Gen X: Do you consider yourself closer to the boomers or the millennials? (interview, ethics)

[BeerGeek40]

Originally Posted by Marleinie

Not wanting to make a vs. generation type topic, just curious for those here that would be Gen X, do you view yourself more like the boomers or more like the millennials?

And overall, how would you describe your generation being a kind of in between one?

Boomers.


I have nothing in common with millennials.
I don't have a fancy phone.
I don't text.
I don't spend half of the day on facebook. In fact I'm not on facebook at all. And yet I continue to be able to live. LOL

[baystater]

Definitely Millenials. But I do believe X'ers have their own shared experiences, points of views, and historical/cultural references as a group.

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by Threerun

I don't view myself as closer to either. I'm a quintessential genxer. I was the first latch key kid in my neighborhood, very independent and kinda on my own. No after school care, no soccer mom driving me around. Had to work early if I wanted to buy anything..

I didn't entitle my kids either. I don't pay for grades, I don't subscribe to the 'Everyone is a winner' crap, they've got responsibilities and expectations. We're kind of a unique set. Some of our younger friends feel we are too strict.. Meh, life is great..

I am similar to this. I am a "young" Gen X born 1979 but I also am a "meh, life is great" sort of person.

I don't like the whining of many Millenials thinking that stuff is so bad for them because I don't think it is bad for them.

I don't like the whining of the Bommers who think that Millenials are cry babies because I think Boomers are also cry babies and were negligent parents and brought about this whole culture of "everyone is a winner" lol.

Regardless, I appreciate Boomers and Millenials. I am a Gen X-er though. I think we are much more down to earth and based in reality because we had to be more independent and didn't grow up as much with the idea that we are the greatest thing since sliced bread. However, I do think many of my peers, due to growing up as latch key kids and being neglected by our Boomer parents are more likely to be helicopter parents.

Many other Gen-X parents think I'm mean because I don't allow little kids in my house to have their own personal "screens" (phones or tablets). I don't allow TVs in bedrooms. I didn't have a TV in my room and I'm fine. Bedrooms are for sleeping IMO. I don't think "everyone is a winner" and I don't think people should get trophies for nothing.

[residinghere2007]

Originally Posted by Motion

I've always viewed Gen X as being both old school and new school at the same time. We came along at a time to get exposed to the culture,politics and social issues of our parent's boomer era and then we came of age during the 80's and 90's where we experienced so many of the pop culture things that are still popular today(computers,music videos,video games,cell phones,mp3 etc.)

I agree with this. We were a generation on the cusp. I find that we have a very unique experience due to that as well. However, I do believe the older Millenials are similar to us. I have younger siblings born in 1988 and 1989 and we had a similar upbringing except they were not neglected as much lol. They were not latch key kids and they had me and our older siblings looking after them whereas me and my older brother were alone a lot of the time. Due to that me and the older brother are the more responsible kids of my mom IMO. We depend on her less today and are much less likely to ask her to do stuff for us versus the Millenial siblings. Both of them still live really close to our mom - one lives with her and has no intention of leaving. He is 27 and makes good money and can afford to move out of the house. Neither I nor my older brother would EVER want to live with our mom forever.

[Vegabern]

My husband and I land close to the defining line between Gen X and Millennial. Technically he'd be a Gen Xer and I'm a Millennial. I have no issues with Millennials or Gen Xers.

[Finn_Jarber]

Originally Posted by NLVgal

We raised the millenials. Boomers were our parents. Not much else to say about it except that the millenials seem to be the least racist, sexist and materialistic generation yet.

Boomers were the same way, if not more, when they were young (60's), and so were all past generations. It goes with being young.

[Ghengis]

if I was a Genxer, I would align myself with the next group that comes along. In 30 years, when that group is in power, they'll need somebody on the inside to help round up the rest of you and I'll be there to provide my intel and assistance in turn for extra rations.

[Rufus Clay Banger]

Boomers for sure. Today's whiny Millennial's have not much to offer this country except being perpetually-aggrieved, low-information, toddlers.

[gladhands]

The oldest millennials are in their 30s. I'm a young Gen-Xer.

I didn't live through segregation. I grew up with hip-hop. I have a millennial sibling. Were I single, older millennials would be in my dating pool. There's no way I'm closer to the baby boomers.

[golgi1]

I don't think that we are truly close to either, though undoubtedly Gen X pop culture is heavily influenced by the Boomer generation and not by the Millenial generation. Prior generational pop culture always informs that of successive generations.

My opinion is that the Boomers revolted, partied, and left us with a large social bill. In general, they were (and often still are) naïve, detached from real world outcomes of their utopian idealism, and immensely irresponsible. That's a generalization, of course. But that's what we are doing in this thread.

Millenials are a mixed bag. They're either worse than the boomers or more pissed in regard to their legacy than Gen X. I've heard that the generation after the millenials is rebounding even harder in the opposite direction of the Boomers. Which would make sense in terms of how social dynamics tends to be reactive in both directions.