1970 here. I get the split, but all that later stuff happened when I was in college and very early adulthood. It was still a formative time. I still identify with it. I feel like Kurt Cobain’s and River Phoenix’s deaths defined my early 20’s. Sure I wanted to be Martha Quinn at 13, and crushed on John Taylor, but I was certainly listening to grunge in college with my Docs and flannel. And the music of that later era defined going out to clubs in between my five part time jobs during those bleak early 90’s recession years. I pretty much define my life by the decade shocks that hit about every ten years. Born during Kent State, 10 at the Regan Revolution, about 20 at the Fall of the Berlin Wall, about 30 on 9/11, and then the Great Recession in my 40’s and I turned 50 at the start of the Pandemic. It’s been a ride!
It's so true that our music, movies, and childhood experiences span a wide distance. I think of it as my high school music, movies, etc. vs. my college music, movies, etc.
As a 73er, I identify strongly with both. I can probably still quote The Breakfast Club and its soundtrack and still listen to a lot of Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell, along with my GenZ children.
´Planning Gen X Con taught me that the differences between Early and Late Gen Xers are real.´
I´d say there´s maybe a few specific experiences cultural references specific to the US and Europe. Yes, in Europe we were also latchkey kids, Yes, hours and hours also spent unsupervised.
In the UK we were getting into nightcubs from 14 or 15 years old, no one was ID´d in those days...unlike the US where instead of going out to adult venues, I assume you´d be using cars from age 16 or 17, driving out somewhere to be away from adults.
Europe you´d start with mopeds or bikes and not typically obtain a driving licence and get behind the wheel of a car until 18 or 19 years.
lol, I feel and live this one. Kelly is 9 years younger 1969 vs 1978. In the Jeep listening to Sirius XM is one of the times when it's most obvious. I try to turn on 80s on 8, then as soon as I'm not paying attention she switches it to Lithium. 😎
My Gen Z kids were raised listening to First Wave AND Lithium in the car. They've seen Duran Duran, The Cure, and Foo Fighters in concert with me. I think they identify more with the 90s stuff.
As a '76 Xer I prefer The Breakfast Club, while my love for Miss Ryder knows no bounds, Reality Bites does not hold up well all these years since, like The Breakfast Club does and is far better representation for our gen, even I was still a young kid at the time of its release.
Good essay - you've put a pin in a precise point about Gen X as a continuum. The mid 70 with the punk, late 70s New Wave, early 80s New Romantics and synth, then grunge in early 90s. Job precarity, goddamn boomers pulling it all up in front of us (still are). Feral. Latch key. Whatever. You do you dude. I see todays kids seeing the same shit and thinkin' "we are so fucked" and it breaks my heart nothing has really changed and I hope beyond reason its not all finding ourselves arguing over who's small dirty rice bowl is in the best shape in the food line.
Cynicism is just being hard hearted enough to not have your heart broken right at the outset.
I understand why, like any generation, is identified by birth years. But, really, the defining feature of Gen X is the formative period of 1980-92 with its central event (Challenger in ‘86) at the center of the timeline. Put differently, Gen X went to school when Reagan and Bush were in the White House—and not Carter or Clinton.
Your post highlights how 1965-1980 looks good but, in fact, fifteen years is too long. I was born in ‘68 and this fall in the early group. But someone born just three years had a high school experience (79-83 vs 82-86) more like Dazed and Confused than John Hughes. And, of course, my own formative years would have been VERY different had I been born in 1980 and not finished college until the new millennium.
Late 1965er here. YASSSSS to the “economic whiplash!” In my early years in corporate, Boomers were tech-illiterate and we were the first group to enter the workforce with tech skills. Employees were being forced to embrace tech and Boomers were threatened by us. Talk about a toxic work environment!! It was truly brutal on many levels.
I'm on the cusp of being a Gen Xer - aka Elder Millennial.....and I completely understand these two types of GenX. I wasn't a teen in the 80s but I grew up watching TBS Dinner & a Movie that played iconic John Hughes films.....so I relate to these two different GenX worlds.
1970 here. I get the split, but all that later stuff happened when I was in college and very early adulthood. It was still a formative time. I still identify with it. I feel like Kurt Cobain’s and River Phoenix’s deaths defined my early 20’s. Sure I wanted to be Martha Quinn at 13, and crushed on John Taylor, but I was certainly listening to grunge in college with my Docs and flannel. And the music of that later era defined going out to clubs in between my five part time jobs during those bleak early 90’s recession years. I pretty much define my life by the decade shocks that hit about every ten years. Born during Kent State, 10 at the Regan Revolution, about 20 at the Fall of the Berlin Wall, about 30 on 9/11, and then the Great Recession in my 40’s and I turned 50 at the start of the Pandemic. It’s been a ride!
It's so true that our music, movies, and childhood experiences span a wide distance. I think of it as my high school music, movies, etc. vs. my college music, movies, etc.
As a 73er, I identify strongly with both. I can probably still quote The Breakfast Club and its soundtrack and still listen to a lot of Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell, along with my GenZ children.
100% same, Brooke!
Of course I’m on the cusp and feel ALL of this embodied my adolescence.
´Planning Gen X Con taught me that the differences between Early and Late Gen Xers are real.´
I´d say there´s maybe a few specific experiences cultural references specific to the US and Europe. Yes, in Europe we were also latchkey kids, Yes, hours and hours also spent unsupervised.
In the UK we were getting into nightcubs from 14 or 15 years old, no one was ID´d in those days...unlike the US where instead of going out to adult venues, I assume you´d be using cars from age 16 or 17, driving out somewhere to be away from adults.
Europe you´d start with mopeds or bikes and not typically obtain a driving licence and get behind the wheel of a car until 18 or 19 years.
Probably true for a lot of Americans. I grew up just outside NYC and would take the train on the weekends to the clubs, fake ID in hand.
What are the British equivalents of Photomat and Zima? And I´m interested in what might be unique to the British and the US experiences.
Also where you find equivalences. Same thing, done a bit differently.
Buy yeah, all those bands films and TV shows you cite were also massive over here.
I’m told supasnaps was UK fotomat in 80s. Thankfully there was no equivalent to Zima!
lol, I feel and live this one. Kelly is 9 years younger 1969 vs 1978. In the Jeep listening to Sirius XM is one of the times when it's most obvious. I try to turn on 80s on 8, then as soon as I'm not paying attention she switches it to Lithium. 😎
I love both those channels!
My Gen Z kids were raised listening to First Wave AND Lithium in the car. They've seen Duran Duran, The Cure, and Foo Fighters in concert with me. I think they identify more with the 90s stuff.
Excellent Work, Jonathan!
You are Spot On!
What a difference a few years make....
Thanks for clearing a lot up!
Thank you!
As a '76 Xer I prefer The Breakfast Club, while my love for Miss Ryder knows no bounds, Reality Bites does not hold up well all these years since, like The Breakfast Club does and is far better representation for our gen, even I was still a young kid at the time of its release.
Good essay - you've put a pin in a precise point about Gen X as a continuum. The mid 70 with the punk, late 70s New Wave, early 80s New Romantics and synth, then grunge in early 90s. Job precarity, goddamn boomers pulling it all up in front of us (still are). Feral. Latch key. Whatever. You do you dude. I see todays kids seeing the same shit and thinkin' "we are so fucked" and it breaks my heart nothing has really changed and I hope beyond reason its not all finding ourselves arguing over who's small dirty rice bowl is in the best shape in the food line.
Cynicism is just being hard hearted enough to not have your heart broken right at the outset.
I understand why, like any generation, is identified by birth years. But, really, the defining feature of Gen X is the formative period of 1980-92 with its central event (Challenger in ‘86) at the center of the timeline. Put differently, Gen X went to school when Reagan and Bush were in the White House—and not Carter or Clinton.
Nice work, sir! I’ve been trying to articulate this exact distinction for awhile. You nailed it!
I’m of the late Gen X’ers and I approve this message. 😜
Thank you. Means a lot!
Your post highlights how 1965-1980 looks good but, in fact, fifteen years is too long. I was born in ‘68 and this fall in the early group. But someone born just three years had a high school experience (79-83 vs 82-86) more like Dazed and Confused than John Hughes. And, of course, my own formative years would have been VERY different had I been born in 1980 and not finished college until the new millennium.
1976 here, and I connected more with the early Gen X soundtrack/movies. Mind you I was a. In the UK b. Precocious.
Late 1965er here. YASSSSS to the “economic whiplash!” In my early years in corporate, Boomers were tech-illiterate and we were the first group to enter the workforce with tech skills. Employees were being forced to embrace tech and Boomers were threatened by us. Talk about a toxic work environment!! It was truly brutal on many levels.
True that
I'm on the cusp of being a Gen Xer - aka Elder Millennial.....and I completely understand these two types of GenX. I wasn't a teen in the 80s but I grew up watching TBS Dinner & a Movie that played iconic John Hughes films.....so I relate to these two different GenX worlds.
This is a great breakdown and so fascinating. I love generational research.
Thanks Sarelle!