The Truth About Generation X

We love to talk about the ongoing cultural and economic war between Baby Boomers and Millennials, and even the rise of the new Generation Z. But there is one group that often gets overlooked in these conversations, and that's Generation X. , those who grew up between boomers and millennials and, like many middle children, were overshadowed by both. In this video I'll explain why Generation X deserves more credit, both good and bad, for quietly changing the world. You are watching FutureNow, videos about the future of technology and society. If all these

generation

names confused you at the beginning of the video, let me break them down for you.

The specific years attributed to each

generation

vary in the literature, so I will use the ranges defined by the Pew Research Center. I should also mention that much of this video will be focused on the population of the United States, because that is where I am, obviously these generations had different experiences in different parts of the world. Baby Boomers is the name given to the generation born between 1946 and 1964. They are so called because they were part of the sharp population increase after World War II, a literal boom in the number of babies born. Until Millennials overtook them, they made up the majority of the world's population and, as such, had enormous influence on culture, economics and politics.

Generation X is the population of people born between 1965 and 1980. Appropriately, the I'm sure you've heard of Millennials as the largest demographic currently, referring to those born between 1981 and 1996. I made an entire video about Millennials and the oft-repeated phrase that they are killing all industries. They are called that because they grew up at the turn of the millennium. Finally, Generation Z is the newest demographic, those born after 1997. That seems to be the most used name so far, although it is still early to see if it will stick, as other names such as iGeneration have been used, referring to to this generation that grows up with smartphones.

Part of the reason I wanted to make this video is because when I made my video titled "Why Millennials Are Killing Everything," I fell into the same pattern that others often follow when talking about the tension between Baby Boomers and Millennials while completely bypasses Generation X. the middle child. The Baby Boomers inherited a country with a booming economy in the US and quickly got to work ruining it, along with the environment. They racked up the national debt, burned record amounts of fossil fuels... Many Gen Xers pointed this out in the comments and it inspired me to dig a little deeper into why Gen Xers are rarely talked about in popular media and how Despite this, in fact, they have been and continue to be incredibly influential.

Overall, members of Generation family members and, at the same time, it became more common for women to join the workforce rather than stay at home. Because child care programs were not yet commonplace, many Generation That's why some use the phrase “key generation” to refer to this demographic cohort. A "locked child" is one who comes home alone after school because his parents are at work; The name refers to the key that the children carried with them or that they dug out from under the porch rug to open the door. His adolescence was a tumultuous time in the United States with an ongoing crack epidemic, a rise in violent crime, and the emergence of the AIDS epidemic.

At the same time, this was one of the most diverse generations in history thanks in part to an increase in immigration and the first generation to grow up after integration, following the end of racist Jim Crow laws. In their youth, the media characterized Generation X as disaffected, apathetic, cynical, and lazy. They were the MTV generation, they lived through the rise of music videos, grunge music and hip hop. They were rebellious and reluctant to grow. But eventually we all have to become adults and when members of Generation X did, they proved everyone wrong about the stereotypes they were pigeonholed into.

Sure, your Gen X dad probably still wears his Nirvana t-shirt from time to time, but does he still have that teen spirit? Sorry, I tried to make up a Nirvana joke, but it failed, never mind. According to a Stanford University study, Generation it was not an exclusive Generation X. freak. In fact, perhaps the key generation learned to work hard and be independent by not being able to depend so much on their parents and that is what led to their success as adults. Millennials and Generation Z are often defined by their affinity for the Internet and technology, but Generation X was actually the first to grow up with computers and video games at home.

Generation disruption of many industries. It's strange to think of Jeff Bezos, at the cusp of Generation of embodied corporatism. In fact, some of today's best-known leaders belong to Generation X: Elon Musk, Larry Page, Susan Wojcicki, Jony Ive, Justin Trudeau and, ironically, Jay-Z. Let me know what other notable Gen Xers you can think of in the comments. It turns out that disrupting the status quo is a pretty good business model and a great driver for innovation. Because members of Generation X grew up in an analog world before the personal computer, they have a unique perspective on how to bridge the past with our future.

I think this is the key to their success, but also the reason why they seem to be overlooked today. Most people now take for granted the significant changes made by Generation X. Members of Generation Generation X's demand for VHS tapes to watch their favorite movies and shows at home whenever they want has evolved into today's streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Members of Generation X were also the first to start blogging about their lives and Ze Frank pioneered vlogging before YouTube existed with “The Show.” Good morning, it's Monday, March 20. I haven't showered and my breath smells like a poodle shitting in my mouth.

Let's be friends while I tell you everything you need to know about today. It's like television, but with pimples. And even though Millennials are inextricably linked to social media, it was actually members of Generation X who founded some of the first platforms like MySpace, Twitter and Friendster, which Zuckerberg later used as inspiration for Facebook. The true test of Generation X, however, is beginning to take shape now as more and more of them assume the highest positions of leadership in the corporate and political world. Will they follow in the footsteps of the Baby Boomers who greatly used their power?

Will they feed their own interests or will they become more aware of their ability to change the world for the better? Early signs show that some of the business and cultural changes led by Generation X could prove problematic. The most obvious is how the social Internet is affecting us on an individual level, how we relate to each other and, ultimately, our politics. Of course, the biggest offender seems to be Facebook right now, and that's led by a Millennial. Silicon Valley has been largely unchecked for the past two decades, but we're starting to see a change in this with laws like GDPR in the European Union and increasingly common hearings of tech CEOs before Congress.

To prove that they are different from Baby Boomers, Generation X will have to demonstrate that they are willing to regulate the economic powerhouses they have created in a socially responsible way. Whether you liked or hated this video, you'll enjoy my video on Millennials. Hit subscribe and hit the bell to get notified when I post a new video and to vote on what the next video will be. And thanks to Walter, Iain and all my sponsors for the support. Join them at patreon.com/FutureNow to help the channel grow and you might read their name below. Proper pronunciation is not guaranteed.

I'll see you in the future.