The Mysteries of Generation X

A normal day in the life of a Gen X’ler looks something like this: they wake up, drink their cup of coffee or any other preferred beverage while checking the news via a more traditional medium like the radio or a newspaper, prepare- if necessary, lunchboxes for their children and drive them to school before attending work. Their job choice is mainly based on financial and materialistic stability rather than happiness or fulfillment. Basically, the Gen X’ler sees their job as a necessity for life. After finishing work, they usually return home drained and tired. Although the Gen X’ler is fixated on work since it is their only source of money and thus the foundation of a comfortable life, they do not sacrifice their private lives. Especially spending enough time with their family is dear to their hearts.

In sociology and the general public, different groups of generations based on their birth year and key characteristics are put into generational categories. Within one specific generation general habits and morals can be observed as well as a particular view of the world caused by the political and social ccircumstances they grew up in.

According to these categories I belong to Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012. My parents, however, are categorized as Generation X but our actions and way of thinking could not be more unalike. Born between 1965 and 1980, people from Generation X are now around 44 to 59 years old. They aredescribed as having a strong need for safety and being heavily consume-oriented. But they also show strong independence and considered resourcefulness. Their key characteristics can most likely be explained by the social and economic circumstances in which Generation X grew up with. The immense growth of the economy in the 60s, 70s, and 80s paired with high divorce rates and increased maternal participation in the workforcecontributed to parents being rarely at home in the afternoons. This phenomenon gave the generation also the nickname “latchkey children”, as they were often returning from school with their own keys since they found the house empty. Spending a lot of time alone created a high level of independence but also the wish to make more time for their own families as they are parents themselves now. So, Generation X is said to usually have a great work-life balance, where they make sure to separate their private lives from their professions accordingly. Caring for their children is one of their priorities and they do not mind spending most of their free time with the family. Another key point to mention, teenagers of Generation X were the first ones to grow up with a personal computer and the beginnings of the internet. So, by building the bridge between older generations and younger generations, they know how to handle technology, but they can and do live without it.

Often when I have a conversation with my parents about theplans I hold for my future, I hear the same “advice” repeatedly.

“A job that pays well is ALWAYS better than a job that you are more passionate about.”

“Money does not grow on trees.”

The mindset of Generation X is visible here at first glance. People from that generation went through the economic recession in the early 1980s which impacted their parents' job security immensely followed by the economic crisis in 2009 which this time affected their own financial stability negatively. There is no doubt these events greatly influenced their willingness to manage finances well and more importantly to have a high-paying secure working position. The fear of another economic downfall also makes them want the economy to grow at all costs. Consequently, they clearly value economic growth over the environment and people’s working conditions. For them, global warming is a far-in-the-future event that they do not have to worry about since a potential financial crisis is more evident and pressing. They already have lived through two of them! Money is a means for them that they cherish since they put hard work into earning it. Though they are resourceful, they also like to spend their well-earned money but only if it is well thought through.

Aside from finances and work I also talk to my parents a lot about social and global issues in which their generation’s more traditional view comes through. Generally, they do not welcome the change that younger generations are bringing. Diversity, globality, finding a life’s purpose, and work fulfillment make them feel alienated. Although they are not specifically against it they do not their habits and their way of living to be changed. In the end, what they love most is stability and security and they worry about everything that potentially is a danger to that.

In the end, I believe we can all learn from one another. Before judging someone based on their world view and opinions one should take into account the period a person was brought up and how it might have shaped their mindset. Our experiences determine ultimately what our mind considers familiar and thus safe. These experiences are of course a by-product of our environment as well as our historical and social background. Generational misunderstandings are simply caused by that. And though it often seems like I do not understand my parents as much as they fail to understand me, we should always keep in the back of our minds that our familiar environments are inherently different, so I cannot expect them to have the same thought patterns and priorities and fears as I do. Understanding what has contributed to the way a group of people thinks and acts is always the first step to mutual respect and contributing to making our differences, instead of hindering us, complementeach other.