Generation X, born between 1960 and 1980, is sandwiched between Baby Boomers and Millennials. Stereotyped as directionless and cynical, they are influenced by cultural and political changes, including technology. The start and end dates vary, with estimates of 46 to 51 million people. They are often portrayed as grunge-listening, coffee-drinking slackers, but have a sense of decency and want balanced careers and family lives. They grew up with technology and experienced major events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall. The term originated in the 1950s and experienced a resurgence in the 1990s.
Generation X, sometimes abbreviated to Gen-X, is a term used to describe people born between approximately 1960 and 1980. It is sandwiched between the BaBoomer and Millennial generations. Stereotyped as having characteristics such as directionlessness and cynicism, members of this group have been influenced by a wide range of cultural and political changes, perhaps most notably the development of various technologies.
Year limits, technical definition and numbers
Historians disagree on the exact date range that should be used to define Generation X. Some individuals use a start year as early as 1961, but others push it as far back as 1965. The starting date is usually 1975 , while the late end according to some sources is 1982. With these varying timescales, estimates of the number of people included range from 46 to 51 million.
stereotyped features
The Generation X stereotype holds that those born during this period feel alienated and disenfranchised, with the “X” in the sentence describing the lack of identity these people seem to have. They reportedly do not know where they belong and have no real life course, although they know for a fact that they are not part of the generations that precede and follow their own. The media often portrays them as grunge-listening, coffee-drinking, flannel-wearing slackers lost in apathy, not doing their bit for society while quietly rebelling against previous cultural ideals.
In general, people in this group also don’t have a particularly high respect for authority, but they do have a sense of decency, wanting bosses and other leaders to look at both right and wrong and to judge fairly. They want balanced and interesting careers and family lives rather than a ton of cash, and they aren’t afraid to dust off their resumes and apply somewhere else to work if they’re not happy with their current job. While they are detail oriented and will work hard if they are focused, their lack of patience and experience can hold them back and they don’t always communicate so well with others.
Most Gen-X grew up and established themselves at least to some extent through jobs, families, and additional responsibilities of their own. The attitude of disaffection that pervaded the 1980s and 1990s, for the most part, has generally changed as a result, although some people are probably still living the stereotype. Furthermore, some individuals have questioned the widely accepted characteristics usually applied, pointing out that, statistically, those in this group have high voting and volunteering rates, despite being somewhat cynical that their efforts will ultimately produce the effects. positive they wish.
Influences on attitude
Many believe that the transition from colonialism to globalism and the relative security enjoyed by many Americans after World War II has had an effect on people in this group. Their parents marched for equal rights and felt the impact of the Kennedy assassination, perhaps giving them a stronger sense of social responsibility. Skyrocketing costs in housing and education in the 1980s and 1990s, coupled with intense competition from more ambitious baboomers, may also have alienated the Gen-Xers.
What did they experience
One of the major advances that has impacted this group of people has been the rise of technology that is practical and fun. Individuals born in this time frame grew up using early video games and computers, and developments like MTV allowed them to share and enjoy the songs that shaped their lives. They’ve also grown through several American presidents — most were born during the terms of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, or Jimmy Carter, and can typically recall elections and speeches by Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush and Bill Clinton.
Generation Xers grew up using personal VCRs and cassette players to listen to musicians and bands like Bon Jovi and Prince, and saw the invention of the microwave, which is now a staple household appliance. They lived through the death of Princess Diana, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the controversial invasion of Kuwait, as well as the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. They also made friends with the rocks and saw Stephen Spielberg’s ET: The Extra-Terrestrial in the cinema.
Origins of the term
According to some accounts, Robert Capa, a photographer for Magnum, was the first to use the phrase “Generation X,” using it to describe people who grew up after World War II. He used it as the title of a photo essay published in 1953. About a decade later, in a study of British teenagers for Women’s Own magazine, writer Jane Deverson came across a group of young people living outside acceptable conservative mores . sleeping, rejecting religion and disobeying parents. When the journal decided not to use the study, she co-authored a book with Charles Hamblett called Generation X, which was published in 1965.
The term experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1990s, when it served as part of the title of Douglas Coupland’s novel, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. The book is a series of stories told by several main characters, all young adults who would appear to represent this generation. The name caught on and became a part of popular culture in the United States.
While people typically use this label in the United States and Canada, the idea can be found in many other cultures around the world. In France, for example, people of a similar age are labeled Génération Bof, which translates to “Any Generation”. These variations have slightly different cultural connotations, but the association with a generation born after World War II remains the same.
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