Why is Gen X referred to as the "forgotten generation"?

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Hi. I am just a bit curious about this. I first learned of the term "Generation X" or "Gen X" for short, back in the mid- to late-'90s, around the time I was in art school.

Gen X is the generation between the baby boomers and Gen Y, or the millenials.

Seems like people have stopped talking about and/or stopped focusing on Gen X, and that a lot more attention is given to baby boomers and Gen Y. Why is this?

It's been said Gen X has "has essentially fallen off the radar among marketers."

Is it because Gen X is relatively fewer in number than Gen Y and the boomers? Or is it for other reasons?

I don't recall the last time Gen X had ever been catered to, and/or had gotten a lot of media attention. I don't know too much about Gen Y, or the millennials, and what they have to deal with. I know "adulting" is something they have to deal with, as in "Millennials have a lot of 'adulting' to do." This seems to imply there are a lot of manchildren and womenchildren within the Gen Y demographic.

There were manchildren and womenchildren in Gen X, but I don't recall any similiar term that applied to them- I don't know what Gen X's version of "adulting" was called, if such a term was coined.

I refer to manchildren and womenchildren as "overgrown teenagers".

I think I recall reading somewhere what Gen-X manchildren and womenchildren were called, if I am not mistaken, but I am not sure.

Please help. Thank you.

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Type: Question • Score: 1 • Views: 2,199 • Replies: 31

[+3] - Rebelofnj - 02/19/2020You did say you were reclusive and that you purposely avoided most TV, movies, and technology.

@JGoldman10,

Companies usually market towards the 18-35 age group, which is also the current age range of Millennials. That age group is marketed because they typically have more disposable income to spend.

Baby boomers are reaching retirement age, so companies are marketing to them as they are the largest demographic. Boomers are also a significant voting bloc in the US elections.

According to the Boston Globe, most Gen Xers don't strongly associate themselves to the "Generation X" label, and most prefer to stay out of the spotlight.

There is also discussion that when Gen X was coming of age, the world was relatively quiet. Boomers grew up during the Vietnam War and the Cold War. Millennials grew up during the War on Terror and the rise of technological advances.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/03/27/baby-boomers-and-millenniels-grab-headlines-lost-generation-asks-what-about/dFBmDXxpRo2I1mIKR0gnfI/story.html

4 Replies

@Rebelofnj,

That makes sense. I do recall when Gen-Xers fell within the 18-35 age group they DID get some attention.

Adult Swim catered to the Gen-X crowd when they were in this age range between the early 2000's and early 2010's. I recall seeing bumpers that showcased what shows were popular with the Gen-X crowd.

I recall seeing some animated PSAs reminding Gen-Xers to go register to vote around the time I was still in high school.

I think a better question is, why did most Gen-Xers prefer to stay out of the spotlight?

2 Replies

@Rebelofnj,

Most millenials grew up with commercialized internet access and the digital tech we have now. Most Gen-Xers didn't have access to commercialized internet access and the digital tech I am referring to until they were in their junior and/or senior year in high school and/or in their early years in college.

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@Rebelofnj,

I recall telling you I met a young man, who looked like he was college-aged, outside of my local library a few years back when Obama was still in office, who educated me about some of the current tech we have now.

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@JGoldman10,

JGoldman10 wrote:

I think a better question is, why did most Gen-Xers prefer to stay out of the spotlight?

You're Generation X, why do you want to stay out of the spotlight?

1 Reply

@izzythepush,

Why do you assume I want to stay out of the spotlight? I recall a couple of years ago around the time I first joined this site I wanted attention. I outgrew that of course.

2 Replies

@JGoldman10,

Quote:

I do recall when Gen-Xers fell within the 18-35 age group they DID get some attention

Well, yeah. Gen X was nicknamed the MTV Generation because many teenage Gen Xers watched MTV and the channel influenced the tastes and fashion of Gen X.

However, by the time Adult Swim aired in 2001, most of Gen X were well into adulthood, and the shows on Adult Swim were targeted towards college age audiences.

Quote:

I recall telling you I met a young man, who looked like he was college-aged, outside of my local library a few years back when Obama was still in office, who educated me about some of the current tech we have now.

You told me this story many times. Amazing how a man with no name left an impact on you.

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

You did say you were reclusive and that you purposely avoided most TV, movies, and technology.

1 Reply

@Rebelofnj,

Adult Swim's target demographic is 18- to 34-year olds. Is that what they consider college age?

1 Reply

@Rebelofnj,

Rebelofnj wrote:

You did say you were reclusive and that you purposely avoided most TV, movies, and technology.

I was turned off by most current tech because it looked complicated and I wasn't really interested in it and I was still using older tech. I tuned a lot of the current tech they were showcasing and talking about on G4TV before the network disbanded out. I didn't really have too much choice about using current tech. I was forced to "assimilate" to an extent.

I had to learn how to use a smartphone. Most public payphones have been recalled. Smartphones are portable. I need to be able to use one in an emergency, and especially since my landline phone, as of the time of the posting of this, is down.

I had to learn how to use a laptop. I am used to using PCs. I can use a laptop like a PC. I have mine plugged into my modem.

Not to veer too much off-topic, can you connect a laptop to a 4-in-1 inkjet printer?

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

JGoldman10 wrote:

Why do you assume I want to stay out of the spotlight? I recall a couple of years ago around the time I first joined this site I wanted attention. I outgrew that of course.

So by outgrowinging it you found you wanted to be out of the spotlight.

That's what's known as a circular argument.

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

Typically, College Age is between 18 and 24 years old.

Researchers usually use the years 1965 to 1980 as the birth years for Generation X.

Which would mean that the youngest Gen Xers would have been 21 when Adult Swim first aired.

Which is why I said "most of Gen X were well into adulthood"

1 Reply

@izzythepush,

I want to be an indie animation and comics person who showcases his material online and monetizes it. Do you consider that to be wanting to be out of the spotlight?

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@Rebelofnj,

I assume you're a millennial, and if so, what nickname did they give millennials, besides "echo boomers"?

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

JGoldman10 wrote:

Not to veer too much off-topic, can you connect a laptop to a 4-in-1 inkjet printer?

Yes. Some printers can even connect to smartphones via an app. I just bought a Canon printer on sale for $50 that can do that.

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@JGoldman10,

I have never even heard of the term "echo boomers".

Anyway, I have heard of the term Generation Y, but I am not aware of any other popular nicknames.

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@JGoldman10,

I mean, you have avoided posting any artwork or any significant details about your project.

You have only talked about working on comics and animation for the last 10+ years, but there is, to me at least, nothing to show for it.

Meanwhile, in that timeframe, Scott Snyder published his first comic, American Vampire, in 2010.
Now in 2020, he just announced he was writing the next DC summer event after writing the Justice League comic. He also announced the American Vampire finale will be published in 2020.

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

You want to talk about doing stuff, research about doing stuff, inquire about doing stuff and discuss why other people did stuff and what their stuff means.

Doing stuff yourself is a no no.

0 Replies

@Rebelofnj,

Please stop comparing MY stuff to these other people's. I am not interested in nothing having to do with monsters.

Seems like you're assuming I want to do "realistic" comic stuff and animation.

I want to do cartoony stuff.

Any animation projects you know of you want to inform me about?

1 Reply

Why is Gen X referred to as the "forgotten generation"?

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