Generation Of ‘X’cellence
By Trevor Bothwell (04/25/03)
Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1976) may be the most misunderstood generation in American history. Taken from a book written in 1991 by Douglas Coupland by the same name, which described fictional characters who wanted to pull away from class and status labels in society in favor of their own individuality, the term Generation X itself evolved primarily as a result of stereotypes.
Having found pockets of America’s youth that fit the description of the “intensely private” and “unpredictable” characters outlined in Coupland’s book, the media dubbed them Generation X. Consequently, society came to typecast this generation (my generation) as unmotivated, cynical, unpromising introverts who could probably name any game in the Atari 2600 family but do little else.
To be sure, there were many societal dynamics that contributed to the stamp applied to Gen Xers. During our youth our mothers increasingly joined the work force. Divorce rates also skyrocketed while we were growing up. Our parents, who were in large part the older generation of Baby Boomers, helped to form the “me society” of the 1980s, where they began to view their children and even each other as secondary to their own careers.
As a result, about 40% of us grew up in single parent households. We often didn’t have mom or dad around to remind us to do our homework after school (which may have contributed to our generation going on to set the record for highest college freshman dropout rate), so a lot of us got accustomed to spending our time watching late afternoon game shows or hanging out with Donkey Kong.
Indeed, Gen Xers became known for spending more time watching TV than going to school. We were the earliest of latchkey kids. We formed the grunge movement and alternative rock, and became known as freeloaders who would rather spend seven years in college and live with the ’rents instead of getting out into the real world and finding a job. In fact, it’s been said that the only thing we have to show for our generation is that we have nothing to show for it.
But as Bob Dylan, an old fella from a prior generation, once said: the times they are a-changin’.
Gen Xers might have been forced to endure some lonely days after school, but it made us more independent. We learned to take care of ourselves and our siblings, and we learned to cook and clean without having to be told. And just because we watched a lot of television that didn’t necessarily mean we weren’t watching educational programs. My personal favorite was Mr. Wizard’s World.
Because we know what it’s like to come home to an empty house, Gen Xers are increasingly leading a trend back to family values, where we’re making a point to spend more time with our own children. Many of today’s young women are rejecting the myth that we define ourselves solely through our professions, and when possible, are choosing to be stay-at-home moms instead of sending kids off to commercialized day care.
For all the criticism we took for epitomizing the video game generation, Gen Xers are responsible for embracing the nascent computer technology of our childhood and advancing it to levels that today allow it to be used anywhere from the business world to the battlefield. Amazingly, kids today can use the same aircraft simulator video games in their living rooms that are employed to train aviators in our military’s test pilot schools. And contrary to those who would still argue that we have nothing to show for ourselves, it was Generation X that was largely responsible for waging the most technically sound and morally responsible war to date in Iraq.
Gen Xers are the children of Ronald Reagan. We have learned from our childhood president and mentor that progress can only be achieved by taking risks and doing what is right; we have thus accounted for a noticeable rise in conservative principles, fiscal responsibility, and moral clarity. We comprise some of the strongest voices in conservative media today, and Generation Y (of whom 91 percent of ninth graders recently polled said they were proud of the United States) is getting our message loud and clear. No wonder liberals are trying so hard to stay relevant, futile as their attempts may be.
Perhaps Generation X was slow in the making, but we’ve inarguably shown up and we’re here to stay. I’d say it’s a safe bet that that can only be a good thing for future generations to come.
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