We love to talk about the ongoing cultural
and economic war between the Baby Boomers and Millennials, and even the rise of the
new Generation Z. But there’s one group that’s often overlooked
in these conversations, and that’s Generation X, the ones who grew up between Boomers and
Millennials and like many middle children was overshadowed by both. In this video I’ll cover why Gen X deserves
more credit, both good and bad, for quietly changing the world. You’re watching FutureNow, videos about
the future of tech and society. If you were confused by all these generation
names at the start of the video, allow me to break it down for you. The specific years attributed to each generation
vary throughout different literature, so I will use the ranges defined by the Pew Research
Center. I should also mention that a lot of this video
will be focused on the United States population, because that’s where I am, obviously these
generations had different experiences in different parts of the world. Baby Boomers is the name given to the generation
born between 1946 and 1964. So called because they were part of the steep
rise in population following World War II, a literal boom in babies born. Up until Millennials overtook them, they made
up the largest portion of the world population and as such had an outsized influence on culture,
the economy, and politics. Generation X is the population of people born
between 1965 and 1980. Appropriately, the X refers to something unknown,
the name as resistant to definition as the demographic that carries it. Millennials, I’m sure you’ve heard of
as the current largest demographic, referring to those born between 1981 and 1996. I made a whole video about Millennials and
the often repeated phrase that they are killing every industry. So called because they grew up at the turn
of the Millennium. Lastly, Generation Z is the most recent demographic,
those born after 1997. That seems to be the name that’s most used
so far, although it’s still too early to see if it will stick, with other names having
been used such as the iGeneration, referring to this generation growing up with smartphones. Part of the reason I wanted to make this video
is because when I made my video titled “Why Millennials Are Killing Everything” I fell
into the same pattern others often do of talking about the tension between Baby Boomers and
Millennials while completely overlooking Generation X, the middle child. Baby Boomers inherited a country with a booming economy in the U.S. and quickly went to work ruining it, along with the environment. They racked up the national debt, burn record amounts of fossil fuels ... Many Gen X-ers pointed this out in the comments,
and inspired me to dig a little deeper into why Gen X is rarely discussed in popular media
and how despite this have actually been and continue to be incredibly influential. Gen X-ers overall had a very different experience
from their parents growing up, in that during the 60s and 70s, the divorce rate skyrocketed
in the U.S., leading to new family dynamics and at the same time, it became more common
for women to join the workforce rather than stay at home. Because childcare programs were not yet commonplace,
many Gen X children spent a lot of their time with little to no adult supervision as their
parents were at work when they got out of school. That’s why some use the phrase “latchkey
generation” to refer to this demographic cohort. A “latchkey kid” is one who comes home
alone after school because their parents are at work, the name refers to the key the kids
either carried with them or got from under the mat on the porch to open the door. Their adolescence was a tumultuous time in
the United States with an ongoing crack epidemic, an increase in violent crime, and the emergence
of the AIDS epidemic. At the same time, this was one of the most
diverse generations in history thanks in part to an increase in immigration and the first
generation to grow up post-integration, after the end to the racist Jim Crow Laws. In their youth, the media characterized Gen
X as disaffected, apathetic, cynical, and slackers. They were the MTV generation, lived through
the rise of music videos, grunge music and hip hop. They were rebellious and reluctant to grow
up. But eventually we all have to become adults
and when Gen-Xers did, they proved everyone wrong about the stereotypes they were boxed
into. Sure, your Gen X dad probably still wears
his Nirvana t-shirt every now and then, but does he still have that teen spirit? Sorry, I tried to come up with a Nirvana joke,
but that failed, nevermind. According to a Stanford University study,
Gen X youth were indeed more cynical and disaffected than previous generations were in their youth,
but they also found that all generations were more cynical and disaffected during this time
period, meaning it wasn’t a uniquely Gen X phenomenon. In fact, perhaps the latchkey generation learned
to work hard and be independent by being unable to rely as much on their parents and that’s
what led to their success as adults. Millennials and Gen Z are often defined by
their affinity for the Internet and technology, but Generation X were actually the first to
grow up with computers and video games at home. Generation X grew up to become the founders
of the modern Silicon Valley tech industry and lead the country’s economic recovery
of the 1990s. Their previously negatively spoken about rebelliousness
and disdain for authority actually spurred innovation and disruption of many industries. It’s weird to think of Jeff Bezos, on the
cusp of Gen X, as a disaffected young person leading a revolution against traditional retail
giants, when he’s now the richest man on Earth and seen by many of today’s youth
as representing corporatism incarnate. In fact, some of today’s most well-known
leaders fall into the Gen X range, Elon Musk, Larry Page, Susan Wojcicki, Jony Ive, Justin
Trudeau, and ironically Jay-Z. Let me know what other notable Gen X-ers you
can think of in the comments. It turns out that disrupting the status quo
is a pretty good business model and a great engine for innovation. Because Gen-Xers grew up in an analog world
before the personal computer, they have a unique perspective on how to bridge the past
with our future. I believe this is a key behind their success,
but also why they seem to be overlooked today. Most people now take for granted the major
changes made by Gen-Xers. Gen-Xers were the first gamers, choosing to
stay home playing with their Atari and Nintendo video game systems. The Gen-X demand for VHS tapes to watch their
favorite movies and shows at home whenever they want has evolved into today’s streaming
services like Netflix and Hulu. Gen X-ers were also the first to start blogging
about their lives and Ze Frank pioneered vlogging before YouTube was even a
thing with “The Show.” Good morning, it's Monday March 20th. I haven't showered, and my breath smells like a poodle crapped in my mouth. Let's be friends as I tell you everything that you need to know about today. It's just like TV, but with pimples. And despite Millennials being inextricably
linked to social media, it was actually Gen X-ers who founded some of the very first platforms
like MySpace, Twitter, and Friendster, which Zuckerberg later used as inspiration for Facebook. The real test of Generation X, however, is
really starting to take shape now as more and more of them take over the highest positions
of leadership in the corporate and political world Will they follow in the footsteps of the Baby
Boomers who largely used their power to feed their own self-interests, or will they be
more conscious of their ability to change the world for the better? Early indications show that some of the companies
and culture changes lead by Gen X could prove problematic. The most obvious one being how the social
Internet is affecting us on an individual level, how we relate to one-another, and ultimately
our politics. Of course, the biggest offender seems to be
Facebook right now, and that’s lead by a Millennial. Silicon Valley has largely gone unchecked
for the last couple of decades, but we’re starting to see a shift in this with laws
like GDPR in the European Union and the increasingly common hearings of tech CEOs before Congress. To prove themselves different from Baby Boomers,
Generation X will have to show that they are willing to regulate the economic powerhouses
they’ve created in a socially responsible way. If you liked or hated this video, you’ll
enjoy my video on Millennials. Hit subscribe and the bell to be notified
when I post a new video and to vote on what the next video will be on! And thank you to Walter, Iain, and all my
patrons for the support, join them at patreon.com/FutureNow to help the channel grow and I may read your
name out next. Proper pronunciation not guaranteed. I’ll see you in the future.
