuity.
@@angusorvid8840 yes we did.
@@angusorvid8840 By contrast, many Mullennials can't even boil water, without instructions.
@@angusorvid8840 We still do.
Check out Supreme Court.. already three. And more to come
I’m a 60’s Baby, 70’s Kid, 80’s Teen, 90’s Dad. I couldn’t asked for more. GenX is the best.
Congratulations 🎈
Right on man! 😎
Same here except female version.
Same.
Sixty-nine baby here! They suddenly want us to fix the nightmare generations left for us. Well, who's your Mommy and Daddy now??
I'm surprised she didn't say the phrase that describes us best, "Free Range Kids". We played outside and did what we wanted. Learned to take care of ourselves. NO helicopter parenting. A bicycle meant freedom. We could entertain ourselves for a whole week outside with a role of masking tape, some imagination and our friends.
You had masking tape?!?! Lucky dog! But I think I have you upstaged, there were gas cans all over and I learned when I was 10 how to accidentally make a flamethrower from what I thought would be a nice little firepit, RIP 10 yr old eyebrows. Such an early age to learn that gas doesn't behave like charcoal starter fluid.
@Mike_H76 LMAO 🤣.. I seem to remember something similar where all the hair on my arm got singed off. Speaking of gasoline, my dad and I had to fix the gas tank in our van, so dad had me siphon the gad out of the tank. I ended up getting a mouthful and burping gas for 3 days. My dad just laughed and said I learned a valuable lesson. 🤣
@@krash66
Remember when gas station attendants would smoke while filling your car up? My uncle demonstrated to me that it's safe, by throwing a lit cig into a bucket of gas... it goes out before it can ignite (personally, I don't suggest this!)
Siphoning, ugh... I can almost taste it! Valuable lesson learned indeed, I CAN'T TRUST YOU, it's a set-up!
With my best friend, we, as preteens, would catch the 174 bus into Seattle. First stop, the International District.
A large cardboard box was magic.
GenXer here... 'GenX' couldn't care less about how its 'branded' or 'recognized'
that idea itself sounds sort of "on brand" for Gen X 😅to me but yeah I get the idea that's how many of you feel
@@TheGenerations1 True. But at least we have tried to resist marketing, as opposed to the Boomers and Millenials.
Yah -- this seems to be awful to me, but it does make some interesting comparisons.
Yap thats why you commenting it ai?
Check out Supreme Court.. already three. Gen x And more to come
As a Gen-Xer (1965), I can’t believe that she left out that we watched All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Blazing Saddles, Richard Pryor, and George Carlin and didn’t scream “I’m offended!” at the top of our lungs before going to our safe spaces with our coloring books. We actually laughed at things that were funny!
Andrew dice clay would have made their heads explode.😂
@@davidfarrell7560
OH…DEAR…GOD!
True
@@davidfarrell7560 don't forget Sam Kinison
@@MrBluelightning024 Yeah, the list could go on forever, Don Rickles was hilarious.
I saw a video recently on how to manage GX. "Let them do their thing, don't micromanage, give them as much training as they want, and expect them to stay in a job for 5-7 years unless you make it worth their while." Pretty accurate actually.
Yes, we thrive on autonomy, will communicate honestly, seek connectedness without drama, know how to write a handwritten note so you know it is personal and from our hearts. We ask the right questions at the right time to motivate thinking and effect change without badgering or threats. We are able to feel reward from doing what is for the greater good. This is what makes humanity sustainable we know when to make a point and when to stop and let people embrace it instead of fighting until there is nothing left. We value being able to think because we remember the oppression of less fortunate people. Many of us believe in something greater than ourselves and what to do when there is NO money-yet still survive. We have great senses of humor when we examine the human condition, the frailty of life, and the irony of chance....
Born in 73', parents separated in 1981. I had a BMX, crashed the mall and hit the cinema practically every week to watch teen movies. "The Goonies" was only one flick, too many to list. No Internet, we were raised outside the home. Not that I regret it. You need to have experienced the 80s as a teen, late teen in some way or another to qualify....
You speak the truth. I was born in 74 parents divorced in 77.
Yeah, if you weren't in at least late elementary when the Challenger disaster happened you're living off other's memories.
I was born 3/3/73...slackers who have been the ignored generation that have quietly kept business going without recognition.
1972 version here and I totally agree 👍👍👍 parents divorced in 82 :(
Born in ‘75, parents divorced in ‘89, and my red and yellow BMX was my first true love.
But I lived forty miles from the nearest movie theater, so it was a once or twice a year thing.
I'm Gen X and I don't need nor particularly want to be maketed to, entertained or catered to. If I'm overlooked by marketers, mainstream media and especially government, I consider that a badge of honor. We know what we like as individuals and don't need nor want anyone to tell us what we need to like. For myself, I loved my Grandpa's generation and gravitated to them, because like us, they don't thrive on self aggrandizement. We have a foot in analog and a foot in high tech. I can start and fly and fix a WW2 radial engine powered plane and navigate around high tech. Boomers and Millennials alike as well as some of my own generation for that matter, don't get what I'm about and that's okay, you live your life and I'll live mine. Many people my age feel the same. I have had a paying job since age 12, bought and fixed up my first car with that money, bought my own music, was and still am close to my parents and extended family., there is a tremendous sense of ownership in your life when you earn it yourself. I pass that on to young and old alike; don't let any person, group, or company, supplant your thinking and especially don't let 'em take your self reliance!
Greatly said! Born in 74 and loved my childhood. The greatest music, the greatest movies, and not the drama filled life we see now of kids. We did our jobs and never really fussed about it. Patience was key instead of having it now. We were the kids that didn't have technology. From having it and understanding it to not really caring about it. We have real friends and not the fake friends of social media. The world was so much better without it.
@@BloodySoup74
I was born in '72. I'm also disillusioned with my world today, but I kind of was as a kid back then too. I never understood why I never fit in; even with our own sometimes, but I would not like to be a kid today though. I'm glad I grew up when I did, while there were still some of the ww2 folks around. I'm 2/3 analog, 1/3 digital, I can appreciate TV and internet for what it is, but can happily live without it as well, (although music is somewhat of a necessity!) I'll just go play outside like I always have.
I, too, admired and had many I'd call friends who were from the greatest generation. I think they liked us because we are a lot like they were.
As the forgotten generation a whole lot of people sure do turn to us when then need something done or something fixed.
And then they forget about us all over again.
We also grew up in the cold war which meant we lived with the possibility of being destroyed by nuclear bombs at any moment or a post-apocalyptic future. Therefore the pandemic was no big deal to us because we were prepared. Some even laughed and said it was about time since we trained our whole lives for it
@Martino2156 This generation are growing up with a new apocalyptic vision of climate change, with people terrified that CO2 will result in them burning to a crisp or drowning, rather than a nuclear bomb, marketed at them 24/7 through a zillion media channels, and therefore they have no future. That, and housing prices.
At least here in the UK there were only 3 or 4 TV channels and they went off air at night!
No contributions? We're the reason why we are on RUclips watching this video! Among other tech innovations.
I was thinking that exact thing!
We are the bridge. The bridge to either lead a business across to the new innovation or we can collapse the bridge to stop the madness.
As a late Gen X-er, I truly don't care if we are ignored. It's better to move in the shadows. That way nobody sees you coming, or going, for that matter. Gen X is the entrepreneurial generation - we value autonomy and free-range living. Most of my peers are self-employed, freelancers or business owners.
wow!!!! As a gen x member I was tickled at this, sobering and real . This is a masterpiece talking about our generation. She didn't mention directly but we are the first in the US to grow u in an integrated country, the first to have easily divorced parents and the first to "come out" as lgbt . She is spot on by repeating the latch key experience as we were the first to come home to no parents and the first to have cookbooks especially made for us, with no parents to help.
Every time I watch one of these videos about Gen X, I am blown away by just how many other latchkey kids were really out there. Now I wonder if any of them were chronic locker-outers like I was. At least I don't get locked out or lose my keys anymore. 😃
When my parents got divorced, we moved in with my grandparents so we were saved from being latchkey kids and were always told how lucky we were!
@@smrk2452 Being a latchkey kid prepared us for the responsibility as adults to be able to let ourselves into our own homes. It also showed us how lucky we were that we were given the freedom to take care of ourselves rather than having the adults constantly around to take care of us.
I’m a boomer and both parents factory rats. My mom bought me a cookbook (Betty Crocker) that I could use on my own.
As a Gen Xer, all I can say is "Meh."
Don't care about rebranding, renaming, or even recognition. We exist. We were here. Some day, we'll be gone.
last bit hits a sour note for everyone that is =(
"Thank you, Milli-Vanilli". Words I never would have expected to hear in a TED talk.
Every Gen X "kid" watching this video felt a collective chuckle at that reference.
Just goes to show how out of touch and delusional this woman is. I say we take away her Gen X club card, and stop claiming her. She clearly doesn't understand what being Gen X even IS based on a lot of this nonsense
Born a year before the 'label'of gen x, I identify mostly with it. Although I was not a latchkey kid, I was on my own much of the time because I was OUTSIDE. The first 'video' game I played was Galaga.... 70's, 80's music was my jam... still is really.
Check out Supreme Court.. already three. Gen x And more to come
1964? You're absolutely Gen X. Trust me.
What a great and inspiring TED talk! These videos make me feel connected to everyone else in my generation in a time when it's too easy to feel disconnected from everything. I'm just wondering when someone is going to call me out for my invocations of "CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY!" which are still necessary in the 21st century.
Gen Xer here: latch key, older.sibiing, trauma survivor, but not a slacker though. We are the influencers in so many ways!
Gen x: latch key early tech user we did cell phn innovation, two little bros , 1 bro died on motorcycle- i was 20 and recovered by 25 yrs 😇
As a cusp gen x’r, raised by a single dad in a house full of younger siblings, I can honestly say I could care less about branding and am happy to be left alone by the media.
The funny thing is that Gen-Xer are defining the new wave of technology and transforming the world as we will know it.
I am 1968 vintage. We don’t care about branding. We KNOW nobody caters to us. Our parents, advertisers, politicians ignore us. We can take care of ourselves. Always have - always will.
First we raised our selves and then we’re ignored in later years.
We took good care of ourselves and were spoiled by the 90s.
@@philippeassouline that’s very true for me as well
While it's sad, but fractal. The boomers skipped their kid and went str8 to loving and spoiling their grandkids. Idk, how Gen X thought when they see their parents playing and acting like a loving grandparent to their kid like ",Why you didn't pay attention to me? But you pay attention to your grandkid?" I'm sorry Gen X as a Gen Z, but it seems like Boomers love being a grandparent with all the spoiling and being a "fun" parent type without all the responsibilities of raising a kid, like their Gen X kids. 🥺
@@theacademictaskmaster6481 yes that’s exactly right. By the way my son is also gen Z and his grandparents my parents are boomers. Yes you’re correct. I don’t understand why either
Boomers wanted to have us, they just never wanted to see us. That's why we spent so much time outside. But you're right. They absolutely love their grandkids.
So true my sister '71 raised my sister '80 me '79 while my mom worked miles away in another state. She hangs that over my head all time like I owe her. I think my my mom had her just so that she can babysit.
71' gen xer here. I don't need or want validation from other people.
I'm so Gen X that I reject "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as my anthem.
I was 21 when that was released, so ya! Thank you.
My anthem is more like "No Shelter" by RATM.
@@chiaralistica My anthem is Becoming by Pantera.
@@stevewilson6723 im broken would fit us better i think
Like Pearl Jam was any better.
Naa "Silent Running" by Mike and the Mechanics was a better theme for us
You hit this on the head, born in 1975 last of the great time to grow up
I was born 1976
78 here
76 here, and i believe gen x stopped the bs and thats our mo not the forgotten generation, no one really wants to get us started, were tired and want to be left to rest, since we started working younger and inflation has been skyrocking ever since the 90s, and cost of living has always barely covered our needs without borrowing. we are the working to make others rich generation, and also the patriots that will save our country, the last hardworking balls of steel generation. we also let music bring us all together, rap became a catagory on the mtv awards. we have united the world. Music will save the world and a Gen X patriot will save your life.
We are independent. Resourceful. Adaptable. Intelligent. Our childhood was a permanent trauma(!) but we overcame it... from then on, between ourselves, with our friends... or alone... we were used to it. In spite of the trauma... we are deeply nostalgic of those times... because we were free, we wandered off, our range was wide... That's why we became strong! Self reliant. We know what we are and what we like and we don't take bs easily!
The only analog/digital generation in History! We made the (big) change! But we are now, too much enjoying Life, to brag about it! That's why we're overlooked.
We don't fit... We don't care of what others think of us! We don't "go along"... And that gives me the greatest joy!
I like my Generation! I'm really proud of us!
So true about many of the things you had said. Thanks for sharing! God bless you!
Marvelous speech! Latch key kids were in part independent, but we knew how to ask for help when we needed it. After all, we didn't have GPS, so we had to ask for directions, and had to pull off the highway to use a payphone sometimes.We actually memorized phone numbers! Learning something new of course was not digitally at our fingertips, but required a trip to the bookstore, library or having a real life tutor or learning from a box of VHS tapes. Maybe that's why we have the patience to teach. It's strange that the generation that brought neon colored clothing into fashion in the 80's has such a lackluster image.
Proud to be Gen x
I don't need branding. I don't care what people think so long as I get to go about my business and you leave me alone. I can do what ever I want and while I appreciate help I absolutely don't need it. I don't need anyone to notice me all I care about is being reasonable and polite as long as it doesn't put me off track to far. I will treat you with respect until you show me you don't deserve that respect and good luck getting it back once its gone. I work for me and my family not for you. Companies and people have become untrustworthy so expect me to worry about me and be skeptical about you. I'm competent at anything I need to be. "A Jack of all trades master of none is still better than a master of one" Although I'm a master of one I don't have to rely on that one. I will do what ever I need to to get what I want and expect to have to work to get where I want.
Dear World as it currently is,
Please continue to carry on as though we're not here.
Sincerely (no, seriously),
Generation X
😂👍
Right?!?? I really don't want the attention!
Amen!
Thank you, someone had to say it. Perfectly put. Now leave me the heck alone; I appreciate it though. Later dude
( 1969 )
15:43. She forgot "mowing lawns when we were kids" i had to mow our lawn when i was 10. And im female 😅. Dad taught me. Also taught me how to drive a stick shift and change a tire.😊❤ rip dad, love you 🎉🤤🙏💪
We were called slackers but most of us had jobs (legal or illegal) when we were teenagers
11:14 GEN X ..... no problem, we got this 😁👍❗️. SO TRUE ❗️
This Ted Talk is the least Gen X thing anyone could do. Your Gen X card has been revoked.
Someone finally said something about us GenXers. Now back to Rockin the Casbah because we are all Men at Work. No Blaming it On the Rain here. Come on, Eileen, you know this was awesome. 🤣🤣🤣Ok, I'm done
I believe it was Plato who said that "People are people, so why should it be that you and I should get along so awfully?" I just can't understand what makes a man hate another man. Please, help me understand! 😁
Isolated children??? My childhood & adolescence was the most social period of my life!
Not enough love from the audience, but MUCH love here!
Few people understand.
It's time we educate such people.
💜 Hugs XO
Fkem, let them think what they like ...we know and that's all that really matters 😉😁😎
3:11 - I'm Gen X and never heard of Martha Quinn probably because I never watched MTV.
Our MTV was Friday Night Videos on NBC.
I watched both but I loved that show.
"We're the MTV Generation, we feel no highs nor lows." "What's it like?" "MEH...."
Precisely.
Check out Supreme Court.. already three. Gen x And more to come
I'm proud to say that I was an MTV kid back when it was still "music television" and had actual music videos on it. 😄
Douglas Coupland, who wrote the famous book in 1991 -- Generation X, was in fact a boomer.
It would be funny to send him a message saying "Okay boomer, you're fired!"
Okay -- I just did! :)
@Katalin Migray yes, there was a shift post-1960. Anyone after is an Xer. I can see it in people I know and meet.
What's funny is whenever a millennial doesn't like something. They say to a gen x "okay, boomer" some of these millennials. I swear their brains are below their beltline
People born 1962 onwards are gen Xers.
One of the things not talked about is how Gen x men are high up there on suicide rates and depression. A man and a gen xer, the truly forgotten.
Yup. That's because they changed the rules in the middle of the game for us dudes regarding chicks. I fricking hate feminists.
Most homeless I see are gen x males. I used to deliver mail, over the last twelve years there have been people who buy a used rv cheap then park it out in the woods and avoid society, they don't even want to get their mail, all gen x.
Apparently our generation has currently taken over entertainment!
Stranger Things, Goldbergs, Young Sheldon, etc, and many movies with 80's themes/references, (Friday Night at Freddy's only exists because of ShowBiz pizza/Chuck e Cheese!) not to mention video game systems often throw back to Atari, and Nintendo, so yeah, we are actually everywhere!
The Gen Xers will straighten out the mess the Boomers left. The generations after are weak. It is up to Gen X to save the world.
Definitely, no doubt about it.
She forgot one really really really important point. We don't care what anyone says about us. And we prefer that nobody mention us. We will come out of rooms and save the day as usual. But then return to our sanctuary, Crank up whatever of the myriad styles of music we like and performed in our youth making clear we do not want to be bothered. We are built different. We don't want you but more importantly we don't NEED you and we know it. So kindly leave us alone. You know nothing about5 us. If you did you would never call anyone from Gen X a "Karen" when "Heather" is more appropriate and would gain you a little respect!!
1973 model here. Preach it! Wish I had a 1986 dollar for every time a Boomer labelled my whole generation as 'apathetic', all the way until I graduated HS. I appreciate you aknowledging the fact everybody forgot us. Nobody really advertised to us the way they do to the younger (and older) generations. Talk about ironic apathy. We had to either blend in with the Boomers, Millenials, or be forgotten altogether. Which the latter is fine by me. I grew up being ignored by the world. I will make it, because I've made it 50 years, and I think I am good for 50 more, if that's the length of my Earthly sentance. Thanks for shouting us out.
So good. Something interesting that my husband and I (both Gen Xers) have noticed is that very few people in our age group are physically going to church. We’ve gone to large churches, small churches, different denominations and styles and wonder where all of the people in their 40s, 50s and early 60s are. Not sure if it is a local phenomenon but it is curious. Maybe our peeps are so independent that they watch church from home.
I’m a few months late to this party, however…a thought…perhaps it stems from our natural leaning towards autonomy…we’ve developed personal relationships with our God/Creator/Source, and thus don’t feel the need for the more communal aspect of a church setting. Combine that with our natural tendency towards cynicism, and it makes sense that we’d forge our own path, and not rely on the interpretation of a church/religious system.
We seek the truth. So those of us who believe in God can see the obvious hypocrisy in most churches. When the churches didn’t speak up against meanness and cruelty, I left. Never going back. They showed their true colors. Also, the patriarchy of the church completely turned me off after #45, as he made it clear as day and I woke up.
Hate to tell you, but most of us are atheists.
'65 here raised by agnostic silent generation parents who believed I should be allowed to grow up and decide for myself which, if any, religion to follow. Happy atheist here.
We realize that you can pray anywhere. You don't need a building for that.
"Ya hate us, 'cause you ain't us!" 🤪
The "Boomers" were called "The Me Generation" until the they gained control of the levers of media.
The X-ers were called briefly called "The Reagan Generation" until those same Boomers realized that this might have political ramifications.
Branding matters.
And The Unification Generation works for me. After all, we watched East and West Berlin/Germany unified, nations unified more than ever before and travel restrictions melted away, and seamless communication makes knowing someone in Korea as each as someone in Peoria, Montgomery, or DC (or at least it should).
And besides, our job isn't done.
Both my boomer parents were born 9 months after their fathers returned from overseas after WWII. Two very different generations.
My grandparents grew up in the great depression and saved every penny. My parents were the first generation to have a TV and spent money like it was going out of style. My generation was the last to grow up without the internet. I'm so unbelievably grateful for that.
I was a latchkey kid. I walked to and from school by myself starting in grade one. I changed schools in grade four and that's when I started taking the subway by myself. I came and went as I pleased in the summer, just as long as I was home for dinner. I didn't have a curfew in high school.
I really gravitate to people from my generation. They're the coolest, most no nonsense, down to earth people I know. Most sarcastic too.
GenX'ers are the last generation to be tough. Yeah, we fought on the playground, and in the bars, and work hard, and demand the American Dream. We're the generation who's had to roll their eyes at "I'm not good with computers". Young people now (younger generations) are NOT good with technology for the most part, they are good at being END USERS. That is a whole different thing. We are also still good sports, which I feel has been lost on the "I QUIT!" youth.
That is the difference, and unlike the Boomers, we're not going to be soft in our old age, we're going to be demanding.
True, but we will age with the medical advances brought about by our Boomer parents.
Adaptable is our strength!
Exactly, we just make whatever is around us adapt to us. And if it doesn't, oh well, F it.
Our Wikipedia was the Encyclopedia Britannica
Yup
Being outnumbered by the generation before us and after us, we are simply ignored because we don't make the same amount of noise and don't take up the same amount of space as those other generations.
Yes, we were the baby bust generation. We were also the bottle baby generation, born as the women's rights movement surged. Those Boomer women gave girls like me more options and opportunities and for that I am grateful.
Gen X is only outnumbered because Pew Research redefined the boundaries. If you go with the original birthyears of 61-81, we are a larger generation than Boomers. They want a smaller generation so they can force policies on us that will benefit Millennials but not Gen X. We will be outvoted bay Millennials on some issue or another.
Alot of our generation, who could have exsisted, don't.
I'm a gen xer and I love that. We dont need rebranding. Genx accurately describes us because we fit in so many categories. I say leave it alone.
I remember the first time I ever heard the term "Generation X". I resented it. I didn't like the idea that pundants presumed to understand us to the point of generalizing us and even went a step further to label us. I knew that the name did not fit, but then as in any situation, once a label is given it is very difficult to rebrand in the eyes of the masses and so I have accepted the name but am careful to filter the descriptions of us.
I don’t mind the name. Better than generation doofus or something. What i do like about it is it promotes an air of mystery to us. The generations around ours just can’t figure us out and we don’t mind that one bit.
I love the name. I think it sounds cool.
I used to roll my eyes at all the advertisers tried to put the letter X into everything in a very transparent effort to target us, when it was very clear they didn't really get us.
I loved it. X unknown. When DMX came I loved it even more.
There is a lot of variation on the beginning and ending dates of the generations depending on which sources are cited. Especially when you get to the more recent generations where there seems to be a trend toward creating "micro generations." That being said, from my own experience, I don't have a problem with the Boomer generation being from 1946-1964. Most sources I have seen would use those years for the Boomers. Pew Research uses 1965 - 1980 for Gen X, and 1981 - 1996 for Millennials. These date ranges seem to be getting adopted more commonly these days. However, having grown up in the 80's, I don't entirely agree with these dates. It seems like all the demographers want to cut Gen X short so they can fit the Millennial generation nice and neatly around the turn of the millennium. But if a generation is describing a cohort of individuals with similar experiences, than it does not seem to work so well to cut Gen X short. That being said, I would propose that Gen X would be 1965 - 1983/84, and the Millennials would be about 1984/85 - 2003.
I think the Millennial Generation should start closer to 1990 perhaps around 1986/1987 when Cable Television started to enter the scene. That would make the oldest of them children when the internet started to become a thing and teens in the early 2000’s for the chat room/ my space era. Those to me were “Millennial-ish” technologies that shifted experiences and generations. Gen X (I’m included ,1979) could claim that these things shaped our generation: sitcom’s color tv’s, albums, tapes, microwaves, VCR’s, and Macintosh Computers with the “Oregon Trail” and “Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego?” computer games, Atari, arcade games, mall hangouts, board games, playing outside all day without “play dates” was post boomer era so yes from 1964- 1986/7 ish.
@@genaeyoung180 I certainly agree that the ending dates for Gen X should be later than the early 80's. I would add to your comments that the latchkey kid phenomenon was still common when I was growing up in the 80's. It wasn't uncommon for my brother and I to get home from school and find the key to the house hidden under a rock in a flower bed next to the house with no parents at home. This phenomenon was pretty rare, or even nonexistent, by the time the Millennials showed up. What cracks me up is that based on the year I was born, I could be labeled three different ways. I think most sources would say I belong to the end of Gen X (thankfully). But according to some others, I could be a Xennial (1977-1983). This label does not seem necessary in my opinion. All the sources that want to say the Millennial generation starts before 1981, even as far back as 1977, would say I am a Millennial. I don't tend to agree with these sources. I just can't swallow the idea that someone born in 1977, or even 1980, would be considered a Millennial. If a person were born in 1980, they lived through the entire decade of the 80's without the internet. By the time such a person did get the internet in their teen years it was aol dial up. Certainly nothing as fancy as what the Millennial folks had. LOL!
I agree as someone born in '83.
@@fakereality96 Yeah those of us born in the early 80's don't belong to the Millennial crowd in my humble opinion. My brother and I were latchkey kids a good amount of the time. I don't think Millennials were as familiar with that kind of life.
Gen X is anyone born after 1960. There was a decided shift after 1960. The next shift was 1980.
We created Google, Paypal, dot coms, many of the aps, and a lot of the tech needed for current generation to function.
Gen X here. Leave me out of your "rebranding". This feels like it's trying so hard to make a point that we don't care about. Lots of desperate grabs at lingo we don't use or abandoned decades ago. It ain't the 80's anymore, thank the gods.
I had a TV remote when was she born 65? The best music ever. Snoop and Dre😍 We had whiteout tape that was instant
Exactly wth
Looking forward to learn more and make changes to my life.
So true....we are not respected because we literally were a transitional generation. Hopefully one day we will gain our voice once again. Whether we have money or not we all lived the same basic experience and are now in a sandwich generation caring for our kids and parents as well. At the end of the day we need to connect regardless of economic situation.
As a Gen X'er, we never had a voice to begin with.
We were unseen and unheard.
Unless something was wanted of or from us. Still that way today.
In the workplace the Boomers and millennial's are heard and listened to and us Gen X'ers are expected to perform and deliver and say nothing.
@@grounded7362 I concur. It's really sad.
We have a voice, it’s quiet rage. We observe before we act…the way smart folk should.
Yes, people know if we show up for a demonstration, or a special vote that the issue is VERY needed we are the "tipping point". Our quiet resistance, reliability, and caring for humanity can stop riots, rebuild after a pandemic, and create something out of nothing. All we want is a thank you...or a smile remebering our name.@@corimyers4985
What do you expect from an entire generation that was raised being told "Children should be seen, but not heard"? We learned to either keep our opinions to ourselves, or at most grumble about them amongst our close friends.
Gen x is is all about hard work. Boomers take everything and give it to themselves. Millennials want everyth
There might be some truth to that. It might also be why people from your generation are the stingiest ones I know. My aunt and her husband said they were embarrassed when one of their Gen X friends pulled out a coupon book at dinner. I tried dating a few GenXers hoping they would be more grown up than millennials but they're so so cheap. Get X men come off as gold diggers to me.
@@marybell2002 That's called being practical with one's money. Coupons aren't for social media clicks, but actually save money for anyone who doesn't have much of it to begin with. If the friends were so embarrassed by this coupon-wielding Gen X'er, they could have offered to pay the bill instead. That would have been the decent thing to do.
Exactly 💯, we didn't have B.S. magic unicorns that farted money to us. We actually had to work for it.
@@marybell2002 You're ashamed to use a fekkin coupon, and then you run around crying and not understanding why you're broke and can't afford to buy a house. Also if you think WE are embarassing with our coupons, you should have met my grandma that went through the Great Depression. You'd probably die of shock watching her use a rubber spatula to remove every last bit of mayo from a glass jar and then wash and save it, so she could re-use it to can home grown vegetables. That way she didn't have to waste money on either the Ball Jar or the food. We saw, and we learned that's probably WHY these people HAD money when they died. The biggest lesson I learned from her is that it's the small things from day to day that really sap away most of your money. The extra dollar or 50 cents here and there adds up super fast and is usually a bigger issue to financial wellbeing than the bigger buys you at least stop to think about.
I’m a Gen X-er, and I had no idea who Martha Quinn was. I grew up in a little hick town that didn’t get cable until the 90s.
Yeah, MTV, canned music programmed by Yuppies. And she was born in 59.
My sincere condolences, as you were robbed of a serious part of your childhood.
@@chiaralistica With respect, so were you. Hunting, fishing, shooting off fireworks in your own front yard… it was great in a lot of ways.
Jacquie Jordan, could you make another video about Generation X?
Gen x was also the first generation to have millions of our fellow gen xers lives taken by legalized abortion, they truly had no voice and as a survivor, I speak for them.
Wow, never thought about that.
I'm so glad you made it through! 🥲
On the other hand, I'm a girl who had the luxury of choosing when to become a parent.
GenXers! Truly Independent, technology fell on our laps and we ran with it! We laid the blue prints for today’s social media everything! We had MTV we had all day trips to the mall and hung out with friends! We had part time jobs, we lived in nice homes and saw our parents work hard and we emulated. I’m on the tail end of GenX, but I’m no Millennial! I’m a GenXer all the way!
Although social welfare helped poor families, not all had nice homes especially in comparison. There were households with either no income - lived in projects, low-income housing, trailer parks, etc. - or low-income like $10,000 to $20,000 per year. Many kids had moms either in the streets on drugs or something similar or just missing from the home and missing dads so many didn't really have a home.
I hear you. I'm an early X and in no way shape or form am I a Boomer. My parents are Boomers.
Gen X dont care what everyone thinks
Nope
Gen-X: sticking it to Boomers since 1965. 😎
Heck yea !
Listening to you makes me feel good.
True story! Great talk. 1970 here.
Im Gen X. But no generation is more relevant or important than the others. All generations are important. To say one is more important or influential than others is nonsense.
No one says one is more important than other, but we can not deny cultural influences as being imprinted on different generations differently.
Yea, I don't know about that. I'm pretty sure Gen-X reigns Supreme over all other generations before us and after us. At least we're honest about it.
Another obvious point here. We’re funny!
Millennials, but more importantly Gen Z’s have zero humor.
We like being invisible. No one is paying attention while we take over the world. You'll thank and give credit to the millennials, but its X'rs that... AAAHHH... saved the universe.
Yup, I hate being noticed and having my picture taken. I will NEVER understand selfies, nor do I have any desire to.
I like being ignored. Who wants to be recognized by all these crazy people? Do you really want that? Careful what you ask for. Invisible is to be invincible.
I like this speech! But "May-rio Brothers"? C'mon!
She has something against Pac-Man ?
Gen X is responsible for current fashion trends. We wore ripped jeans bc we refused to let our moms sow on patches
Gen X - feral, independent, resilient, tough... raised themselves.
Love the label. So ya no changing or re branding. Maybe she should find out why we were called Gen. X
Yeah. Rebranding would just call more attention to our generation and I would really hate that, honestly! I don't want it because groups are going to try to pander to us for their own selfish benefit. It wouldn't be because they actually care about us. I'm fine if they just leave our cohort alone.
Boomer: Strike three! You failure!
Gen X: Strike three! Go sit down.
Millennial: Strike three! Aw nice try!
Gen Z: Strike three! Take your base.
Im gen X, I ask that you leave us alone, no noticing necessary, keep walking, nothing to see here. Leave sleeping dogs alone, we may be ragtag, frayed at the edges, but we really do bite when poked.
Born gen x middle child... I thought all that was being a middle child 😅 I need her to write my resume 😆!
I am gen x however my life was different seeing how my grandma and 2 older siblings were around at all times.
Gen X, contribute some of your material possessions to help build the culture.
There is a museum that is creating a Gen X exhibit.
It is called Growing up X and it is in Springfield, Illinois.
Good luck with that ! Lol 😆 🤣 😂
@@dalerushton1394 The exhibit has been created and is showing now. It's a good thing you aren't a leader in anything you do. You are responsible for the decline of the nation.
In my second job, I walked the union (UFCW 1105) strike for 8 months before I was 21.
Don't forget the Xennial. Those of us born in the latter half of the 70s to the first half of the 80s who don't fit in with earlier GXers or millennials. We're just kinda.... There. 🤷🏼♀️
Generation X -The slacker- Coolest Generation.
I remember being so pissed when they started calling us slackers, I couldn't believe it. I had so many different jobs I can't even remember all of them.
I was the remote control whenever my dad wanted to change the channel 😂
Same here. Sometimes he let me be the antenna man too, I got to switch arms on commercials after my arm fell asleep. Pops was very sensitive to me like that.
@@dalerushton1394 ha
Gen X by the way is when X-Stream sports really got started. That's what I like to think it means. BMX, Motocross, you name it, we started all that shi$. You're welcome.
Yup, I did BMX, motocross, skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding before they would allow us snowboarders on the ski slopes. We were used to being unwanted though from always getting kicked out of places for skateboarding. By the way, what's with all the helmets and pads and safety gear nowadays ? We even gotta wear seatbelts now and can't drink in the car ( ? ). I miss all the 2nd hand smoke 🚬 inside everywhere too.
Yes, X Games are called that for a reason.
Thank you.
They always forget one of the most important things about GenX. Unlike Millennials and GenZ we were not an isolated generation. We grew up with our fathers and grandfathers music, movies and TV shows. Ours was never the excuse "that was before my time" or "that's old school". Because of westerns we had an idea of what previous generations had to do to survive. We saw the transition of back and white tv to color. We learned from the Silent and Boomer generations because they created TV shows, movies and music with us in mind.
My Generation X I like to refer to as The Breakfast Club generation or the MTV generation.
Great video, though I certainly do not think the Baby Boomer Generation and the Millennial Generation want (or are able) to be unified. They will not stop until all the attention is on them, which is why there is so much conflict between those generations.
So what are the gen-x people doing if not trying to get attention that they feel like the didn't get when they were kid's. All I keep seeing and hearing from most gen-x people is how they were & think they still are being mistreated. You people need to nut-up & shut-up every gen has it's up's and downs thats just the way thing's are as long as the Human race is on this planet things will change some will miss out and others will not. So stop your damn whining!
Yeah those two generations are more alike, while Gen Z, mostly kids of Gen X parents are more aligned in our views!!
@@annmarieknapp2480 Just one part of the reason Gen Z is a bad generation is because 1) They are true digital natives and GREATLY DEPEND ON THE INTERNET 2) They have some type of fetish for taking the path of least resistance, the easiest possible way out of any situation. 3) They're not fooling anyone by their "human shield" strategy where they want everyone else to take all the risks while they reap the rewards 4) They do not have the necessary patience to be successful as a generation over the long term