# Could Someone Please Give Me a Simple Definition of 'Generation X'. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-please-give-me-a-simple-definition-of-generation-x/243788 "2004-05-06T05:27:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-please-give-me-a-simple-definition-of-generation-x/243788/1 "2004-05-06T05:27:26Z")
I have wondered for some time now if I belong to _Generation X_. I was born **after** the baby boom, and **after** the assasination of John F. Kennedy. But my parents waited until they were much older to have me. And I am pretty sure they were born _just before_ the “baby boom”. Anyways, in case you haven’t noticed, I have just used two of the classic definitions of _Generation X_: (1) being born after the assasination of John F. Kennedy (but just before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989) _AND_ (2) being born to “baby boomers”. As I’ve said, I clearly fit one of those definitions (the first), but not the second. **So what generation am I?** Someone please tell me. Because I have wondered now for the longest time… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-please-give-me-a-simple-definition-of-generation-x/243788/2 "2004-05-06T05:29:27Z")
> [@Jim B.](#): > > I have wondered for some time now if I belong to _Generation X_. I was born **after** the baby boom, and **after** the assasination of John F. Kennedy. But my parents waited until they were much older to have me. And I am pretty sure they were born _just before_ the “baby boom”. > > Anyways, in case you haven’t noticed, I have just used two of the classic definitions of _Generation X_: (1) being born after the assasination of John F. Kennedy (but just before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989) _AND_ (2) being born to “baby boomers”. As I’ve said, I clearly fit one of those definitions (the first), but not the second. **So what generation am I?** Someone please tell me. Because I have wondered now for the longest time… 🙂 Everything I’ve heard generally says if you were in your 20s in the 1990s, you’re GenX. I’m 20 right now, which places me in GenY, apparently. Works for me. ---
**Author:** ![citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citrus_x_paradisi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-please-give-me-a-simple-definition-of-generation-x/243788/3 "2004-05-06T05:43:04Z")
And I’ll turn 20 in 2010. Am I Generation Omega? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![mcbiggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@mcbiggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcbiggins)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-please-give-me-a-simple-definition-of-generation-x/243788/4 "2004-05-06T06:01:55Z")
I know we went through this recently. Here it goes: Gen X is the generation that comes between the Baby Boomers and their kids. That’s why they’re Gen X, the lost generation; they are slotted between two huge generations. Also, I think pushing Gen X up to the fall of the Berlin Wall is making it way too big, and has everything to do with kids who were in grade school in the early nineties wanting to associate themselves with the generation of Kurt Cobain. I’d say Gen X is everyone born between the Kennedy assassination and the last Apollo mission (1972). By the mid 70’s the boomers were starting to have kids, although the biggest wave didn’t come until the 80’s, ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-please-give-me-a-simple-definition-of-generation-x/243788/5 "2004-05-06T06:37:30Z")
What generation is someone born in 1982 born in? ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-please-give-me-a-simple-definition-of-generation-x/243788/6 "2004-05-06T06:40:30Z")
erm…yeah 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-please-give-me-a-simple-definition-of-generation-x/243788/7 "2004-05-06T06:56:43Z")
> [@Jim B.](#): > > Could Someone Please Give Me a Simple Definition of ‘Generation X’ Generation X ARE the definition of simple. HTH. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-please-give-me-a-simple-definition-of-generation-x/243788/8 "2004-05-06T07:39:16Z")
I too have trouble identifying ‘my generation.’ The way I figure it, I’m on the ‘cusp of GenX.’ I do believe that it is supposed to be the children of the Baby Boomers, NOT the generation in between. I’ve seen many age brackets used for GenX… Notably 1961-1981, 1965-1985, 1960-1975, etc, etc. My sister seems firmly planted in Gen X, (1974), and since I’m just a bit younger than her (1977), I too associate myself with Gen X. That said, a lot of people consider me Gen Y. Generations are supposed to span 20 years, so I’d say Baby Boomers are from roughly 1946-1965, which would put Gen X from 1966-1985. However, almost no one will put someone from 1985 in Gen X. Odd. The most accepted term I’ve seen is 1961-1975. So, according to that, I’d be outside it…BUT, my sister is INSIDE, and my parents are both early Baby Boomers (1950 and 51 respectively), and it seems extremely odd that a sister only 3.5 years older than me is in a ‘different generation.’ Therefore, I consider myself Gen X. I’ve also seen the term ‘baby boomlet’ for 1976-1981, where births spiked again. Who knows. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-please-give-me-a-simple-definition-of-generation-x/243788/9 "2004-05-06T09:53:11Z")
Douglas Coupland defined Generation X in his novell with the same name. We did this queastion in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=190022) last summer. I’ll quote myself. > [@The Gaspode](#): > > Nah. Douglas Coupland and I share birthyear - 1961. We’re what came right after the babyboomers. Too young to participate in the crazy leftist years of the 60’s and 70’s. Too young for Vietnam draft (born '57 or earlier). Too old to be part of those priviliged kids born to the babyboomers. The 'tweeners are the generation-x. Generation Y, as in “why?” is also called ‘The ironic generation’. These are kids born from early/mid 70’s. > The kids of Gen-X, born from around 1982 and onwards don’t have a name yet. But as many of them are about to wear black turtlenecks, smoke pot, listen to **the Doors** and have _angst_ about the future, there is no doubt a label will show up.