This Woman's Gen X Rant On LinkedIn Is A Great Reminder That There's A Whole Generation Out There That Nobody's Talking About
It seems like people are always talking about baby boomers, millennials, and the rise of Gen Z. But there's a whole generation between the boomers and millennials that pretty much nobody is talking about — Gen X.
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Generation X was born between 1965 and 1980, so they're now between 42 and 57 years old. This generation brought us Nirvana and Tupac, Keanu and Winona, and all the '90s fashion that has been coming back in style. But for some strange reason, they've been able to sit out on a lot of the generational discourse.
So, when 44-year-old sales enablement specialist and career coach Sarah Adams read yet another article talking about generational conflicts between boomers and millennials, she made a viral post on LinkedIn reminding everyone why Gen X should never be counted out.
She wrote, "Gen X employees are often:
-- overlooked-- under-appreciated-- underestimatedThe millennials and boomers seem to get all the admiration, love, hate, and glory.While Gen X'ers are over in the corner,politely raising their hand,thinking quietly to themselves,'we lived through':-- cars without child restraints or seatbelts-- lead paint-- latch key days-- riding bikes without helmets-- minimal adult supervision-- the fall of the Berlin Wall-- the Challenger disaster-- Columbine-- the Oklahoma City bombing-- 2008's mortgage fiasco-- getting duped into accepting a debt heavy lifestyle-- after school specials that convinced us all we would be kidnapped or spontaneously knocked up — any dayWe've been through some stuff.But never underestimate the generation who survived the life and death of MTV.We are the secret warriors and overachievers."
In the comments, hundreds of Gen X'ers were happy to chime in and reminisce about their generation's experiences.
And commenters were also quick to note that Gen X was indeed responsible for some really amazing music, movies, and culture.
There was even a bit of an intergenerational lovefest going on between millennials and Gen X'ers.
Sarah told BuzzFeed, "Being positioned between these two generations, Gen X has often heard complaints from both sides. The boomer generation laments about all the ways the millennials have 'ruined' modern-day America, especially within the workplace. And the millennials often complain about how the boomer generation is 'out of touch' in the age of technology."
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"Meanwhile, a large portion of us Gen X’ers are sitting back, taking it all in, thinking to ourselves, 'did everyone forget about us?' My post was meant to serve as a gentle reminder that although we are often ignored, no one should rule out Gen X — the generation who was raised to be resourceful, rebellious, and fiercely independent."
And she says Gen X has a really special relationship to the digital age we live in. "One of the unique things that sets us apart from our millennial and boomer 'siblings' is that Gen X practically invented the digital age. We have had a unique vantage point in that we vividly remember life both before and after the advent of the internet and cellphones. This unique point of view has given Gen X an edge in the present-day workplace. Gen X is not afraid of the digital age and as a result, we are typically willing and able to lean into new technology."
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"Because we remember the world before cellphones, texting, social media, constantly being plugged in, Gen X has the innate ability to cultivate deep, emotionally meaningful connections within the workplace. In my personal experience, Gen X managers often possess a stronger level of EQ [emotional intelligence] and are more in tune with those they lead. This is something that I fear younger generations will ultimately end up lacking when compared with Generation X."
"The thing about Gen X that I find most fascinating is that while everyone is either lauding or complaining about the boomers and millennials, we are in the background, making magic happen in many fields and sectors. The boomers often lump us in with millennials, while millennials don’t seem to see Gen X as a threat and often ignore us."
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"It all reminds me of the story of the tortoise and the hare. Generation X has the brazen, rebellious audacity of the hare, combined with the steadfast perseverance of the tortoise. I wouldn’t rule out Generation X just yet. I think our best days are in front of us!"
