As a gen Xer born in '71. Our generation was basically self-sufficient. I remember being 9 and the first one home from school, my parents would be at work till later in the evening. I'd do my homework, do laundry, make dinner, fold the laundry, put dinner in the fridge for my parents, do dishes. Watch cheers till 9 and go to bed. I'd go days without even seeing my parents.
I was also born in 71. However, I at least had 2 other siblings to share chores. The boomer father of mine got lazy and we kids had to do the chores before our "boss" mother came home.
Genx'er born in 1969. I agree. We were left to our own devices....as long as you were home when the street lights came on! LOL! Do your chores. Mow the lawn. Do your homework, then go outside and PLAY. Street football. Kick the Can. Soccer in the yard (we had a big yard). Stick ball in the street. We were left to our own devices. Stuff parents these days would get arrested for! LOL!
Very insightful. He did fail to mention that one of the reasons Gen-X is always looking for the next opportunity is as a backup safety plan b, and for broadening their skill set because when they came of age in the work force, corporations are all about “downsizing”. X had a hard time finding a permanent job, esp without the threat of being laid off at a moments notice. Employers would ask for complete loyalty without promising any loyalty in return. Gen X learned the lesson well. Also, no GenXer entered college in the 70s - They were all still children in the 70s and the 80s even.
This is true. This time-line is skewed. He talks about the "Early 60's". He's off by about 10 years. I was born in '69. I'm a straight-up Gen'xer. Early 60's weren't. In 1979, I was 10. By 1989, I was 20. I GREW UP in the 80's. If you were EARLY 60's, you GREW UP in the 70's. That's a HUGE difference, culturally.
@@betsysingh-anand3228 That's similar to what I did--born in '65, graduated a semester early at 17 and went to college in Jan. of '83, then went back to my high school graduation that same year just for the heck of it :)
Born in 73 here. We were lucky to come up the way we did. I could take care of myself by 4th grade. We got home to an empty house, except for siblings. We did homework. We did chores. We had part time jobs. We went to school and actually learned practical things. We fed ourselves. We also made time for fun. We built things. We cteated stuff. We hung out with friends face to face. We laughed. We cried. Most important, we LIVED LIFE. I wish we could go back to the best decades ever, the 80' and 90's. This world today, sucks ass. No way my teenage self could even come close to being friends with most of the millennials and zoomers of today. Theyd cry too much
I recall having a paper route and helped with my parents cleaning business at 9yrs. Would get home 3 times a week at 11 p.m. and had to go to school the next day. Home economics and wood shop class was vital to teach us to do laundry, wash dishes, sew, wood shop has given me the skills that helped my start up my own business. We were creative, resilient and self-reliant and got things done.
Born in 65. When my kids were born, and they are on my video page and will tell you, I rarely let my kids out of my sight. I derovve them to school, there was always someone home when they got home, I barely let them go to the corner store. Oh no...I was on them like white on rice. See...I never had that when I was a kid. I went places, I look back and I am surprised I'm still alive. But that was any given Tuesdy....and it was a fun time. And it sucked too.
Born 73. By fifth grade I was in charge of taking the CTA bus with my two younger brothers to school. I did it with no problems. My mom and dad depended on me helping them out. I was the oldest. I didn’t feel any resentment about it at the time. I still don’t. I felt it was my duty. My school mates were doing the same. Taking care of siblings and helping their parents. I joke around that they baby me now at 50 and not when I was 11. 😂 I had a great childhood.
I'm a Gen X-er. Raised by parents who were boomers that cared only about themselves. Most of us were expected to move out on our own at 18. Finished university with no jobs waiting for us. You had to sell yourself well to get in the door. We worked our butts off and most of us didn't know our rights.
I'm a boomer. I was raised by parents who only cared about how they were viewed by society, not about what was best for their children. We were expected to go to college, but when we graduated, there were no jobs because of way too many boomers hitting the job market all at once. We took what we could get as we struggled through the long years of hyper-inflation just to survive, not to mention the Vietnam war. Generation X is little different in their experiences than boomers' experiences or any other generations' experiences.
@@virginiamoss7045Not true. Xers were raised by Boomers, who were far more mentally unstable and narcissistic than previous generations. And they LOVED divorce. Boomers were the most horrible parents in American history. They went from "Devil Worship" to "Prosperity Gospel Christians" and then back to Buddhism like it was no tomorrow. Most were coke and weed addicts on top of this. Ever fellow Xer I know had Boomer parents like this. They were absolutely in love with themselves and their disco bullsh*t while they left us home alone without babysitters to figure out life on our own. No, you have no clue what we went through because like most other Boomers, you have no empathy and just want to brush everything off because it's always been about you.
@@virginiamoss7045PS- Because we are Xers and are old enough, we see through the Boomer BS you get away with telling Millennials. Boomers grew up in much better times. Yes, there was high inflation in the 70s, but it was a breeze compared today's situation. I know because I was there and remember it. Even with that inflation, everything was much cheaper in relationship to what you earned compared to today. It's why so many working class Boomers made a mint because property and homes were insanely cheap then compared to today even with the stagflation of the 70s. Property ownership is everything when it comes to building wealth and maintaining it. And as far as jobs go, I remember all of my Boomer aunts and uncles who came of age during the 70s had absolutely no problems getting civilian and govt jobs right out of high school. And they all bought nice homes with a plot of land that were super affordable. But when Boomers took over in the 80s and 90s, they raped the United States by buying EVERY rental property, boat dock, apt building, RV park, Mobile Home park, parking lot, etc and then jacked the rent or fees up 3-4 times higher than the Greatest Generation from whom they bought it from. By doing this, they set America on a course for the evils of Communism, because by making everything unaffordable, they made Communism attractive to Millennials and Gen Zs, because Communists promise housing stability to them. Meanwhile, Gen Xers have had to sit back and watch Boomers destroy the greatest country in history because of their immorality and greed.
I’m a gen x’er! Moved out at 17, never dreamed of bumming money off my folks, or claiming that I was owned anything. Took a beating from life, but it forced me to gather my resources and survival skills.
Same. Had an apartment at 17. Worked full time since. Enjoy plenty of vacations and outdoor activities. My life is good. I did basically raise myself since 13. Both parents worked full time.
This guy sums up we Gen X'rs nearly perfectly, we are pragmatic, skeptical, down to earth and to the point. Cynical? Why yes we are, but its 100% justified and backed up by real world facts, not pie in the sky thinking.
@@matthewatwood8641 yes, today the world is crazier. So our "cynicism" and common-sense come in handy. But we also have our values too. We are tolerant but know when to draw the line in the sand.
Pamela Lafferty that’s more accurate. We had to adjust and adapt to a lot of changes. We can use and enjoy the technology but we can live without if need be. 🤷🏼♀️. Adaptability works well!
Yup. As we should. I catch a lot of shit because of this....especially when I am not home....I leave the phone at home, tethered to the wall, plugged in.....just as it was when I, a member of Generation X, was a kid.....before cellphones existed.....all phones were tethered to the wall by a phone cord. You youngsters call it a land line. Land lines were the way it was for us growing up. So, yeah, we aren't addicted to mobile devices because we were born and raised before they existed.
ACEDIAMOND666 exactly. We can take them or leave them. As the most adaptable generation, think of all the things that we adapted to that the boomers either ignored or the younger ones than us were born with. I love being GenX
I am an older x’r born in 66 and I agree with this. We were taught self reliance and problem solving. We built tree houses, played tackle football outside and stickball in the street. We jumped bikes off ramps trying to be Evil Kenieval. Our teachers held us to high standards and flunked us if we did poorly and my parents would beat my ass if I acted up at school. In short, we taught ourselves to think because we were given no choice and that has made so many X’rs successful and defined who we are…
I'm an OG Xer myself ('64). Agree with all you said. However, our end of the cohort also was able to enjoy the last of the sexual revolution, pre-AIDS, and are the last to remember black & white photos and TV, rotary phones, and pre-cable television, while still being the original adopters and adapters of computing technology. Sort of a unique slot in history.
@@RC-fm6bj to the untrained, poorly educated, perhaps. Good luck on learning how to grow as a human. Something tells me you're going to need copius amounts of it.
Boomers would be the people that had Generation X if you knew anything but then again you grew up never having to try for anything Society failed you by making life way too easy and so you're a little cry whining baby you probably don't even know what a woman is and that's just sad because reality is reality no matter how many of your delusional friends tell you it's not
I'm glad to be a part of Generation X. We struggled, unlike our parents, we are resilient, and we are free. Our jobs never ruled us or defined us, and we were the first generation to raise ourselves, pretty much, and the last generation to play outside without being tethered to technology like subsequent generations. A part of me would like to rewind time back to the late 70's and 80's and just stay...❤
A generation that was always made to feel like we were just in the way and the cause of our parents' unhappiness. Our mothers put more focus into being "fulfilled" than in raising their children. We weren't just forgotten but ignored. I was 6 and walking to & from school on my own. I'd be making my own lunch and dinner because if I didn't I wasn't eating. Most days I never actually saw my mother in the daylight unless it was the weekend. I learned at a very early age that there is no point is even bothering to ask someone for something and to just do it myself and to also not waste my effort showing anyone how to do something because they'll just argue with you and tell you "this is how I was taught to do it" irrespective if my way is clearly easier and better. Basically I learned to just live myself for myself and not waste my time with other people. People are just not worth it. This is also why I cannot, for the life of me, understand why ANYONE cares about social media. The fact that so many millions of people put so much concern into what complete strangers online think of them is astounding...stupid really.
You wrote my life. Xr of 67 here. I was cooking my own meals before I was tall enough to reach the stove! I stood in a chair! Did my laundry, AND my parents! All I was to them was a servant, nothing more. I did ALL the housework inside and out. I was driving at 13, and fixing my own brakes! Lied about my age, to get a job at 14. Neglect was my only constant in life. The list is long! It's why I don't trust anyone anymore, and never will again.
I think it swings both ways in our generation. Some of us decided we don’t give bleep what people think, but others became perfectionists and people pleasers.
Dude nailed it about Gen X in the workforce. We didn't get pensions and we do our job but know the employers don't give a fig about our lifestyle. We have to adapt and overcome.
'67 here - anyone that doesn't realize their workplace doesn't give a crap about them is a fool. They will absolutely have no loyalty to you while asking it from you in spades.
This is 8 years old, but still accurate. One overarching thing you left out that for gen X, respect is earned. We are not good with positional respect. No one should be.
GenXers truly did, as Freddy sang, grow up in the shadow of the mushroom cloud. As undergrads in the 80s, we were somewhat fatalistic about the idea that we might all be vapourised at any moment; the campus I attended was right on the edge of a capital city, so we figured we'd never even see the flash, so we might as well as just get on with it. Oh, and anybody under 35 - GenX has been using computers for longer than you.
I was writing machine language programs in 1982, so... yeah. I remember a time before cell phones and the Internet, when music was released on vinyl or tape. And it was disco!
@Edgar Foerster Well said Edgar, some call us X'rs cynical, I see it as being realistic with an abhorrence for the naivety, helplessness, and false optimism so many boomers/millennial display..
Never had a playdate, curfew, seatbelt or bike helmet. Rode bike or walked to school one mile. Folks smoked in the house, rode in the truck bed and never asked permission to ride in neighbors cars. Worked since 14, dad never had to tell me to get a job. Got license at 15, bought own car with my money, never needed a ride since. I see my friends now micromanage every aspect of their kids life. Kids have no autonomy, problem solving skills or sense of independence. They'll be dependent on parents until they're 30.
As a Gen xer I kind of feel sorry for kids today. No freedom, bike helmets, helicopter parents, Sounds stifling. Our Boomer parents had thin filters. Little kids could watch horror movies, we could go miles from home and we had to decide for ourselves who we could trust. There were plenty of creepy perves to watch out for too. But we learned to read peoples intentions.
You have to realize that the overly regulated kids are the Millennials and not the kids of Gen-X'ers. Keep in mind that many Gen-X'ers had kids, who grew up to be Generation Z. These kids might have been regulated, but they still had personal freedom. The difference between Gen-X and Gen-Z is that they have smart devices instead of analog devices.
Female gen X here. I did the enrollment process in the university alone. I struggled with many problems during my bachelor’s degree, my father never heard anything about them and he never asked about how I felt or how I was doing. When I finished, I told him the date of the graduation, he went there and when it was finished we went straight to the home. He never said anything about it, never gave me a graduation present, not even a lollipop. When my husband then fiancée and I decided to get married, he did nothing, he was just another person seated at the reception. We paid for everything, we saved money for the house down payment, bought the house and worked hard. What this video said is true: we almost received no help from anybody and even without help we had our accomplishments. I learned that I need to build my own safety net I do not expect someone will going to help me when I’m in trouble so I also try to prevent problems because I don’t want to deal alone with them.
Sounds normal. My parents sat us down at 15. Get a job year round in HS. Oh ya. We refuse to help pay for college. You have to get out at 18. When I got married at 32. My parents could not make an exception and stay up late. They left at 9pm to get their precious sleep. It’s always about them
I am a retired boomer who saw the generation X employees come into the workforce and the conflicts this initially brought on with their boomer managers/bosses. The phrase used most often by our baby boomer boss was, "work till you get the job done", which meant deliberate understaffing and a lot of unpaid overtime for the accounting department where I worked. That changed when the generation X employees came - when the end of the workday came around, they went home, and getting them in on a Saturday or Sunday was difficult. If he pushed the gen X employees too hard, they just went somewhere else. While I sometimes questioned the "work ethic", I actually liked and admired the work/life balance that the generation X workers brought. The result was that more accountants were hired and we ended up with a dual standard of expectations at the office: the baby boomers were expected to work ten hours per day, like before, plus weekends, the generation X workers were expected to leave at the end of the workday. Eventually this dual standard caused most of the baby boomers to leave, and I had a discussion with my boss that went like this: "I have more work than I can do in a workday and am having to work extra hours and on weekends to get it done. Either I am incompetent and cannot do the job and you should fire me, or there is too much work, and you need to hire me some help". His solution was to hire someone but put me under him as a punishment. Each generation brings its own strengths and weaknesses to the workforce and to society.
A favorite quote of mine is “that which you tolerate will become yours”…so if you tolerated working overtime, weekends, etc…of course your employer would continue subjecting you to that. Why wouldn’t they if you never complained or left for a different job?
@SwissChalet Not only tolerated, but expected. If a person they are used to working two extra hours per day, leaves on time for some reason, they act like you are "cheating" the company.
Your so full of shit it ain't funny. I'm 52 and will work . I can't believe ur saying this when ur working in a accounting department. Lol go work construction once see who's working. No many gen x accountants. We got skills that nolonger taught. I got skills I could do almost anything I want.
@@PorkyHontas no he's not he just saying you guys weren't complaining at that time .i was working in 94 as a gen x n you guys weren't psychotic like you are now POWER n Control selfishness do that to a person
@@joeposteraros I'm not denying that, but one of the writers hinted most all of Gen X started in the 90s, which isn't correct. Many Gen Xers were born in the mid sixties and early seventies and entered the workforce in the 80s. I for one got my first family supporting job in 87 whereas I got my first on-the-books job in 83. Don't forget, Gen X is a shorter timespan than most generations. Some say it started in 61 or 62 to around 64, and ending around 79-ish or 80.
I'm a millennial (born in 1993), but my parents were both Gen Xers and a lot younger than other parents of my peers. I consider myself lucky to be raised by them since they taught me self-reliance, flexibility, and how to be smart in the job market. We struggled financially, but because of their insight, I avoided a lot of the mistakes that my peers made/are making.
@Don Comer I've noticed that with many people my age. Growing up, in the early 2000s, my dad lost his job, and in 2008 (housing market crash), we nearly lost everything including our house. In a way, I was exposed to the dangers of money already, so I know to stretch my dollar far.
@@knaida9883 Your father's generation (myself included) believe failure and struggle builds character. A great example- the struggles you father went through. *You* learned from that... I personally raised my kids with the mindset that they're not ENTITLED to a damn thing. They're not special..to me they are ..but to society they're just another useless face in the crowd..If they want it go out and earn it. When times get hard put those big boy/girl pants on and man up..handle that s###.. Look a person in the eye when you speak..Respect is earned , not given . Be respectful BUT do not take crap from anyone.. stand your ground. FINALLY QUESTION EVERYTHING Your an individual not some blind sheep just following the herd
I was born in '76 and had my son in '95.... he worked straight out of high school, putting himself through college, purchased his own vehicles, that he works on himself. He works hard and hes finally about to get into nursing school. Like every gen, there is its cancer.....I never related to the majority of my peers and found that the "misfits" of my gen were more attuned to reality. I beleive a lot of the millennials were the product of neglectful boomers that had late-life children. They couldn't be bothered with children and alienated the X children, they planned as baby sitters. It is obvious that these kids have been neglected, while allowing the internet to raise and babysit them, on top of the brainwashing of the school system. Materialism and fast food, in place of a loving parent. It is no wonder a lot of them are angry and emotionally stunted.
Generation X: The first generation to give ITSELF participation trophies for doing the bare minimum like everyone else. Wow, you drank water from the hose like a big boy and watched cartoons home alone all by yourself? Whoopty doo!
Yes! I always say I am fine with a range of personalities if their work is done properly. And I accept what I don't agree with even more if they perform even more. Lol. Not to the extend of violating any policy of course, I just don't need to be surrounded by Yes Men or walk on eggshells. Dissent can lead to improvements.
Its true. Born in 76 and Im in shock to see how kids are so coddled today. I go to my friends house to visit and what do we have to watch on the TV? Whatver the kids are watching. This is bizrre to me. When I was a kid, I had to watch what my dad watched. thats why I go up at 7am on saturdays so that way I got to watch cartoons before he woke up. Xmas i got a pair of sneakers, thats it, not 90 present under the tree. In all honesty, im really cool with that. im glad I was brought up that way. I didnt need my family to coddle me, me and my friends made forts, caught snakes, had secrdt missions and wed be out from when school got out til late night, weekends were the best
I totally hear you on that TV thing. I've noticed when families with young kids go out to eat at a fast food restaurant, each kid orders what they want. Our parents would order FOR us. We didn't get a choice. And we were still happy. It's just so weird to see how the tables have turned. (1978).
Dad also got us toys he would play with himself, via Erector sets, and electric train sets..loved every bit of it!! love you dad, and I was honored to be in this generation R.I.P
🤣😂 I was too young to go to a Nirvana concert. However, I do remember Courtney acting crazy when Madonna was trying to do an interview. Yes, I actually remember this sh. I don't randomly search these things. And if I did? I'd prob hafta have a memory for it. For kicks, I do think of random sh. But w/ technology, I'm able to confirm the sh I pull out my ass -82
@@markswanson1752 If you were born in the mid sixties, you would be in your late 20's when Nirvana broke big. Hardly a disconnected age from pop culture. Especially when that is the extremely earliest Xers.
I was born in ‘72 and you explained me spot on. I’m a nurse who absolutely has zero trust in my employer and consider myself a free agent so to speak. I’ll move on with no problem when a better opportunity presents itself. The employers don’t give a rip. I frustrate my kids a lot because I make them figure stuff out on their own. That’s just how we are. We won’t coddle you and hold your hand 😂
Same. I have zero trust in my employer, and have zero qualms moving on if a better offer comes along, whether it's monetary, better hours, better environment, etc or all of the above. We have to look out for ourselves, because no one else is looking out for us. Employers these days couldn’t care less about our success... they're all about that almighty dollar... and will let you go in a heartbeat if they can find someone to do your job for less.
Yep, I raised my kids the same way and they’re late Gen Y “survivors”. I dunno who raised these fragile Gen Y&Z kids?? Somebody really dropped the ball.
Blessed to have a dad who was the kid brother to (2) WWII vets. The best thing about Gen X was sitting and learning from the Greatest Gen who were our Aunts and Uncles. '65 was a great year to be born.
That's another difference: My dad was a Vietnam Vet. My grandfathers were WW2 Vets. My parents were "Depression Era" kids. They were TOUGH because they HAD TO BE! Gen'xer's we're raised with that level of toughness. We have thicker skin. You kids are weak. And it's our fault for raising a generation of you. It's a little embarrassing.
Gen-X here who grew up with 3 Greatest Gen grandparents. They were really special. They grew up in extremely challenging conditions, but never once did they complain about it.
Gee, I was under the impression that Gen X started in the mid-1960s, making the first year that Gen X entered college in the mid-1980s. People who started college in the 70s were Baby Boomers.
I was born in 1977 and I feel like I got to experience the “old ways” (pre-tech life) and the way of today (heavy tech life). I’m in my mid-40’s now and technology has made my life much simpler but I’m not sure if it’s any better than what I remember as a younger person. I’m happy I got to experience both ways of life.
I'm a bit older Gen Xer, and yeah, I'd say someone born in 1977 and younger would have this experience of "life before tech." Up until 1983-84 or so, even though MTV was raging, there was a still a lot of the "1970s" culture and old school ways that hung on until that time period. You can see it in shows like Fantasy Island that started in 1977 and ended in 1984. Most of the styles of dress and people's personalities were the same throughout the show until it ended. "The Return of the Jedi" in 1983 was also very much like Star Wars in 1977. It was around 1985-1986 that things started really changing and the "old world" was pretty much washed away with the new world of higher technology, shallow boy bands, the Crack epidemic, etc came in and would eventually become 90s culture. Anyone who did not remember or was not old enough to experience life before 1984 just could NOT be a Gen X to me because growing up during that older time was hugely influential on one's personality and cultural references. I base this on the fact that scientifically, normal memory does not stabilize and become adult-like until 5-6 years old. This means that generally speaking, 1977 is generally the dividing line for most people to remember "the old world" before 1984. Yeah, I can see that some people born up until 1979 might have still experienced this, and if they do, I would still consider them Gen X based solely on their experience remembering the old world. But it's rare and why 1977 and earlier is more accurate.
75. Yes, home alone hours and hours. My escape was mostly toys and music. And yes I went to watch David Cronenberg’s The Fly alone at the age of 11. That’s because nobody cared if a kid should or shouldn’t be able to buy a ticket alone at a movie theater to watch a horror movie. It had its advantages but at the same time I wished I felt more supported by my parents.
Troll With A Purpose there is no loyalty anymore if people are ugly to one another, it’s a simple fact, perhaps the millennials get the credit but Gen X was not afraid to say take this job and shove it.
@@raquelalhaqab5994 There is, but be prepared for small businesses with less pay. Startups can show some loyalty but that's only if it remains a small-medium business, all bets are off if they get corporate interest.
I think u explained it perfectly. I was born in 1973 and my parents did really well but we’re gone a lot, overseas on vacations, on ski trips/business trips and so forth. When I pestered them about learning to drive enough, they tossed me the keys to the spare car that was a stick shift and left out of town for a few weeks. I tore that clutch out but I figured it out and bought a car on my 15th bday and have driven everyday since. After my 15th bday and the day after I could drive, I got a job as a prep cook. I actually had a part time job at 14 that I used to buy the car with. My parents sent me to college but a semester later I was in the army. Ten years later I was out and back in college. Finished college and shortly afterwards I realized I couldn’t work for other people. Managers didn’t like me being early, staying late and always wanting more to do for extra pay so I took my savings and started my own business. Ten years later I own 4 businesses and I’m happier than ever. My parents taught me a lot but they aren’t around to teach me enough so I learned a lot on my own. My 3 teenage daughters think I’m around to much but when I tell them to go figure stuff out on their own, they act like kids and say they can’t and that they need me to do it for them. How do they need me when there smart phone is in their face 24/7?
Hail, fellow '73er! I've often told my parents and kids both that we were born in the perfect year. It was a fun time to grow up. I also worked at 14 and 15 doing odd jobs and had to go get a work permit. My kids, if they were even interested in working at that age (and they weren't) would have expected me to tell them how to go about getting a permit and then driving them everywhere and leading them through the steps to get it, and drive them to work as well. Me? I was expected to figure it out myself (pre-internet of course, for younger readers) and bike wherever I needed to go myself, regardless of weather. Also, I continue to be amazed at the number of teenagers who don't know their local street and city names well, don't know their multiplication tables, don't remember when most holidays are, basically all these gadgets that remember things for them have caused their brains to turn off.
Ben Vasilinda i was born in 76 . Hell i remember driving our old K-5 blazer to the bus stop. And we would fight on who would get to drive it home after school. Had manual locking hubs. We would lock em in and kick donuts in the fields around our house I remember learning how to drive. My old man tossed me the keys to an old toyota car. With a stick and told me to have at it lol Man life was awesome
Latch-key kid from 1975 here. Started mowing lawns @12. Learned to drive in an old MG standard the same summer. Bought first car cash @ 15...miss the days before smartphones. People don't even look around or make eye contact anymore.
I am a gen-xer. I got a couple of driving lessons when I was 10 on a stick shift (when my mom was trying to learn to drive) and that was it, then when I was 17 I moved to live with my dad and one day he felt like he had a little too much to drink and just tossed me the car keys to his stick shift car and I drove us home and I have been driving ever since then.
Born in '74 and have a 16 yo son. He has to have 50 hrs of driving with his parents and take drivers ed to get a provisional license. I learned how to drive on my own. My parents taught me to stop go reverse and turn in about 10 minutes, then set me free. They just said dont hit anything and dont get pulled over bc I didnt have a license for 2 more years. They also went on trips for weeks, leaving me alone with younger siblings. We were to go to school every day and not draw attention to our house in any way.
As a Gen X '72, i can say this is so spot on. My staff at work showed me this and its very very true to how I like to work and what my priorities are although I do disagree with the last comment that we only care about the result and not how long it takes! I'm very big on time and results but that is it, i dont care how you get to the result as long as its on time.
Gen Xer born 1974. This is all so true. Left home at 17, figured everything out on my own eventually. Made a lot of mistakes but I'm resilient and have a ton of experience. Sometimes I get nostalgic about the special angst and that kind of lonely cynicism of my younger self, and it helps me understand how I see the world today.
“Special angst” and “lonely cynicism” of my younger self. This is so spot on! I thought it was just me, but all of these comments, and especially this one, make me realize we (GenX) were all going through the same stuff.
Tbh I always use the phrase to be honest but didn't know what tbh meant till today, not gonna lie. Other times I look at inet acronyms and like a lot of sh., I feel like I'm guessing. Or pulling sh out my ass but I'm actually pretty accurate. I've noticed this w/ ppl who are 10(+)yrs younger than me. They'll be like oh shit, she's gonna teach me something... & I'll feel all offended like look, don't pretend your made up sh equates to intelligence. And how the f did they not pick up on that?bc all I had to do was pull it out my ass 🤷🏻♀️. How was I supposed to know that's really what it meant
And so many of them are so awkward. In high school we used to imagine gadgets and companies that would make the worst acronyms. And sometime me managed to sneak it into an essay or something. Like a new app for the woke SJW: The Personal Environmental and Non-binary Integrated System. - A collection of resources that will help you navigate the pit-falls of exploring your personal place on the gender-spectrum, without neglecting your environmental conscious lifestyle. Incl. vegan, fruitarism and raw food.
The key in the neck was not a "philosophy" - its was because of broken homes, divorce and working moms. First generation to really experience divorced parents. Thx.
Yep. Like we had a choice. We came home alone. Feed and took care of any younger siblings. Cleaned. Did homework and even started supper. And, got it if it wasn't done right. FTS!
As an elder Gen X'er (born in '67), I agree with some of what you are saying. However, like anything else there is variety even to the Gen X crowd. Overall we are the most self sufficient generation yet. We have the capacity to make the "hard" decisions that other generations will fumble, without the ego attached to them. We are indeed results oriented, yet we recognize that there are acceptable means to achieve the end state. We are disciplined. We are the last generation to get our asses beat if we were poorly behaved...we learned that decisions have consequences, so be ready to defend your decision making process. We were also the last generation to take personal responsibility for our actions. No trophies just for showing up, we were not taught that we were perfect little angels that could do no wrong. Coddling is not in our brain housing group. These younger generations that need constant reinforcement and hand holding are in for a very hard life lesson if they are lucky enough to get a Gen X manager.
I'm a genXer who didn't have kids. My question is how did the kids of Gen Xers become so weak? One would think Gen Z would be better able to handle life having Gen X parents, but it seems all that self reliant attitude we grew up with didn't reflect in parenting? Can't figure that one out.
@@virginiav1704because Gen X parents tried to follow the same pattern of hands off and divorce as they were raised, so media personalities, politicians, and public schools took over the raising.
Let me just say that as a genX contractor in the IT world, you got it exactly spot on. And by the way, that photo at 1:27 could in every way be a photo of me as a kid. Absolutely everything in and about that photo I can relate to, from the faded color to his crappy polyester shirt to his rudimentary computer. That photo is a snapshot of my youth. And by the way, we were responsible for the golden age and absolute summit of pop music.
I was an early Gen Xer. Born in 1966, I can relate to a lot of what is being said. Spent a lot of time outside playing with the neighborhood kids. My older sister was supposed to watch me in the summertime as both of my parents worked. She never knew where I was at. Out the door in the morning come home for lunch and then home for supper. Back outside till it was dark. That was my day. Used to hang out at the local pool a lot. We used to ride our bikes about 3 miles to the nearest ice cream place across heavily trafficked streets. This was when I was 7-8 years old. You definitely learned to take care of yourself.
*_I'M AN X-ER & I COULDN'T CARE LESS. IN MY NAKED EYES, WE WHO PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK FOR BEING BORN A CERTAIN YEAR HAVE TO LEARN SOME HUMILITY. In the end, EVERYONE is a natural-born sinner. X-ers are no holier than millennials. NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT_*
I think that the "flat hierarchy" approach is one that's really overlooked with Xers. I'm a Late X ('78) or Xennial, but find that even when I'm in a management role I try to flatten my team structure to give everyone a chance to shine (if they want it). This might only be a me thing, but I know the level of a company I'm comfortable at, and once I get to that level, the traditional hierarchy then makes me a target to move on or out. That flatter hierarchy helps because it gives the opportunity for leapfrogging (and I'm always happy to boost my team to get a better role.)
Not just a you thing. I do it myself. I work with my hands with teams of men, and if there's something I *know* a guy under me is better at, I put him in charge of it-- he may be a poor manager, but that thing? Oh, he'll manage the HECK out of it and do a fantastic job. If one of my guys comes to me with a better way to do a thing, I actually listen to him-- he may save us all kinds of grief and trouble and extra time on a site with his 'wacky idea'. If I know it won't work the way he hopes, it's because we tried it before, and I tell him WHY I won't let him do it that way in plain language. And I know how to say "Thank you" and how to say "Good job!". Every day. It makes all the difference. Edit: ah, and... if a guy comes to me with the solution to a problem, one of those above 'hairbrain schemes'? HE gets the credit, 100%.
This video wasn't as bad as a lot of what I've seen in recent years in its description of GenX as being emotionally scarred and damaged by the neglect and malice directed at us by older generations. We aren't suffering because we didn't have our boo-boos kissed and hands held through every difficulty, we're stronger because of it. I'd say the younger generations have been damaged far more from being turned into domesticated, dependent conformists by their helicopter parents far more than we were by the adults who hated us.
We also forget that are parents generation was coming of a great high from Vietnam and the hole free love experience that's how a lot of us came to be.
I agree. I have some Millennial friends tell me that I'm secretly scarred because of my rough childhood. That I need to work out problems that I don't even know I have. I keep thinking, I'm so much more content and stable than they are that even if they're right about trauma I'm covering up, what's the point of delving into it. I'll cry when I feel like it. But I don't think that's the case. I think I dealt with it. It seems like Millennials want to understand their trauma more than have a content life, while I'd rather have a good life.
@@DavidAWAI understand this perfectly. My younger friends seem to think everything needs to be talked about, while I'd much rather just move on. Bottling up your trauma is only a problem if the bottle breaks.
@@PaulGuy absolutely. We deal with it. We had to. Our parents certainly weren’t going to help us. “talk about our feelings” and shit like that. Definitely made us stronger.
Some of us are very broken, because we did not get that guidance and seemed to keep choosing the wrong direction. As a kid i was made to feel like i was never good enough, so i went through life feeling like i was not good enough and made choices that seemed to be the right thing at that moment and it always was the wrong choice. Life has felt like one fight after another to just get by.
Born in 1962. Started taking college classes in 1977. At 15. Summers, evening classes and weekend classes on top of high school. Not into sports or extra curricular bs. Just wanted to LEARN!
If the first boomers were born in 1946, it's fair to say people born in 1961 and after are of a different generation. Someone born in '61 wouldn't even remember the Kennedy assassination.
I graduated in 1982. I entered the USMC in 1982 INSTEAD OF college. If I need to "KNOW" something, I just went to a Library. NOW, I just use the computer to answer my question! In the early 1970's, I learned to type on a typewriter simply to learn how to use this machine. Mrs. Henry, a baby boomer, did not understand why a football player whose position was the NOSE GUARD, was taking a "female class." Segregation was not just black/white, male and female segregation was also coming to an end.
Gen-X here, and yea, work smarter not harder, I don't care how many hours you worked, did you get the job done, and even if I am in charge, I don't want to coddle or babysit you. Millennials friendly advice here, most Gen-X managers will get you trained and up and running, but don't expect praise for every little thing, you will get feedback, probably on how to do the job faster, or in less time, don't be upset, we want you to go home and have a life after work, after all that is what you are working for. For the new generation entering the workforce (iGen or gen Z) welcome, we see you, you wanting to please and be a team player, we see how you don't know what you are doing but want to learn and to please. Oh how you want to please, keep that up, it's refreshing to see and you are so creative and have bright new ideas. We want to hear that and really want you to be able to have a spark and hope my generation is still trying to find. If we gen Xers seem moody, don't worry, it's not you, it's life and we just are wired that way.
@@colonelyungblonsk7730 true, but they have gen-x to fall back on. We get it and get you, I have gen-z team members and love it. In fact I can pretty much sit back and just guide and let them run the show. They are more than ready for it and really do a great job, I might be in charge but without them where would I be?
Not all of this applies to me. I was born in '70. My dad worked full-time and my mom raised six children. My dad was highly involved when he got home and we all lined up in the front window when we knew it was time for him to come home, unless we were in trouble for something. We loved our parents dearly and still do. Growing up, we didn't have much money so we cherished the little things. From an early age, we got small jobs in the neighborhood so we could buy them Christmas presents every year. We mowed lawns, pulled weeds, and shoveled snow. My parents taught us responsibility and hard work, but the biggest and best thing they gave us was our faith. It is the most important thing in our lives, which we refer to in just about everything we do and when we screw up and need a reminder that the bottom line isn't everything because you can't take none of that stuff with you. We weren't angels and never will be, but we had each other and, again, still do.
Same here but dad had money because he worked hard in sales, grandpa was a sheet mill worker, grandma a beautician, mom's dad had been in the navy and was an electrician. Mom stayed home, and we lived as kids out and about in the world playing learning growing. Disciplined household, family meetings, chores, consequences. All the kids I knew across the US had it the same way as far as chores and discipline.( We moved often and lived in many states,) Our dad was generous, and we often discussed at our dinner parties, the issue of morals, decency, who to hang out with, and how life works. My parents did not have a good marriage so it took its toll on us kids. But learned many good traits that are still part of my life decades later. Common sense being one of them. I thank God for that. Learned good habits young, they're still with me.
Atheists don't generally believe that you can take it with you either. When you die there's nowhere to go, and no one to go there. It gives us a reason to appreciate the life we have.
As a Gen Xer, always loved working with Boomers and fellow Gen Xers. First time working with Millennials was a learning curve. The constant need for validation and “does the other team like me” was mentally exhausting. Always made my work day longer.
I feel I should point out that Millennials are that way due to the way us Gen Xers raised them, just as we are the way we are due to the way Baby Boomers raised us.I'm just glad it's the Millennials who are responsible for Gen Z.
Family Ties really just explained it all. Boomer parents, Xer kids. Born in 1964, I was a free agent. I had no curfew, ever. I roamed the streets as long as I wanted. And I went to the History museum, libraries, etc. by myself every time I had a school holiday... I knew the bus system cold when I was 8 or 9.
I'm a Xers and this post left out that is different from Badyboomers is the word stability. For our generation and those coming up behind us its getting harder and harder to find stable work. Like our parents generation did and that one job could last a lifetime. Well those have been gone since the nineties. M
The big move of outsourcing manufacturing as well as for under the table pay to illegals to destabilize the middle class was a big part of that. It stalled the economy starting in the 70’s. Jimmy Carter’s “Malaise”...
Born in 76. There was no “time to discover yourself.” Mental health was something spoken of in reference to asylums. We had to white knuckle our way through life and we still do. It’s not that we’re apathetic or indifferent. We just know there isn’t room for “feelings” when stuff needs to get done.
Exactly! We raised our kids with much of the same mentality. It is actually the school environment that has made our children the way they are. My kids have no problem going out and hustling for thar $$$ but they have our mentality that they don't have to stay at a job they hate. This was a great video that describes our generation to a tee. Not to work harder, but smarter is our mantra.
@@seapeajones I notice that too. I think a lot of us latchkey kids wanted to have more of that family vibe. I wanted to be there for my kids as much as possible, and I'm super close to my kids (they are adults now), but I raised mine to be pretty independent and to think for themselves.
You do not find because of social media and all the babied kids out there your kids claim they were neglected? I thought i actually spoiled my kids, they had way more than i ever did, Ad i gave them more freedom. Was not as strict as my step dad was. When my parents were home i was terrified of the man and his belt. But that is now called neglect.
Most of us X'ers have experienced it all from neglect, racism, financial instability, family issues, abuse. It has made us stronger than most, but we never forget the past that we learned from. The saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" comes from our generation, because how many times can you fall out of a tree and get all cut/bruised up but not go to the hospital/dr or complain to an adult? You simply would go to the hose, wash it off and keep on getting it. We are also the one generation now that could live in the woods if we had too. We all know how to start a fire and build a fort. We also know how to grow a garden and hunt/fish if needed.
As a gen Xer, we entered the workforce at a time when most employers stopped training their employees and instead expected us to figure everything out ourselves and begin producing quickly upon starting a job. Entrepreneurship wasn’t a choice but a necessity.
Being an engineer (born in the early 70's), my entire job is figuring things out, and it frustrates me when people come with questions on whatever, but haven't spent any time trying to figure it out. On the flip side, I'm eager to help people who have tried but got stuck or are trying and could use a little boost.
Interesting. I personally had so much incredible work training, it amazes me there isn't work training anymore. Born in 68. It was the best when I was coming up. So much talent development. It made a big difference
@@happy777abc The company I work for is global. We have offices all around the world. Training varies by local society norms. In some places it's expected that people use their own personal time to learn new skills and in some places it's expected that if the employer thinks skills are important, training will be provided during work hours.
Yep. Shortly after I entered the work world they put a PC on my desk. I thought it was Christmas. Never had one day of training. Then they "downsized" and told us to "work smarter". Next came globalization and offshoring, the internet and the Web. We just kept rolling with it.
1969 Gen X metalhead D&D nerd here. We learned not to trust the government. We saw the TV lie about the Dungeons and Dragons we played and the Judas Priest and Ozzy we listened to. We had racism on the ropes. We laughed at racist jokes about others and ourselves but regarded racist people as fools stuck in the horrible past we were lucky to be born after. The person making the hard-core racist jokes usually got the hint nobody was laughing with him and occasionally he got knocked out. Anthrax and Public Enemy onstage together was a good example of the vibe. Too much togetherness isn't good for those at the top sticking it to us so Division became the game again. Politicians been playing that game since forever but Telecommunications Act in 96 made it much easier to control the info and keep the division going. They are doing the ae thing now with the Restrict Act. Don't let the TV, tablet, phone or Teacher make you hate your neighbor. Keep talking and keep thinking, People. Chris Forever Young
I was a Latchkey kid in the 70s. We were the most unsupervised generation and had to take care of ourselves. The late 60s and the whole of the 70s were awesome, and I frequently miss those times.
Except for that generation that sacrificed their lives to save the rest of us from the Nazis. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, and so far no other generation has risen to that level. There are many heroes among us who have made that same level of sacrifice, but when speaking of generations as a whole, the WW-I and WW-II generations were special.
Born in 1968! This is so true. I just hate corporate structure stuff-if I’m good at my job, give me a raise or a promotion; if I suck, fire me. But just leave me alone to get my stuff done-I’ll professionally develop myself, thanks. 😉 I know some boomers who never want to retire, and I think they’re crazy…
Work to live, not the other way around. There is far too much emphasis on working hard and climbing the proverbial ladder these days, but I have always managed to gain enough money to do the things I always wanted to do, mainly rock climbing and hiking. The Gen X r's prefer the simple life as opposed to the digital nightmare the millennials and younger seem to want. We were happier playing in the corn fields, and swimming in the lakes, ponds or canals in summer. Making things from scrap wood like go-carts or tree houses using bent over nails. Today it has all gone, replacing it is indescribable in words, only that it destroys the soul.
Many Xers also had parents who got divorced so they had to learn how to do a lot of stuff on their own. Kramer vs Kramer came out in 1979 and reflected the high divorce rate amongst their Silent gen or Boomer parents.
As a Gen X supervisor, I have spent many hours training younger generations. Lack of taking initiative is the biggest problem I've encountered. In many skilled jobs, you have to learn to work independently. I've had the best luck with millennials who were raised like Gen Xers.
I was born in 1969. My parents, and the parents of most kids my age, were responsible parents. Yes, 'our' parents cut us a lot of slack - but they also stepped in, when necessary, and laid down the law. I believe this style helped 'us' developed a sense of responsibility and independence Honestly, Gen X enjoyed the best parenting style that life has to offer!
I show my employees how to do something once my way, make them do it my way one time then allow them to do it however the hell they want after that. The bottom line is the priority, not the task. This dude nailed it.
I'm a 76er/Bicentennial Baby (turned 47 yesterday!). Saw a TikTok by a Millennial, asking, "Who let Gen X off the hook?" and a 50-ish woman responded with, "Look, we are the last feral children. We will beat your ass. We are NOT the bigger person. We didnt have 'safe spaces' or allergies to fuckin gluten." I about died.
Best living generation. Still, I agree with what he said about millennials finding Gen X's "figure it out yourself" ethic a bit frustrating. I work toward EVENTUALLY having the most autonomy that I can, but expecting this from employees right out the gate is a Catch 22 that most boomers are blissfully unaware of and most Gen X was just able to slip past. Millennials are set to be the next great builders of society when we reach midlife, but when we do, I hope we can retain as much of that Gen X enterprise, individualism and resourcefulness as we can.
Born 63 but the benefits of a boomer eluded me as that door closed early. Experience with redrawn districts, large class size, and cancelled university programs taught me to rely on myself for initiative and opportunity. To be ready for an entry level job in any industry I ready everything I could get my hands on. Our parents struggled to understand MTV, computers, and e-mail, and therefore opposed it. This motivated me to be a patient mentor to my kids.
Proud to be a Gen X. Looking at my Millennial kids, I worked harder but had it better and did a lot more with my life in my first 20 years than they will achieve by the time they are 30. Also retired at 55 and now enjoying life to the full.
I remember being told by my grandpa (the greatest gen) to make sire I always had a backup plan, and my parents always echoed his sentiment, while focusing on getting a "career". My grandparents and Great-Grandmother (born in 1906) were more influential to me than my parents were. My parents both worked while my grandma and Great-Grandmother were SAHM/W. I hung out with my grandpa in his garage fixing on cars, or my uncle more than I did my parents. And I was enrolled in Girl Scouts where my dad (an Eagle Scout) was involved and made sure we learned out to be self sufficient in survival. If I wanted to know something I had to look it up at the library until my mom bought a Britanica Encyclopedia set. I had to memorize phone numbers and addresses and street names. I had to learn how to use a paper map. All beneficial skills that I learned throughout my childhood once I joined the military.
This is so true. I built houses and was a mechanic when I was younger. I got into IT to pay bills on time and enjoy the other 16 hours of my day. People ask if I love what I do, I say no but I love the other 16 hours. . I've been poor. Not being poor is better. I am a 1967 model year Gen X.
Wow! This is the first description of X'ers in the workplace that nailed it, at least in regards to me, almost to a T. I'm not into leadership however and I'm only semi-entrepreneurial (even X'ers don't share all personality traits) but otherwise it was so dead on it stunned me.
What I learned from my dad was, work hard for what you want. What he also showed me was how a company will work you to the bone if you let it with little to no reward.
djpioneer937 LOL For a guy obsessed with years and ages and where they fit together, he sure blew that one. A 1965 birth wouldn't enter college until 1983!
I wondered the same thing? Born in '63, I didnt enter college until '81. I wish they'd figure out what the bracket is. Usually, boomers are considered 1946-64.
xr7fan He’s grossly wrong, everyone in the thread knows this, yet you’re still debating. Even for the generally accepted generation x age range, 1960 is still incorrect.
Our attitude, (Gen-Xrs’) towards work stems largely from the fact, that during our working career, we have seen our nation out source and off shore more jobs and business than ever before in history. unlike the baby-boomer generation, we have never had long term job stability that would allow us to pursue the “American Dream”. Instead we have had to live with an endless stream of part time, short time, contract or temporary jobs. That would allow our employer to extract the maximum amount of production from us, without making any significant “commitment” to us. No healthcare, no retirement. Etc. In other words we were used and thrown away like a cheap prostitute. This is why we have an attitude with regards to our employer/employee relationship.
I'm an Xer. The video talked about self-reliance. So true. I can remember riding my bike to hang out at 7-11. They still sold girly mags and I'd check those out. Drinking cokes and standing on an upside down wooden coca-cola box to play pinball against kids in jr. high. When I was six
I loved the ROWE idea. I was always fired from every job despite being #1 at my work. No one cared that I was the best at my job. They wanted me to cozy up to the boss or follow the rule manual which would slow things down. I would recommend changes that would save hundreds of millions of dollars in the corporation and they would look at me like I was crazy. I would fight tooth and nail over it until I would eventually get fired. But you can bet before I would leave they would be somehow manipulate me into drawing up plans that they would use to train other people because I was the only one that knew how to do the job. So I would unknowingly train replacements. I will never work for another company again. I only make $12,000 a year but at least I am My own Boss
At my job, there are 37 people on our floor. Mostly Millennials, followed by Boomers. A few GenZers and the rest Gen X. There are three people who know how to repair and change the big, old laminator. Two GenXers and a Xennial. We figured it out because we were tired of waiting for maintenance to come do it. We learned 4 years ago and, although we've showed some others how to fix it, everyone comes to us to do it.
Feels spot on until about the 3:30 mark. As a kid growing up in Southern California in the late Seventies, my primary memory of the "baby bust" was having three schools close on me in quick succession. The summer after fifth grade, they shut down my elementary school, consolidating us with a neighboring school. They next year, the merged the junior highs, selling the one I would have attended to a private school. They reversed course on high school -- mine survived but the other got sold off. Add it all up and you had a pretty deep sense of impermanence. Add the fact that the Raiders were about to abandon Oakland, a town that lived for its team, for L.A. and you had a pretty quick sense that any allegiance or logo was easily transferable.
My 16 year old son is the most responsible person I have even met. He has had a job since he was 12, recently bought himself a $9,000 truck with his own money, and gets As and Bs in school. Our daughter, 14, is the same way. We intentionally raised them to be sufficient, which wasn't easy as the fear my wife and I held while watching them say walk to the store alone together when they were 5 and 7 was hard to handle, but we knew it was for their own good. Parents have been scared out of their wits by 24-7 Fear Porn media and this transfers into anxiety and fear they lay on their children. Parents must be mindful of this and think rationally or else they will create anxious and dependent children.
I’m a ‘young’ gen x. Born in late ‘79 but my parents were divorced before I was born and me and my mom moved around a lot. Totally a latchkey kid, this all rings so true in my life
Born in 66. It's amazing how this video and all the comments are 100% true. I enjoyed reading the posts and the sharing of experiences from my generation. I was an adult at 15 being raised to be self saficent and responsible. My parents did an excellent job of making me a man.
This is what happens when you road in the back without a seatbelt and were God knows where till well after dark. For the love of God. Gen Xers parents needed commercials on tv to remind them to give a shit about their kids "it's 10 o'clock.. do you know where your children are?"
I JUST told my millennial boyfriend about that commercial yesterday! I was explaining the whole latchkey thing to him, too. 😂 He didn’t believe me that the tv literally said that every night. “It’s 10:00, do you know where your kids are?”
We ruled. We will always be young. We raised ourselves. Cheers to my Sisters and brothers Gen Xers. Stay young at heart.
Hell yeah!
Damn right!
True!! Through all the pessimism and downs we became self-reliant and independent.
Can2274 Self reliant to the core
I move that as Generation Y became dubbed The Millenials, Z is being called Zoomers, our generation be dubbed The Awesome Generation.
All in favor?
As a gen Xer born in '71. Our generation was basically self-sufficient. I remember being 9 and the first one home from school, my parents would be at work till later in the evening. I'd do my homework, do laundry, make dinner, fold the laundry, put dinner in the fridge for my parents, do dishes. Watch cheers till 9 and go to bed. I'd go days without even seeing my parents.
Only child and latchkey kid. You just described most of my evenings. 😂
I was also born in 71. However, I at least had 2 other siblings to share chores. The boomer father of mine got lazy and we kids had to do the chores before our "boss" mother came home.
Genx'er born in 1969. I agree. We were left to our own devices....as long as you were home when the street lights came on! LOL! Do your chores. Mow the lawn. Do your homework, then go outside and PLAY. Street football. Kick the Can. Soccer in the yard (we had a big yard). Stick ball in the street. We were left to our own devices. Stuff parents these days would get arrested for! LOL!
Same.
‘71…..same👀
"According to X'ers what counts is performance itself and not their attitude"
That is a true statement.
OMG...that is so me...I am always lauded for my performance and told that I have a bad attitude...
Very insightful. He did fail to mention that one of the reasons Gen-X is always looking for the next opportunity is as a backup safety plan b, and for broadening their skill set because when they came of age in the work force, corporations are all about “downsizing”. X had a hard time finding a permanent job, esp without the threat of being laid off at a moments notice. Employers would ask for complete loyalty without promising any loyalty in return. Gen X learned the lesson well. Also, no GenXer entered college in the 70s - They were all still children in the 70s and the 80s even.
This is true. This time-line is skewed. He talks about the "Early 60's". He's off by about 10 years. I was born in '69. I'm a straight-up Gen'xer. Early 60's weren't. In 1979, I was 10. By 1989, I was 20. I GREW UP in the 80's. If you were EARLY 60's, you GREW UP in the 70's. That's a HUGE difference, culturally.
Excellent points.
Really good point. I almost forgot this was the case about corporations wanting your life without returning loyalty.
Yes, I didn't start college until '82....and I was still in high school until '83 (graduated at age 17). Born in '65.
@@betsysingh-anand3228 That's similar to what I did--born in '65, graduated a semester early at 17 and went to college in Jan. of '83, then went back to my high school graduation that same year just for the heck of it :)
Born in 73 here. We were lucky to come up the way we did. I could take care of myself by 4th grade. We got home to an empty house, except for siblings. We did homework. We did chores. We had part time jobs. We went to school and actually learned practical things. We fed ourselves. We also made time for fun. We built things. We cteated stuff. We hung out with friends face to face. We laughed. We cried. Most important, we LIVED LIFE. I wish we could go back to the best decades ever, the 80' and 90's. This world today, sucks ass. No way my teenage self could even come close to being friends with most of the millennials and zoomers of today. Theyd cry too much
So very true! I'm from 1973 too.
I couldn't be friends with them either. I'm an Xer born in 67. I find these kids to be whiney little bitches.
I recall having a paper route and helped with my parents cleaning business at 9yrs. Would get home 3 times a week at 11 p.m. and had to go to school the next day. Home economics and wood shop class was vital to teach us to do laundry, wash dishes, sew, wood shop has given me the skills that helped my start up my own business. We were creative, resilient and self-reliant and got things done.
Born in 65. When my kids were born, and they are on my video page and will tell you, I rarely let my kids out of my sight. I derovve them to school, there was always someone home when they got home, I barely let them go to the corner store. Oh no...I was on them like white on rice. See...I never had that when I was a kid. I went places, I look back and I am surprised I'm still alive. But that was any given Tuesdy....and it was a fun time. And it sucked too.
Born 73. By fifth grade I was in charge of taking the CTA bus with my two younger brothers to school. I did it with no problems. My mom
and dad depended on me helping them out. I was the oldest. I didn’t feel any resentment about it at the time. I still don’t. I felt it was my duty. My school mates were doing the same. Taking care of siblings and helping their parents.
I joke around that they baby me now at 50 and not when I was 11. 😂
I had a great childhood.
I'm a Gen X-er. Raised by parents who were boomers that cared only about themselves. Most of us were expected to move out on our own at 18. Finished university with no jobs waiting for us. You had to sell yourself well to get in the door. We worked our butts off and most of us didn't know our rights.
And I LIKED it!🤪☺️
I'm a boomer. I was raised by parents who only cared about how they were viewed by society, not about what was best for their children. We were expected to go to college, but when we graduated, there were no jobs because of way too many boomers hitting the job market all at once. We took what we could get as we struggled through the long years of hyper-inflation just to survive, not to mention the Vietnam war. Generation X is little different in their experiences than boomers' experiences or any other generations' experiences.
@@virginiamoss7045Not true. Xers were raised by Boomers, who were far more mentally unstable and narcissistic than previous generations. And they LOVED divorce. Boomers were the most horrible parents in American history. They went from "Devil Worship" to "Prosperity Gospel Christians" and then back to Buddhism like it was no tomorrow. Most were coke and weed addicts on top of this. Ever fellow Xer I know had Boomer parents like this. They were absolutely in love with themselves and their disco bullsh*t while they left us home alone without babysitters to figure out life on our own. No, you have no clue what we went through because like most other Boomers, you have no empathy and just want to brush everything off because it's always been about you.
@@virginiamoss7045PS- Because we are Xers and are old enough, we see through the Boomer BS you get away with telling Millennials. Boomers grew up in much better times. Yes, there was high inflation in the 70s, but it was a breeze compared today's situation. I know because I was there and remember it. Even with that inflation, everything was much cheaper in relationship to what you earned compared to today. It's why so many working class Boomers made a mint because property and homes were insanely cheap then compared to today even with the stagflation of the 70s. Property ownership is everything when it comes to building wealth and maintaining it.
And as far as jobs go, I remember all of my Boomer aunts and uncles who came of age during the 70s had absolutely no problems getting civilian and govt jobs right out of high school. And they all bought nice homes with a plot of land that were super affordable.
But when Boomers took over in the 80s and 90s, they raped the United States by buying EVERY rental property, boat dock, apt building, RV park, Mobile Home park, parking lot, etc and then jacked the rent or fees up 3-4 times higher than the Greatest Generation from whom they bought it from. By doing this, they set America on a course for the evils of Communism, because by making everything unaffordable, they made Communism attractive to Millennials and Gen Zs, because Communists promise housing stability to them. Meanwhile, Gen Xers have had to sit back and watch Boomers destroy the greatest country in history because of their immorality and greed.
I’m a gen x’er! Moved out at 17, never dreamed of bumming money off my folks, or claiming that I was owned anything. Took a beating from life, but it forced me to gather my resources and survival skills.
so true.....you were allowed to make mistakes, own them and learn from them
No better teacher than pain.
Same. Had an apartment at 17. Worked full time since. Enjoy plenty of vacations and outdoor activities. My life is good. I did basically raise myself since 13.
Both parents worked full time.
Me too! Moved out when I was 17. I worked fulltime while finished high school.
I'm a gen x and my mom kicked me out at 16
This guy sums up we Gen X'rs nearly perfectly, we are pragmatic, skeptical, down to earth and to the point. Cynical? Why yes we are, but its 100% justified and backed up by real world facts, not pie in the sky thinking.
We were born into a world that had gone mad, you could see it right there on the TV screen in full color every night. Hasn't gotten any saner either
I wear the term "cynical" like a badge of honor.
Pie in the Sky had the BEST calzones…I wonder if they’re still around…??
@@matthewatwood8641 yes, today the world is crazier. So our "cynicism" and common-sense come in handy. But we also have our values too. We are tolerant but know when to draw the line in the sand.
Cynicism is a safeguard and a constant reality check. @@georgekoros6823
I love Gen-Xers bc they don't spend every minute of every day staring at a PHONE. They actually...WORK and socialize with ACTUAL people.
That's the way it should be!👍
I think gen Xers use technology alot too, but.. we are more grounded in the really world too.
Pamela Lafferty that’s more accurate. We had to adjust and adapt to a lot of changes. We can use and enjoy the technology but we can live without if need be. 🤷🏼♀️. Adaptability works well!
Yup. As we should. I catch a lot of shit because of this....especially when I am not home....I leave the phone at home, tethered to the wall, plugged in.....just as it was when I, a member of Generation X, was a kid.....before cellphones existed.....all phones were tethered to the wall by a phone cord. You youngsters call it a land line. Land lines were the way it was for us growing up. So, yeah, we aren't addicted to mobile devices because we were born and raised before they existed.
ACEDIAMOND666 exactly. We can take them or leave them. As the most adaptable generation, think of all the things that we adapted to that the boomers either ignored or the younger ones than us were born with. I love being GenX
I am an older x’r born in 66 and I agree with this. We were taught self reliance and problem solving. We built tree houses, played tackle football outside and stickball in the street. We jumped bikes off ramps trying to be Evil Kenieval. Our teachers held us to high standards and flunked us if we did poorly and my parents would beat my ass if I acted up at school. In short, we taught ourselves to think because we were given no choice and that has made so many X’rs successful and defined who we are…
I'm an OG Xer myself ('64). Agree with all you said. However, our end of the cohort also was able to enjoy the last of the sexual revolution, pre-AIDS, and are the last to remember black & white photos and TV, rotary phones, and pre-cable television, while still being the original adopters and adapters of computing technology. Sort of a unique slot in history.
Sounds like a bunch of boomers
@@RC-fm6bj to the untrained, poorly educated, perhaps. Good luck on learning how to grow as a human. Something tells me you're going to need copius amounts of it.
@@RC-fm6bj sounds like you didn't watch the vid. Maybe you can't do math either...
Boomers would be the people that had Generation X if you knew anything but then again you grew up never having to try for anything Society failed you by making life way too easy and so you're a little cry whining baby you probably don't even know what a woman is and that's just sad because reality is reality no matter how many of your delusional friends tell you it's not
I'm glad to be a part of Generation X. We struggled, unlike our parents, we are resilient, and we are free. Our jobs never ruled us or defined us, and we were the first generation to raise ourselves, pretty much, and the last generation to play outside without being tethered to technology like subsequent generations. A part of me would like to rewind time back to the late 70's and 80's and just stay...❤
Did you raise your children the way you were raised?
A generation that was always made to feel like we were just in the way and the cause of our parents' unhappiness. Our mothers put more focus into being "fulfilled" than in raising their children. We weren't just forgotten but ignored. I was 6 and walking to & from school on my own. I'd be making my own lunch and dinner because if I didn't I wasn't eating. Most days I never actually saw my mother in the daylight unless it was the weekend. I learned at a very early age that there is no point is even bothering to ask someone for something and to just do it myself and to also not waste my effort showing anyone how to do something because they'll just argue with you and tell you "this is how I was taught to do it" irrespective if my way is clearly easier and better. Basically I learned to just live myself for myself and not waste my time with other people. People are just not worth it. This is also why I cannot, for the life of me, understand why ANYONE cares about social media. The fact that so many millions of people put so much concern into what complete strangers online think of them is astounding...stupid really.
You wrote my life.
Xr of 67 here.
I was cooking my own meals before I was tall enough to reach the stove! I stood in a chair! Did my laundry, AND my parents! All I was to them was a servant, nothing more. I did ALL the housework inside and out. I was driving at 13, and fixing my own brakes! Lied about my age, to get a job at 14.
Neglect was my only constant in life.
The list is long!
It's why I don't trust anyone anymore, and never will again.
I think it swings both ways in our generation. Some of us decided we don’t give bleep what people think, but others became perfectionists and people pleasers.
@@stillwatersfarm8499 very true! I would know 🫠
Social media is just for the faceplants.
@@Seeker0fTruth 🤚🏻recovering 😬
Dude nailed it about Gen X in the workforce. We didn't get pensions and we do our job but know the employers don't give a fig about our lifestyle. We have to adapt and overcome.
"We have to adapt and overcome" you just summed up our entire childhood.
✌😎🤘
'67 here - anyone that doesn't realize their workplace doesn't give a crap about them is a fool. They will absolutely have no loyalty to you while asking it from you in spades.
💯
You went to college for free and you could buy a burger for 90¢
This is 8 years old, but still accurate. One overarching thing you left out that for gen X, respect is earned. We are not good with positional respect. No one should be.
GenXers truly did, as Freddy sang, grow up in the shadow of the mushroom cloud. As undergrads in the 80s, we were somewhat fatalistic about the idea that we might all be vapourised at any moment; the campus I attended was right on the edge of a capital city, so we figured we'd never even see the flash, so we might as well as just get on with it.
Oh, and anybody under 35 - GenX has been using computers for longer than you.
I was writing machine language programs in 1982, so... yeah. I remember a time before cell phones and the Internet, when music was released on vinyl or tape. And it was disco!
I am such a Gen Xer. The independence I gained from having entertaining myself, has been such a positive in my life.
We can be by ourselves cause we always were.
You're right when you say we Gen X are survivors.
Alejandro Rios we are most adaptable of all
I'm a child to a Gen X parent....basically I'm victim of the things that he is speaking about.
@Edgar Foerster Well said Edgar, some call us X'rs cynical, I see it as being realistic with an abhorrence for the naivety, helplessness, and false optimism so many boomers/millennial display..
D F yep
We had to our thoughtless self absorbed decadent parents we too into their own personal lives to care.
Never had a playdate, curfew, seatbelt or bike helmet. Rode bike or walked to school one mile. Folks smoked in the house, rode in the truck bed and never asked permission to ride in neighbors cars. Worked since 14, dad never had to tell me to get a job. Got license at 15, bought own car with my money, never needed a ride since.
I see my friends now micromanage every aspect of their kids life. Kids have no autonomy, problem solving skills or sense of independence. They'll be dependent on parents until they're 30.
Gen X wanted change, so we changed ourselves for Our own benefit.
This generation wants everyone else to change for Their benefit.
OH STOP YOU SOUND LIKE A BOOMER!!.
@@watchulla
The irony of your statement is friggin' delicious.
@@nattymo7835 Lots of times it seems Gen M is Boomer 2.0, which is fine considering Gen Z is kind of panning out to be Gen X 2.0.
Very well said
"Workaholics rarely make productivity breakthroughs."
Well said.
Usually the guy who is the best "crisis manager" is the idiot who causes serial crises.
So the saying goes; if you want to find the most efficient way to get a job done, assign it to the laziest person.
@@8180634 Exactly what I was going to say!
Gen Z couldn’t kick snow off a rope 😂
As a Gen xer I kind of feel sorry for kids today. No freedom, bike helmets, helicopter parents, Sounds stifling. Our Boomer parents had thin filters. Little kids could watch horror movies, we could go miles from home and we had to decide for ourselves who we could trust. There were plenty of creepy perves to watch out for too. But we learned to read peoples intentions.
You have to realize that the overly regulated kids are the Millennials and not the kids of Gen-X'ers. Keep in mind that many Gen-X'ers had kids, who grew up to be Generation Z. These kids might have been regulated, but they still had personal freedom. The difference between Gen-X and Gen-Z is that they have smart devices instead of analog devices.
Yea, watching Clockwork Orange because your Boomer babysitters were freethinkers during the 70's wuz indeed eye-opening. lol
Omg yes! My son is coddling my grandson so bad it’s hard to watch! 🤦🏼♀️
My parents were not boomers and I'm a younger Gen x
Yes I agree me and my friends so many times getting into bad situations even dangerous but managing to get out of them every time.
Female gen X here. I did the enrollment process in the university alone. I struggled with many problems during my bachelor’s degree, my father never heard anything about them and he never asked about how I felt or how I was doing. When I finished, I told him the date of the graduation, he went there and when it was finished we went straight to the home. He never said anything about it, never gave me a graduation present, not even a lollipop. When my husband then fiancée and I decided to get married, he did nothing, he was just another person seated at the reception. We paid for everything, we saved money for the house down payment, bought the house and worked hard. What this video said is true: we almost received no help from anybody and even without help we had our accomplishments. I learned that I need to build my own safety net I do not expect someone will going to help me when I’m in trouble so I also try to prevent problems because I don’t want to deal alone with them.
This is how I am so its hard for me to understand why boomers seem to need help all the time when they were so unhelpful as parents.
@@ericstandefer9138 gen Xer here…my dad never praised me for graduating. Seven years of higher education…not one “congratulations”.
As another GenXer i relate to never being celebrated either it was painful at the time but i’m so glad we’re not the angry woke generation
@@overcomerbtbojesus Yeah the difference is that we made a positive out of that negative , unlike these angry, younger gens.
Sounds normal. My parents sat us down at 15. Get a job year round in HS. Oh ya. We refuse to help pay for college. You have to get out at 18. When I got married at 32. My parents could not make an exception and stay up late. They left at 9pm to get their precious sleep. It’s always about them
I am a retired boomer who saw the generation X employees come into the workforce and the conflicts this initially brought on with their boomer managers/bosses. The phrase used most often by our baby boomer boss was, "work till you get the job done", which meant deliberate understaffing and a lot of unpaid overtime for the accounting department where I worked. That changed when the generation X employees came - when the end of the workday came around, they went home, and getting them in on a Saturday or Sunday was difficult. If he pushed the gen X employees too hard, they just went somewhere else.
While I sometimes questioned the "work ethic", I actually liked and admired the work/life balance that the generation X workers brought. The result was that more accountants were hired and we ended up with a dual standard of expectations at the office: the baby boomers were expected to work ten hours per day, like before, plus weekends, the generation X workers were expected to leave at the end of the workday. Eventually this dual standard caused most of the baby boomers to leave, and I had a discussion with my boss that went like this: "I have more work than I can do in a workday and am having to work extra hours and on weekends to get it done. Either I am incompetent and cannot do the job and you should fire me, or there is too much work, and you need to hire me some help". His solution was to hire someone but put me under him as a punishment.
Each generation brings its own strengths and weaknesses to the workforce and to society.
A favorite quote of mine is “that which you tolerate will become yours”…so if you tolerated working overtime, weekends, etc…of course your employer would continue subjecting you to that. Why wouldn’t they if you never complained or left for a different job?
@SwissChalet Not only tolerated, but expected. If a person they are used to working two extra hours per day, leaves on time for some reason, they act like you are "cheating" the company.
This is fair. Like you said, each has their pros and cons.
Your so full of shit it ain't funny. I'm 52 and will work . I can't believe ur saying this when ur working in a accounting department. Lol go work construction once see who's working. No many gen x accountants. We got skills that nolonger taught. I got skills I could do almost anything I want.
Fuck employers that want extra work without extra pay
Find another sucker, it won't be me
I’m pretty sure boomers didn’t complain when productivity went up 600% in the 90’s when Xers entered the work force.
You're way off on your years, millennial. I started working officially in 1984.
@@PorkyHontas no he's not he just saying you guys weren't complaining at that time .i was working in 94 as a gen x n you guys weren't psychotic like you are now POWER n Control selfishness do that to a person
@Kevin Michaud I realize that but garin said Xers entered the work force in the 90s.
@@PorkyHontas a large portion of gen x entered the workforce in the 90s. Like the ones born in the 70s
@@joeposteraros I'm not denying that, but one of the writers hinted most all of Gen X started in the 90s, which isn't correct. Many Gen Xers were born in the mid sixties and early seventies and entered the workforce in the 80s. I for one got my first family supporting job in 87 whereas I got my first on-the-books job in 83. Don't forget, Gen X is a shorter timespan than most generations. Some say it started in 61 or 62 to around 64, and ending around 79-ish or 80.
I'm a millennial (born in 1993), but my parents were both Gen Xers and a lot younger than other parents of my peers. I consider myself lucky to be raised by them since they taught me self-reliance, flexibility, and how to be smart in the job market. We struggled financially, but because of their insight, I avoided a lot of the mistakes that my peers made/are making.
@Don Comer I've noticed that with many people my age. Growing up, in the early 2000s, my dad lost his job, and in 2008 (housing market crash), we nearly lost everything including our house. In a way, I was exposed to the dangers of money already, so I know to stretch my dollar far.
@@knaida9883 Your father's generation (myself included) believe failure and struggle builds character. A great example- the struggles you father went through. *You* learned from that...
I personally raised my kids
with the mindset that they're not ENTITLED to a damn thing. They're not special..to me they are ..but to society they're just another useless face in the crowd..If they want it go out and earn it. When times get hard put those big boy/girl pants on and man up..handle that s###..
Look a person in the eye when you speak..Respect is earned , not given . Be respectful BUT do not take crap from anyone.. stand your ground.
FINALLY
QUESTION EVERYTHING
Your an individual not some blind sheep just following the herd
Thats awesome! I'm Gex X, my kids were born in '97, '98, '99. I was born in '76. I raised them with actual life skills
You're very lucky to have had GenX parents. Your grandparents were horrific to your parents but they didn't do the same to you.
I was born in '76 and had my son in '95.... he worked straight out of high school, putting himself through college, purchased his own vehicles, that he works on himself. He works hard and hes finally about to get into nursing school. Like every gen, there is its cancer.....I never related to the majority of my peers and found that the "misfits" of my gen were more attuned to reality. I beleive a lot of the millennials were the product of neglectful boomers that had late-life children. They couldn't be bothered with children and alienated the X children, they planned as baby sitters. It is obvious that these kids have been neglected, while allowing the internet to raise and babysit them, on top of the brainwashing of the school system. Materialism and fast food, in place of a loving parent. It is no wonder a lot of them are angry and emotionally stunted.
Generation X: The first generation to give ITSELF participation trophies for doing the bare minimum like everyone else. Wow, you drank water from the hose like a big boy and watched cartoons home alone all by yourself? Whoopty doo!
And yet, they were born and raised to be that way by... who?
I’m seeing this 9 years later and I really think he nailed it. I love when he said we care about results, not attitude. So true.
Yes! I always say I am fine with a range of personalities if their work is done properly. And I accept what I don't agree with even more if they perform even more. Lol. Not to the extend of violating any policy of course, I just don't need to be surrounded by Yes Men or walk on eggshells. Dissent can lead to improvements.
Its true. Born in 76 and Im in shock to see how kids are so coddled today. I go to my friends house to visit and what do we have to watch on the TV? Whatver the kids are watching. This is bizrre to me. When I was a kid, I had to watch what my dad watched. thats why I go up at 7am on saturdays so that way I got to watch cartoons before he woke up. Xmas i got a pair of sneakers, thats it, not 90 present under the tree. In all honesty, im really cool with that. im glad I was brought up that way. I didnt need my family to coddle me, me and my friends made forts, caught snakes, had secrdt missions and wed be out from when school got out til late night, weekends were the best
I totally hear you on that TV thing. I've noticed when families with young kids go out to eat at a fast food restaurant, each kid orders what they want. Our parents would order FOR us. We didn't get a choice. And we were still happy. It's just so weird to see how the tables have turned. (1978).
Dad also got us toys he would play with himself, via Erector sets, and electric train sets..loved every bit of it!! love you dad, and I was honored to be in this generation R.I.P
Also born in 76'. I had a similar experience growing up.
My milennial brother and sister had a lot more growing up
Those kids parents are Gen Xers
If Nirvana became a household name when you were in high school, you're from Generation X.
WL Kreiner Yeah!
🤣😂 I was too young to go to a Nirvana concert. However, I do remember Courtney acting crazy when Madonna was trying to do an interview. Yes, I actually remember this sh. I don't randomly search these things. And if I did? I'd prob hafta have a memory for it. For kicks, I do think of random sh. But w/ technology, I'm able to confirm the sh I pull out my ass -82
According to this video, Gen X started in the early 1960s - people who hardly know what Nirvana is.
(1964-1979) Gen X
@@markswanson1752 If you were born in the mid sixties, you would be in your late 20's when Nirvana broke big. Hardly a disconnected age from pop culture. Especially when that is the extremely earliest Xers.
One of the most resilient generations. And one of which I am glad to be a part of.
I was born in ‘72 and you explained me spot on. I’m a nurse who absolutely has zero trust in my employer and consider myself a free agent so to speak. I’ll move on with no problem when a better opportunity presents itself. The employers don’t give a rip. I frustrate my kids a lot because I make them figure stuff out on their own. That’s just how we are. We won’t coddle you and hold your hand 😂
Same. I have zero trust in my employer, and have zero qualms moving on if a better offer comes along, whether it's monetary, better hours, better environment, etc or all of the above. We have to look out for ourselves, because no one else is looking out for us. Employers these days couldn’t care less about our success... they're all about that almighty dollar... and will let you go in a heartbeat if they can find someone to do your job for less.
My employer (a hospital) tried to force inject poison into me a couple years ago…I told the to “f” off.
Yep, I raised my kids the same way and they’re late Gen Y “survivors”. I dunno who raised these fragile Gen Y&Z kids?? Somebody really dropped the ball.
In other words I've got mine, you go get yours. Mentoring the young? Forget it. That's for me to know and to find out. Screw u kids.
@@endigosun Boomers. Boomers who saw how bad they were at raising us and then overcompensated and became helicopter parents.
Blessed to have a dad who was the kid brother to (2) WWII vets. The best thing about Gen X was sitting and learning from the Greatest Gen who were our Aunts and Uncles. '65 was a great year to be born.
That's another difference: My dad was a Vietnam Vet. My grandfathers were WW2 Vets. My parents were "Depression Era" kids. They were TOUGH because they HAD TO BE! Gen'xer's we're raised with that level of toughness. We have thicker skin. You kids are weak. And it's our fault for raising a generation of you. It's a little embarrassing.
You said it. Thank you.
Gen-X here who grew up with 3 Greatest Gen grandparents. They were really special. They grew up in extremely challenging conditions, but never once did they complain about it.
68 year. Great time in America
Gee, I was under the impression that Gen X started in the mid-1960s, making the first year that Gen X entered college in the mid-1980s. People who started college in the 70s were Baby Boomers.
The guys who wrote the book “Gen X” chose 1960-1980. They also wrote THE FOURTH TURNING, which is very good.
65 through 80 in my opinion.
I think maybe boomers don't realize they can and do age.
You’re right, there was a slip up in there, I heard it too. I’m an x er, I started college in 1992, not the 70’s as he stated. That was my dad lol
1964 was really the first year of Gen X....no technology, punk rock and freedom.....
I was born in 1977 and I feel like I got to experience the “old ways” (pre-tech life) and the way of today (heavy tech life). I’m in my mid-40’s now and technology has made my life much simpler but I’m not sure if it’s any better than what I remember as a younger person. I’m happy I got to experience both ways of life.
This. No other generation like us in this aspect.
I'm a bit older Gen Xer, and yeah, I'd say someone born in 1977 and younger would have this experience of "life before tech." Up until 1983-84 or so, even though MTV was raging, there was a still a lot of the "1970s" culture and old school ways that hung on until that time period. You can see it in shows like Fantasy Island that started in 1977 and ended in 1984. Most of the styles of dress and people's personalities were the same throughout the show until it ended. "The Return of the Jedi" in 1983 was also very much like Star Wars in 1977. It was around 1985-1986 that things started really changing and the "old world" was pretty much washed away with the new world of higher technology, shallow boy bands, the Crack epidemic, etc came in and would eventually become 90s culture. Anyone who did not remember or was not old enough to experience life before 1984 just could NOT be a Gen X to me because growing up during that older time was hugely influential on one's personality and cultural references.
I base this on the fact that scientifically, normal memory does not stabilize and become adult-like until 5-6 years old. This means that generally speaking, 1977 is generally the dividing line for most people to remember "the old world" before 1984. Yeah, I can see that some people born up until 1979 might have still experienced this, and if they do, I would still consider them Gen X based solely on their experience remembering the old world. But it's rare and why 1977 and earlier is more accurate.
75. Yes, home alone hours and hours. My escape was mostly toys and music. And yes I went to watch David Cronenberg’s The Fly alone at the age of 11. That’s because nobody cared if a kid should or shouldn’t be able to buy a ticket alone at a movie theater to watch a horror movie. It had its advantages but at the same time I wished I felt more supported by my parents.
Same age also saw The Fly in the movies😂.
Gen X ( Me ) to employer.
If you wan't loyalty get a dog.
Ben Dover LMFAO good one
Really?
I'm perfectly fine with loyalty, but it's also a two way street.
Troll With A Purpose there is no loyalty anymore if people are ugly to one another, it’s a simple fact, perhaps the millennials get the credit but Gen X was not afraid to say take this job and shove it.
@@raquelalhaqab5994 There is, but be prepared for small businesses with less pay. Startups can show some loyalty but that's only if it remains a small-medium business, all bets are off if they get corporate interest.
I think u explained it perfectly. I was born in 1973 and my parents did really well but we’re gone a lot, overseas on vacations, on ski trips/business trips and so forth. When I pestered them about learning to drive enough, they tossed me the keys to the spare car that was a stick shift and left out of town for a few weeks. I tore that clutch out but I figured it out and bought a car on my 15th bday and have driven everyday since. After my 15th bday and the day after I could drive, I got a job as a prep cook. I actually had a part time job at 14 that I used to buy the car with. My parents sent me to college but a semester later I was in the army. Ten years later I was out and back in college. Finished college and shortly afterwards I realized I couldn’t work for other people. Managers didn’t like me being early, staying late and always wanting more to do for extra pay so I took my savings and started my own business. Ten years later I own 4 businesses and I’m happier than ever. My parents taught me a lot but they aren’t around to teach me enough so I learned a lot on my own. My 3 teenage daughters think I’m around to much but when I tell them to go figure stuff out on their own, they act like kids and say they can’t and that they need me to do it for them. How do they need me when there smart phone is in their face 24/7?
Hail, fellow '73er! I've often told my parents and kids both that we were born in the perfect year. It was a fun time to grow up. I also worked at 14 and 15 doing odd jobs and had to go get a work permit. My kids, if they were even interested in working at that age (and they weren't) would have expected me to tell them how to go about getting a permit and then driving them everywhere and leading them through the steps to get it, and drive them to work as well. Me? I was expected to figure it out myself (pre-internet of course, for younger readers) and bike wherever I needed to go myself, regardless of weather.
Also, I continue to be amazed at the number of teenagers who don't know their local street and city names well, don't know their multiplication tables, don't remember when most holidays are, basically all these gadgets that remember things for them have caused their brains to turn off.
Ben Vasilinda i was born in 76 . Hell i remember driving our old K-5 blazer to the bus stop. And we would fight on who would get to drive it home after school. Had manual locking hubs. We would lock em in and kick donuts in the fields around our house
I remember learning how to drive. My old man tossed me the keys to an old toyota car. With a stick and told me to have at it lol
Man life was awesome
Latch-key kid from 1975 here. Started mowing lawns @12. Learned to drive in an old MG standard the same summer. Bought first car cash @ 15...miss the days before smartphones. People don't even look around or make eye contact anymore.
I am a gen-xer. I got a couple of driving lessons when I was 10 on a stick shift (when my mom was trying to learn to drive) and that was it, then when I was 17 I moved to live with my dad and one day he felt like he had a little too much to drink and just tossed me the car keys to his stick shift car and I drove us home and I have been driving ever since then.
Born in '74 and have a 16 yo son. He has to have 50 hrs of driving with his parents and take drivers ed to get a provisional license. I learned how to drive on my own. My parents taught me to stop go reverse and turn in about 10 minutes, then set me free. They just said dont hit anything and dont get pulled over bc I didnt have a license for 2 more years. They also went on trips for weeks, leaving me alone with younger siblings. We were to go to school every day and not draw attention to our house in any way.
As a Gen X '72, i can say this is so spot on.
My staff at work showed me this and its very very true to how I like to work and what my priorities are although I do disagree with the last comment that we only care about the result and not how long it takes! I'm very big on time and results but that is it, i dont care how you get to the result as long as its on time.
Gen Xer born 1974. This is all so true. Left home at 17, figured everything out on my own eventually. Made a lot of mistakes but I'm resilient and have a ton of experience. Sometimes I get nostalgic about the special angst and that kind of lonely cynicism of my younger self, and it helps me understand how I see the world today.
“Special angst” and “lonely cynicism” of my younger self. This is so spot on! I thought it was just me, but all of these comments, and especially this one, make me realize we (GenX) were all going through the same stuff.
I love looking back at the music I listened to where I could feel strong negative emotions and then leave it there in the bathroom mirror or bedroom.
Xer’s also hate acronyms like ROWE!
Mohaine thank you! No one understands. I also hate combining words like Brexit. Are we that lazy??
Tbh I always use the phrase to be honest but didn't know what tbh meant till today, not gonna lie. Other times I look at inet acronyms and like a lot of sh., I feel like I'm guessing. Or pulling sh out my ass but I'm actually pretty accurate. I've noticed this w/ ppl who are 10(+)yrs younger than me. They'll be like oh shit, she's gonna teach me something... & I'll feel all offended like look, don't pretend your made up sh equates to intelligence. And how the f did they not pick up on that?bc all I had to do was pull it out my ass 🤷🏻♀️. How was I supposed to know that's really what it meant
Yea, that got an eye-role from me.
what is ROWE?
And so many of them are so awkward.
In high school we used to imagine gadgets and companies that would make the worst acronyms. And sometime me managed to sneak it into an essay or something.
Like a new app for the woke SJW: The Personal Environmental and Non-binary Integrated System. - A collection of resources that will help you navigate the pit-falls of exploring your personal place on the gender-spectrum, without neglecting your environmental conscious lifestyle. Incl. vegan, fruitarism and raw food.
The key in the neck was not a "philosophy" - its was because of broken homes, divorce and working moms. First generation to really experience divorced parents. Thx.
Exactly! Duh
Yep. Like we had a choice. We came home alone. Feed and took care of any younger siblings. Cleaned. Did homework and even started supper. And, got it if it wasn't done right. FTS!
As an elder Gen X'er (born in '67), I agree with some of what you are saying. However, like anything else there is variety even to the Gen X crowd. Overall we are the most self sufficient generation yet. We have the capacity to make the "hard" decisions that other generations will fumble, without the ego attached to them. We are indeed results oriented, yet we recognize that there are acceptable means to achieve the end state. We are disciplined. We are the last generation to get our asses beat if we were poorly behaved...we learned that decisions have consequences, so be ready to defend your decision making process. We were also the last generation to take personal responsibility for our actions. No trophies just for showing up, we were not taught that we were perfect little angels that could do no wrong. Coddling is not in our brain housing group. These younger generations that need constant reinforcement and hand holding are in for a very hard life lesson if they are lucky enough to get a Gen X manager.
I'm a genXer who didn't have kids. My question is how did the kids of Gen Xers become so weak? One would think Gen Z would be better able to handle life having Gen X parents, but it seems all that self reliant attitude we grew up with didn't reflect in parenting? Can't figure that one out.
@@virginiav1704because Gen X parents tried to follow the same pattern of hands off and divorce as they were raised, so media personalities, politicians, and public schools took over the raising.
@virginiav1704 No, a lot of us didn't want to subject our kids to the same childhoods we had so we wildly overcompensated. 🤷🏼♀️
Let me just say that as a genX contractor in the IT world, you got it exactly spot on. And by the way, that photo at 1:27 could in every way be a photo of me as a kid. Absolutely everything in and about that photo I can relate to, from the faded color to his crappy polyester shirt to his rudimentary computer. That photo is a snapshot of my youth. And by the way, we were responsible for the golden age and absolute summit of pop music.
rudimentary computer!! thats a commodore with a state of art tape drive!
I was an early Gen Xer. Born in 1966, I can relate to a lot of what is being said. Spent a lot of time outside playing with the neighborhood kids. My older sister was supposed to watch me in the summertime as both of my parents worked. She never knew where I was at. Out the door in the morning come home for lunch and then home for supper. Back outside till it was dark. That was my day. Used to hang out at the local pool a lot. We used to ride our bikes about 3 miles to the nearest ice cream place across heavily trafficked streets. This was when I was 7-8 years old. You definitely learned to take care of yourself.
Good times. My folks would say, "just be home before the street lights come on."
Thank god I'm an xer
Weston P. W c h m news Hayes So am I.
Me too.
Amen
*_I'M AN X-ER & I COULDN'T CARE LESS. IN MY NAKED EYES, WE WHO PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK FOR BEING BORN A CERTAIN YEAR HAVE TO LEARN SOME HUMILITY. In the end, EVERYONE is a natural-born sinner. X-ers are no holier than millennials. NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT_*
ditto
Loaf of bread, container of milk and a stick of butter...
Loaf of Butter, Stick of Milk, Container of Bread
I still recite that too! Loved that cartoon.
Endless possibilities!
What a memory-thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where was that? Sesame Street? The Electric Company?
@@m.onthephone8032 "Sesame Street"
I think that the "flat hierarchy" approach is one that's really overlooked with Xers. I'm a Late X ('78) or Xennial, but find that even when I'm in a management role I try to flatten my team structure to give everyone a chance to shine (if they want it).
This might only be a me thing, but I know the level of a company I'm comfortable at, and once I get to that level, the traditional hierarchy then makes me a target to move on or out. That flatter hierarchy helps because it gives the opportunity for leapfrogging (and I'm always happy to boost my team to get a better role.)
Not just a you thing. I do it myself. I work with my hands with teams of men, and if there's something I *know* a guy under me is better at, I put him in charge of it-- he may be a poor manager, but that thing? Oh, he'll manage the HECK out of it and do a fantastic job. If one of my guys comes to me with a better way to do a thing, I actually listen to him-- he may save us all kinds of grief and trouble and extra time on a site with his 'wacky idea'. If I know it won't work the way he hopes, it's because we tried it before, and I tell him WHY I won't let him do it that way in plain language.
And I know how to say "Thank you" and how to say "Good job!". Every day. It makes all the difference.
Edit: ah, and... if a guy comes to me with the solution to a problem, one of those above 'hairbrain schemes'? HE gets the credit, 100%.
I’m 1979 and I’m exactly the same
This video wasn't as bad as a lot of what I've seen in recent years in its description of GenX as being emotionally scarred and damaged by the neglect and malice directed at us by older generations.
We aren't suffering because we didn't have our boo-boos kissed and hands held through every difficulty, we're stronger because of it. I'd say the younger generations have been damaged far more from being turned into domesticated, dependent conformists by their helicopter parents far more than we were by the adults who hated us.
We also forget that are parents generation was coming of a great high from Vietnam and the hole free love experience that's how a lot of us came to be.
I agree. I have some Millennial friends tell me that I'm secretly scarred because of my rough childhood. That I need to work out problems that I don't even know I have. I keep thinking, I'm so much more content and stable than they are that even if they're right about trauma I'm covering up, what's the point of delving into it. I'll cry when I feel like it. But I don't think that's the case. I think I dealt with it. It seems like Millennials want to understand their trauma more than have a content life, while I'd rather have a good life.
@@DavidAWAI understand this perfectly. My younger friends seem to think everything needs to be talked about, while I'd much rather just move on. Bottling up your trauma is only a problem if the bottle breaks.
@@PaulGuy absolutely. We deal with it. We had to. Our parents certainly weren’t going to help us. “talk about our feelings” and shit like that. Definitely made us stronger.
Some of us are very broken, because we did not get that guidance and seemed to keep choosing the wrong direction. As a kid i was made to feel like i was never good enough, so i went through life feeling like i was not good enough and made choices that seemed to be the right thing at that moment and it always was the wrong choice. Life has felt like one fight after another to just get by.
wait did he say Gen X'ers entered college in the late 70s? Uhh dude we were all little kids in the late 70s
Born in 1962. Started taking college classes in 1977. At 15. Summers, evening classes and weekend classes on top of high school. Not into sports or extra curricular bs. Just wanted to LEARN!
If the first boomers were born in 1946, it's fair to say people born in 1961 and after are of a different generation. Someone born in '61 wouldn't even remember the Kennedy assassination.
I graduated in 1982. I entered the USMC in 1982 INSTEAD OF college. If I need to "KNOW" something, I just went to a Library. NOW, I just use the computer to answer my question! In the early 1970's, I learned to type on a typewriter simply to learn how to use this machine. Mrs. Henry, a baby boomer, did not understand why a football player whose position was the NOSE GUARD, was taking a "female class." Segregation was not just black/white, male and female segregation was also coming to an end.
it was the late 80s early to mid 90s
Gen X started in 1965.
Gen-X here, and yea, work smarter not harder, I don't care how many hours you worked, did you get the job done, and even if I am in charge, I don't want to coddle or babysit you.
Millennials friendly advice here, most Gen-X managers will get you trained and up and running, but don't expect praise for every little thing, you will get feedback, probably on how to do the job faster, or in less time, don't be upset, we want you to go home and have a life after work, after all that is what you are working for.
For the new generation entering the workforce (iGen or gen Z) welcome, we see you, you wanting to please and be a team player, we see how you don't know what you are doing but want to learn and to please. Oh how you want to please, keep that up, it's refreshing to see and you are so creative and have bright new ideas. We want to hear that and really want you to be able to have a spark and hope my generation is still trying to find. If we gen Xers seem moody, don't worry, it's not you, it's life and we just are wired that way.
Gen Z ain't exactly a promised Generation either
CM Hughes nailed it!!!!
@@colonelyungblonsk7730 true, but they have gen-x to fall back on. We get it and get you, I have gen-z team members and love it. In fact I can pretty much sit back and just guide and let them run the show. They are more than ready for it and really do a great job, I might be in charge but without them where would I be?
Not all of this applies to me. I was born in '70. My dad worked full-time and my mom raised six children. My dad was highly involved when he got home and we all lined up in the front window when we knew it was time for him to come home, unless we were in trouble for something. We loved our parents dearly and still do. Growing up, we didn't have much money so we cherished the little things. From an early age, we got small jobs in the neighborhood so we could buy them Christmas presents every year. We mowed lawns, pulled weeds, and shoveled snow. My parents taught us responsibility and hard work, but the biggest and best thing they gave us was our faith. It is the most important thing in our lives, which we refer to in just about everything we do and when we screw up and need a reminder that the bottom line isn't everything because you can't take none of that stuff with you. We weren't angels and never will be, but we had each other and, again, still do.
Same here but dad had money because he worked hard in sales, grandpa was a sheet mill worker, grandma a beautician, mom's dad had been in the navy and was an electrician. Mom stayed home, and we lived as kids out and about in the world playing learning growing. Disciplined household, family meetings, chores, consequences. All the kids I knew across the US had it the same way as far as chores and discipline.( We moved often and lived in many states,) Our dad was generous, and we often discussed at our dinner parties, the issue of morals, decency, who to hang out with, and how life works. My parents did not have a good marriage so it took its toll on us kids. But learned many good traits that are still part of my life decades later. Common sense being one of them. I thank God for that. Learned good habits young, they're still with me.
Atheists don't generally believe that you can take it with you either. When you die there's nowhere to go, and no one to go there. It gives us a reason to appreciate the life we have.
As a Gen Xer, always loved working with Boomers and fellow Gen Xers. First time working with Millennials was a learning curve. The constant need for validation and “does the other team like me” was mentally exhausting. Always made my work day longer.
Yes, working with Millennials takes me (a Gen Xer) back to my days as a camp counselor (emphasis on counselor). 😃
I feel I should point out that Millennials are that way due to the way us Gen Xers raised them, just as we are the way we are due to the way Baby Boomers raised us.I'm just glad it's the Millennials who are responsible for Gen Z.
Family Ties really just explained it all. Boomer parents, Xer kids. Born in 1964, I was a free agent. I had no curfew, ever. I roamed the streets as long as I wanted. And I went to the History museum, libraries, etc. by myself every time I had a school holiday... I knew the bus system cold when I was 8 or 9.
I'm a Xers and this post left out that is different from Badyboomers is the word stability. For our generation and those coming up behind us its getting harder and harder to find stable work. Like our parents generation did and that one job could last a lifetime. Well those have been gone since the nineties. M
Those jobs have been mostly gone since Reaganomics destroyed them.
@@MrJojamiejo 😁
The big move of outsourcing manufacturing as well as for under the table pay to illegals to destabilize the middle class was a big part of that. It stalled the economy starting in the 70’s. Jimmy Carter’s “Malaise”...
I was born in 64….started going to the grocery store by myself at age 4. Cooking and babysitting in grade school. I’m not afraid of much in life.
This analysis is spot on! I was born in 1967.
Everything you said about X-ers is how I feel in every scenario you presented.
Proud Gen X'er. 78
Born in 76. There was no “time to discover yourself.” Mental health was something spoken of in reference to asylums. We had to white knuckle our way through life and we still do. It’s not that we’re apathetic or indifferent. We just know there isn’t room for “feelings” when stuff needs to get done.
Exactly! We raised our kids with much of the same mentality. It is actually the school environment that has made our children the way they are. My kids have no problem going out and hustling for thar $$$ but they have our mentality that they don't have to stay at a job they hate. This was a great video that describes our generation to a tee. Not to work harder, but smarter is our mantra.
Perhaps you did. Gen Z seems nothing like X.
@@seapeajones I notice that too. I think a lot of us latchkey kids wanted to have more of that family vibe. I wanted to be there for my kids as much as possible, and I'm super close to my kids (they are adults now), but I raised mine to be pretty independent and to think for themselves.
You do not find because of social media and all the babied kids out there your kids claim they were neglected? I thought i actually spoiled my kids, they had way more than i ever did, Ad i gave them more freedom. Was not as strict as my step dad was. When my parents were home i was terrified of the man and his belt. But that is now called neglect.
Most of us X'ers have experienced it all from neglect, racism, financial instability, family issues, abuse. It has made us stronger than most, but we never forget the past that we learned from. The saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" comes from our generation, because how many times can you fall out of a tree and get all cut/bruised up but not go to the hospital/dr or complain to an adult? You simply would go to the hose, wash it off and keep on getting it. We are also the one generation now that could live in the woods if we had too. We all know how to start a fire and build a fort. We also know how to grow a garden and hunt/fish if needed.
As a gen Xer, we entered the workforce at a time when most employers stopped training their employees and instead expected us to figure everything out ourselves and begin producing quickly upon starting a job. Entrepreneurship wasn’t a choice but a necessity.
Being an engineer (born in the early 70's), my entire job is figuring things out, and it frustrates me when people come with questions on whatever, but haven't spent any time trying to figure it out. On the flip side, I'm eager to help people who have tried but got stuck or are trying and could use a little boost.
Interesting. I personally had so much incredible work training, it amazes me there isn't work training anymore. Born in 68. It was the best when I was coming up. So much talent development. It made a big difference
@@happy777abc The company I work for is global. We have offices all around the world. Training varies by local society norms. In some places it's expected that people use their own personal time to learn new skills and in some places it's expected that if the employer thinks skills are important, training will be provided during work hours.
Yep. Shortly after I entered the work world they put a PC on my desk. I thought it was Christmas. Never had one day of training. Then they "downsized" and told us to "work smarter". Next came globalization and offshoring, the internet and the Web. We just kept rolling with it.
1969 Gen X metalhead D&D nerd here. We learned not to trust the government. We saw the TV lie about the Dungeons and Dragons we played and the Judas Priest and Ozzy we listened to.
We had racism on the ropes. We laughed at racist jokes about others and ourselves but regarded racist people as fools stuck in the horrible past we were lucky to be born after. The person making the hard-core racist jokes usually got the hint nobody was laughing with him and occasionally he got knocked out. Anthrax and Public Enemy onstage together was a good example of the vibe.
Too much togetherness isn't good for those at the top sticking it to us so Division became the game again. Politicians been playing that game since forever but Telecommunications Act in 96 made it much easier to control the info and keep the division going. They are doing the ae thing now with the Restrict Act.
Don't let the TV, tablet, phone or Teacher make you hate your neighbor. Keep talking and keep thinking, People.
Chris Forever Young
The first generation when kicking a paedo in the nuts and scarpering on your BMX was a real option.
I was a Latchkey kid in the 70s. We were the most unsupervised generation and had to take care of ourselves. The late 60s and the whole of the 70s were awesome, and I frequently miss those times.
Dec 1969 reporting for duty. Nothing has slowed me down. Only grey hair but that is no problemo. Here if anyone needs me. Gen X forever ❤️.
Xer here and proud of it.
MontanaMountainMen it’s because we don’t give a damn and we will never get old. Gen X forever ✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼
Me too my wife and I are both gen Xers and have accomplished alot
GenX is truly the GREATEST GENERATION - bar none.
Except for that generation that sacrificed their lives to save the rest of us from the Nazis. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, and so far no other generation has risen to that level. There are many heroes among us who have made that same level of sacrifice, but when speaking of generations as a whole, the WW-I and WW-II generations were special.
@@8180634 Lol, *we* were never at risk, try again.
By what metric?
‘71 here, hi fellow X-ers and everyone else, it’s such a joy reading the comments, brings so much more depth and “real life” to it.
Born in 1968! This is so true. I just hate corporate structure stuff-if I’m good at my job, give me a raise or a promotion; if I suck, fire me. But just leave me alone to get my stuff done-I’ll professionally develop myself, thanks. 😉
I know some boomers who never want to retire, and I think they’re crazy…
Work to live, not the other way around. There is far too much emphasis on working hard and climbing the proverbial ladder these days, but I have always managed to gain enough money to do the things I always wanted to do, mainly rock climbing and hiking. The Gen X r's prefer the simple life as opposed to the digital nightmare the millennials and younger seem to want. We were happier playing in the corn fields, and swimming in the lakes, ponds or canals in summer. Making things from scrap wood like go-carts or tree houses using bent over nails. Today it has all gone, replacing it is indescribable in words, only that it destroys the soul.
Thats right...We farm hundreds of acres still with 45 year old tractors...Proud independent..
Many Xers also had parents who got divorced so they had to learn how to do a lot of stuff on their own. Kramer vs Kramer came out in 1979 and reflected the high divorce rate amongst their Silent gen or Boomer parents.
As a Gen X supervisor, I have spent many hours training younger generations. Lack of taking initiative is the biggest problem I've encountered. In many skilled jobs, you have to learn to work independently. I've had the best luck with millennials who were raised like Gen Xers.
Which is to say the Millennials who were born in the early 1980s.
I was born in 1969. My parents, and the parents of most kids my age, were responsible parents. Yes, 'our' parents cut us a lot of slack - but they also stepped in, when necessary, and laid down the law. I believe this style helped 'us' developed a sense of responsibility and independence Honestly, Gen X enjoyed the best parenting style that life has to offer!
I show my employees how to do something once my way, make them do it my way one time then allow them to do it however the hell they want after that. The bottom line is the priority, not the task. This dude nailed it.
I'm a 76er/Bicentennial Baby (turned 47 yesterday!). Saw a TikTok by a Millennial, asking, "Who let Gen X off the hook?" and a 50-ish woman responded with, "Look, we are the last feral children. We will beat your ass. We are NOT the bigger person. We didnt have 'safe spaces' or allergies to fuckin gluten." I about died.
I heard someone else refer to us as “30 and holding since 12.” Seems perfect. This video is the most relatable thing I’ve seen in a long time. Thanks
Best living generation. Still, I agree with what he said about millennials finding Gen X's "figure it out yourself" ethic a bit frustrating. I work toward EVENTUALLY having the most autonomy that I can, but expecting this from employees right out the gate is a Catch 22 that most boomers are blissfully unaware of and most Gen X was just able to slip past. Millennials are set to be the next great builders of society when we reach midlife, but when we do, I hope we can retain as much of that Gen X enterprise, individualism and resourcefulness as we can.
To this day I still prefer to work on my own at my own pace but the job is done on time.
Blown away by this. Everything this man is saying is so true.
Born 63 but the benefits of a boomer eluded me as that door closed early. Experience with redrawn districts, large class size, and cancelled university programs taught me to rely on myself for initiative and opportunity. To be ready for an entry level job in any industry I ready everything I could get my hands on.
Our parents struggled to understand MTV, computers, and e-mail, and therefore opposed it. This motivated me to be a patient mentor to my kids.
Proud to be a Gen X. Looking at my Millennial kids, I worked harder but had it better and did a lot more with my life in my first 20 years than they will achieve by the time they are 30. Also retired at 55 and now enjoying life to the full.
I remember being told by my grandpa (the greatest gen) to make sire I always had a backup plan, and my parents always echoed his sentiment, while focusing on getting a "career". My grandparents and Great-Grandmother (born in 1906) were more influential to me than my parents were. My parents both worked while my grandma and Great-Grandmother were SAHM/W. I hung out with my grandpa in his garage fixing on cars, or my uncle more than I did my parents. And I was enrolled in Girl Scouts where my dad (an Eagle Scout) was involved and made sure we learned out to be self sufficient in survival. If I wanted to know something I had to look it up at the library until my mom bought a Britanica Encyclopedia set. I had to memorize phone numbers and addresses and street names. I had to learn how to use a paper map. All beneficial skills that I learned throughout my childhood once I joined the military.
Gen X knows we can't trust, or rely on anyone but ourselves.
Saw a Tweet about Gen-X that said, "We were 30 when were 10... and now that we're 50, we're _STILL_ 30."
This is so true. I built houses and was a mechanic when I was younger. I got into IT to pay bills on time and enjoy the other 16 hours of my day. People ask if I love what I do, I say no but I love the other 16 hours. . I've been poor. Not being poor is better. I am a 1967 model year Gen X.
As a gen X'r i love that we just get on with it no matter what - afraid of nothing life throws our way and have fun doing it!!
I chop down mountains with the edge of my hand.....
Wow! This is the first description of X'ers in the workplace that nailed it, at least in regards to me, almost to a T. I'm not into leadership however and I'm only semi-entrepreneurial (even X'ers don't share all personality traits) but otherwise it was so dead on it stunned me.
I was born in 1971, and I have lived my entire life with the attitudes presented here.
What I learned from my dad was, work hard for what you want. What he also showed me was how a company will work you to the bone if you let it with little to no reward.
he said, "when x-ers entered college in the late 1970s." How the hell is that possible
djpioneer937 LOL For a guy obsessed with years and ages and where they fit together, he sure blew that one. A 1965 birth wouldn't enter college until 1983!
I wondered the same thing? Born in '63, I didnt enter college until '81. I wish they'd figure out what the bracket is. Usually, boomers are considered 1946-64.
xr7fan Gen X didn’t start in 1960 though
xr7fan He’s grossly wrong, everyone in the thread knows this, yet you’re still debating. Even for the generally accepted generation x age range, 1960 is still incorrect.
xr7fan If the sky is orange, by his definition, you’ll accept that as well? His definition is wrong, therefore his math is, simple and plain.
Our attitude, (Gen-Xrs’) towards work stems largely from the fact, that during our working career, we have seen our nation out source and off shore more jobs and business than ever before in history.
unlike the baby-boomer generation, we have never had long term job stability that would allow us to pursue the “American Dream”.
Instead we have had to live with an endless stream of part time, short time, contract or temporary jobs. That would allow our employer to extract the maximum amount of production from us, without making any significant “commitment” to us.
No healthcare, no retirement. Etc.
In other words we were used and thrown away like a cheap prostitute. This is why we have an attitude with regards to our employer/employee relationship.
72 baby here. My brother and I were pretty much mildly supervised after school and did our own thing. Very creative people today.
I'm an Xer. The video talked about self-reliance. So true. I can remember riding my bike to hang out at 7-11. They still sold girly mags and I'd check those out. Drinking cokes and standing on an upside down wooden coca-cola box to play pinball against kids in jr. high.
When I was six
I'm amazed at how accurate this is.
I loved the ROWE idea. I was always fired from every job despite being #1 at my work. No one cared that I was the best at my job. They wanted me to cozy up to the boss or follow the rule manual which would slow things down.
I would recommend changes that would save hundreds of millions of dollars in the corporation and they would look at me like I was crazy. I would fight tooth and nail over it until I would eventually get fired.
But you can bet before I would leave they would be somehow manipulate me into drawing up plans that they would use to train other people because I was the only one that knew how to do the job. So I would unknowingly train replacements. I will never work for another company again.
I only make $12,000 a year but at least I am My own Boss
July 4th, 2023, and I'm seeing this for the first time and this video is hitting on all points!!!
At my job, there are 37 people on our floor. Mostly Millennials, followed by Boomers. A few GenZers and the rest Gen X.
There are three people who know how to repair and change the big, old laminator. Two GenXers and a Xennial. We figured it out because we were tired of waiting for maintenance to come do it. We learned 4 years ago and, although we've showed some others how to fix it, everyone comes to us to do it.
Feels spot on until about the 3:30 mark. As a kid growing up in Southern California in the late Seventies, my primary memory of the "baby bust" was having three schools close on me in quick succession. The summer after fifth grade, they shut down my elementary school, consolidating us with a neighboring school. They next year, the merged the junior highs, selling the one I would have attended to a private school. They reversed course on high school -- mine survived but the other got sold off. Add it all up and you had a pretty deep sense of impermanence. Add the fact that the Raiders were about to abandon Oakland, a town that lived for its team, for L.A. and you had a pretty quick sense that any allegiance or logo was easily transferable.
My 16 year old son is the most responsible person I have even met. He has had a job since he was 12, recently bought himself a $9,000 truck with his own money, and gets As and Bs in school. Our daughter, 14, is the same way. We intentionally raised them to be sufficient, which wasn't easy as the fear my wife and I held while watching them say walk to the store alone together when they were 5 and 7 was hard to handle, but we knew it was for their own good. Parents have been scared out of their wits by 24-7 Fear Porn media and this transfers into anxiety and fear they lay on their children. Parents must be mindful of this and think rationally or else they will create anxious and dependent children.
I’m a ‘young’ gen x. Born in late ‘79 but my parents were divorced before I was born and me and my mom moved around a lot. Totally a latchkey kid, this all rings so true in my life
Born in 66. It's amazing how this video and all the comments are 100% true. I enjoyed reading the posts and the sharing of experiences from my generation. I was an adult at 15 being raised to be self saficent and responsible. My parents did an excellent job of making me a man.
This is what happens when you road in the back without a seatbelt and were God knows where till well after dark.
For the love of God. Gen Xers parents needed commercials on tv to remind them to give a shit about their kids "it's 10 o'clock.. do you know where your children are?"
Uhhhh, that was applied to us not for us...
@@LucianCorrvinus Seems like a missing apostrophe or something. --> "Gen X'ers parents..." goes along with the sentiment.
I JUST told my millennial boyfriend about that commercial yesterday! I was explaining the whole latchkey thing to him, too. 😂 He didn’t believe me that the tv literally said that every night. “It’s 10:00, do you know where your kids are?”
That ad ran from the late 60s to the late 80s. We weren't special as Gen Xers.