Whatever happened to Generation X?

[brewer12345]

Its funny, but realizing how exposed we are on social media and watching the Millenials' pratfalls in this area has made me very shy. I don't even let DW post pictures that have my face on facebook or instagram.

 

[SnowBound]

From that wiki link "....many Generation Jones members complain that there was a paucity of resources and privileges available to them that were seemingly abundant to those older boomers born earlier. "

I'm wondering what "resources and privileges...seemingly abundant" these were? Can anyone please elucidate?

As a slightly earlier Boomer, I felt Boomers were always dealing with a lack of resources due to the huge Boomer bulge in the population...too many fighting for limited resources.

From the time we were in school (not enough classrooms & teachers -- so classes were large (32 to 36 students per classroom), often we took three grades in 2 years (Grades 3, 4, & 5 were completed in two school years), some schools added Quonset huts or trailer classrooms outside their brick buildings to accommodate the burgeoning student population. I also heard of some school systems offering 2 daily shifts (early and late) to get Boomers educated.

When Boomers arrived, colleges started cramming students into dorm rooms (Often putting bunk beds where there used to be twin beds, and sometimes putting bunk beds in the shower areas [making them unusable for showering]...thus straining the remaining shower resources). I think this overcrowding may have contributed to changing the mandatory policy of students residing on campus.

And when Boomers graduated college, it was an extremely competitive market to get hired -- possibly leading to lower starting salaries overall (supply > demand). In the workforce, Boomers often saw reductions of the perks and benefits that the "silent generation" before them had received.

And in retirement, Boomers are being cautioned about the specter of reduced SS benefits approaching. Again, too many people > limited resources


omni

Born 1967, really Gen X: Educated in the trailers that the Boomers trashed. College: All the Prof's where recovering from all the drugs on campus the previous 10 years. Lots of clever slogans like "Don't do drugs". Getting a job: All filled by Boomers, don't need anyone unless someone retires. Hopefully Gen X SS isn't: Sorry, we spent it all on the Boomers... So I'm retiring early and . Just hope all the other Gen X's have a plan B...

 

[always_learning]

Just hope all the other Gen X's have a plan B...

I know several who are just "playing ostrich". I don't know if that's their plan A or their plan B.

One has her student loans on an income-based-repayment plan. She routinely pays utilities late yet buys the 5-year old child name-brand clothes so the other kids at the private school won't pick on her for wearing the wrong brands. One such dress cost $120. She has a closet full because it's apparently gauche to wear the same thing twice. At age five.

Another one says she's debt free "except for my car payment which everyone has". Again -->

Both also take frequent vacations, eat out at full-service restaurants often, and drive pricey SUVs.

Both have said to me that they have no idea what they'll do "when retirement gets here".

Like you, I'm just

 

[DFDubb]

Its funny, but realizing how exposed we are on social media and watching the Millenials' pratfalls in this area has made me very shy. I don't even let DW post pictures that have my face on facebook or instagram.

The only photos of me that have been posted online are those for which I did not give consent. IE a family members wedding or something where I'm not going to demand they take it down. I have IG, FB, etc...accounts, but I pretty much never post anything, it's just to be able to peek into that world. Social media is not for me and I don't understand how anyone is active on it after watching countless people lose their careers over it every single day.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Born 1967, really Gen X: Educated in the trailers that the Boomers trashed. College: All the Prof's where recovering from all the drugs on campus the previous 10 years. Lots of clever slogans like "Don't do drugs". Getting a job: All filled by Boomers, don't need anyone unless someone retires. Hopefully Gen X SS isn't: Sorry, we spent it all on the Boomers... So I'm retiring early and . Just hope all the other Gen X's have a plan B...

pretty much nails this thread

 

[Which Roger]

I spoke to a friend who put it best “what music do you listen to?”

This more than anything defines what generation you belong to.

If you're solidly in the Boomer Generation, the Beatles coming to America is the most significant event of the 20th century. If you're solidly in Gen X, it's the first time you heard Smells Like Teen Spirit. Being in between these 2 generations, neither resonates with me as much as The Wall or Damn The Torpedoes or The River.

 

[JoeWras]

If you're solidly in the Boomer Generation, the Beatles coming to America is the most significant event of the 20th century. If you're solidly in Gen X, it's the first time you heard Smells Like Teen Spirit. Being in between these 2 generations, neither resonates with me as much as The Wall or Damn The Torpedoes or The River.

Those are decent choices. For me, it was The Police. Maybe some Clash. The girls love Duran Duran.

 

[BeachOrCity]

no doubt

for example, my six sirius settings:

outlaw country
classic vinyl - cut my teeth on this stuff
classic rewind - ditto
lithium - stuff i listened to mostly after college
first wave - stuff i listened to mostly in hs/college
deep tracks

Still love 1st wave!

 

[Music Lover]

If you're solidly in the Boomer Generation, the Beatles coming to America is the most significant event of the 20th century. If you're solidly in Gen X, it's the first time you heard Smells Like Teen Spirit. Being in between these 2 generations, neither resonates with me as much as The Wall or Damn The Torpedoes or The River.

That describes me...I was born in 1962 and too young to appreciate The Beatles (I do now), and too old to care about Nirvana.

The Wall, Damn the Torpedoes, and Brothers In Arms was the music of my generation.

 

[LastOfTheBoomers]

Born in 1964 - hence my handle - youngest in the family so raised like a baby boomer - but I can relate to all Gen X just as well.
My funny comment lately has been how I don’t remember hotel chains building a hotel brand to attract Baby Boomers like they do for Millennials!

 

[kevdude]

Born in 1963 and was always told I was a boomer, although at the tail end. I always thought of boomers as those those growing up in the 60's so never related. I also never thought of myself as a Gen X'er, so the Gen Jones actually makes sense to me. It seems people I grew up with were always trying to keep up with the Jones's, and most still are. As far as music goes, I am a fan of Classic Rock (late 60's and 70's) and Classic Rewind (from SiriusXM - rock from 70's and 80's), but prefer heavy metal. I grew up with the hair metal bands, but wasn't much of a fan. I did move to Seattle right after the grunge scene took off and greatly enjoyed the music scene here. Well, up until the time I got married and settled down a bit.

As my career was taking off, pensions were going away and we could roll what little we had accumulated into a cash balance pension and replace it with a 401k. I think I rolled mine into my 401k and my wife (born in 1964) kept hers. The monthly pay-out on hers is estimated at $267 currently, so pretty measly.

I always figured it was the baby boomers that messed things up - think the movie Wall Street, along with Enron, etc. And now their kids messing things up in other ways with their "heightened" sensitivity and over the top political correctness. My generation obviously had nothing to do with those things... "roll eyes"

 

[deserat]

Those are decent choices. For me, it was The Police. Maybe some Clash. The girls love Duran Duran.

Yup - I still remember when MTV was a novelty with the Duran Duran videos (Rio Grande), the Clash (Rock the Casbah) and the Police - brings back so many memories of college - it was new wave.

Remember the wild outfits, pink hair, etc? hehehe

Born in 1964 - I call myself a tweener - I was the oldest child in my family. My parents were born in 40 and 44, so during before and during WWII.

 

[prose3589]

I am smack in the middle of Gen X. My generational cohort pretty much got the cornhole over and over. The boomers ruined all the good stuff (pensions, retiree healthcare, SS, Medicare, etc.), and their kids (Millenials) are the ones being catered to. Not a lot I could ever do about it except keep my head down and work hard. Regular applications of KY to the appropriate orifice ease the discomfort.

This!

 

[523HRR]

Born in ‘63. FIREd in 2012. Never felt like a boomer.

 

[SpinDoctorTX]

I agree with all you said and really like your last couple of lines....How true!

I'm just going to be very quiet. (1960 was a very good year, ya know?)

 

[Henry Lili]

Us older Gen-Xers also had to deal with the 1991-92 recession, making three in all that we have to deal with in our working years. (And don't forget about the 1987 market crash.)

+1. 1966 here. Experiencing the gas lines of the 70's, crash of 1987 (hearing of it while walking across my college campus), recession of early 90's etc. solidified my formative years and natural predisposition to LBYM, save and invest. Rinse, repeat. Happily FIRED just shy of my 47th birthday.[emoji6]

 

[Turboslacker]

Good post!
I'm Gen X 100%. I've experienced every bit of it. This includes being a drummer in an alternative grunge band playing live gigs in Seattle area in early 90's.

One description of our generation I learned during mgmt leadership training is "cynical." I prefer sceptical which does represent me and my friends.

Another observation is that in the American capitalistic marketplace we have been intentionally overlooked and did not have consumer products and services catered to us. This is simply due to economic demographics of us being the smaller Gen compared to Baby Boomers 2X and Millennials 3X the population.

How about being screwed in the sexuality realm? Boomers enoyed the free sexual freedom times and Millennials invented friends with benefits. Gen X teenagers were instead targeted w abstinence and condom promotion during the early HIV AIDS crap. Even the damn conservative fashion of high school and college girls totally denied us boys - over sized sweathers and loose fitting layers hiding the beautiful curves. Boomers invented bikinis and Millennials doing extremely revelling, provocative clothing.

Crazy conversations Ive had with my peer Gen Xers [emoji23]

 

[Koogie]

I am a middle-of-the-pack GenXer and I think that we are doing OK as a generation. We were told early and often not to expect much and we are learning to deal with it.

+1 Born in 73. Grew up rural and poor but happy. Graduated school into the teeth of a recession in the early 90s and struggled for a few years. Never really bothered me because of my upbringing.

Growing up all my role models were born in the 1920s and 1930s and had seen real hardship. They beat frugality into me. Sometimes literally.

Makes me genuinely despise some of the kids these days who whinge and moan about how "hard" and "unfair" life is. Tell that to a Dustbowl survivor or someone who lived through WWII. As if the whiners could take their noses out of their $1000 iPhone long enough to listen to them, that is.

 

[Urchina]

I'm right in the middle of the GenX cohort as well. I'm pretty happy here, the loss of pensions and SS issues notwithstanding. All those Boomers are retiring, which means great career opportunities for those of us with some experience under our belts, the proliferation of low-cost index funds means DIY investments have never been so easy, and the Millennials' demands for more flexible work and a better work-life balance are spilling over into our jobs as well.

Those of us who went to college right out of high school got in and out before tuition skyrocketed, so were able to buy homes more easily.

And, nobody is really paying attention to us.

All in all, it's a pretty fair spot to be in.

 

[Reach]

I think we'll see less ER among the GenX'ers vs. boomers.

Enjoying this thread! I'm a GenX'er (1968) and can relate to those of us here who put our nose down ~ i.e. w*rked our asses off ~ and set off to meet ER goals. Nothing expected; outcomes are up to you.

DH (1963) and I FIRE'd 10 years ago to sail off into the sunset, literally. I'm pretty sure his Boomer/Jones'r financial conservatism rubbed off on me.

Our plans do not rely on SS or pensions even though we have them. Life could get even more interesting in 10-17 years if/when these kick in...

We did get hit by the two major recessions, one right after we retired , but remained aggressive with our investments and rode out some pretty impressive bubbles too. LBYM and patience paid off for us.

Since ER, we pay for our own health insurance, which is a roller coaster these days.

Interesting to think about GenX as a market. For us, we were eschewing "stuff" based on our goal and preferences, but witnessed "irrational exuberance" at work on our peers in their acquisitions (think McMansions), while we owned a small house and old cars.

I agree with others who noted that GenX is on the front-line of a transition from a more patriarchal retirement path to DIY, and there are a wide range of outcomes possible in the latter case!

I honestly don't know much about Millennials, but can't help but wonder what that "enjoy it all now" philosophy might mean for them in the long run?! I buy in fully to living for the moment, yet my path was to enable just that with FIRE.

~Michele

 

[brewer12345]

I agree with others who noted that GenX is on the front-line of a transition from a more patriarchal retirement path to DIY, and there are a wide range of outcomes possible in the latter case!

~Michele

What does that mean?

 

[aja8888]

What does that mean?

It means no one knows nothing.

 

[Reach]

What does that mean?

Shift from government/corporate pensions to 401k's and self-regulated savings... depending on your choices the outcomes can be vastly different.

 

[Reach]

It means no one knows nothing.

??

 

[DFDubb]

I honestly don't know much about Millennials, but can't help but wonder what that "enjoy it all now" philosophy might mean for them in the long run?!

The "enjoy it all now" would be more in line with Boomers, not Mellennials. The young people I know are sceptical and cautious when it comes to financial matters. Much more so than even our generation was at that age.