Generation X
Authors: Johanna Krause, Laci Ellis, Shelbey Jumper, Evan Hashley
The population of people born in America between the years of 1965 and 1980, is known as Generation X. Generation X is known by many names but its most common nicknames are the New Lost generation and the Middle Child Generation. Standing between the Baby Boomers and Millennials, Generation X is often overlooked because of the major societal shift of the Baby Boomers, with an increase in divorces and dominant political standing of Baby Boomers. Today the success of baby boomers in the workplace and the new movement to hire younger generations leaves Generation X not as prominent as other generations. Growing up in the eighties and nineties, Generation X had many impactful cultural trends and social influences.
Generation X was shaped by the significant events that happened during their young lives. Within pop culture, “Saturday Night Live” debuted in 1975, “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” was released in 1977, CNN launched in 1980, and MTV premiered in 1981. All of these and so many more molded generation X and the generations after into who they are today. A lot of technology was created as well. Pocket calculators and word processors started to become more common in the mid-1970s, Time Magazine named The Computer “Man of the Year” in 1982, and the first “.com” domain was registered in 1985. These groundbreaking technologies gave way to new ways of life for those within Generation X. There was also a lot of news that paved the way for a changing the U.S. There was a fear of communism spreading across the world, the “Reagan Revolution” had taken over the U.S, steadily improving the previously stagnant economy, and milk carton missing children became a regular occurrence. All of these large and impactful events throughout the beginning of Generation X have thoroughly shaped its members as well as the later generations.
Growing up during the cooldown of the Cold War, this generation of people have many distinct traits and identities. Known as the “latchkey generation”, they were some of the first people to experience life in two job households. The name comes from children having to go home to an empty house after school, thus having to carry house keys. In addition, they typically tend to have a strong interest in a work-life balance, something that previous generations were not as keen on. Another characteristic of this generation is their more tolerant, liberal view on social issues, as well as a stronger sense of independence. This can be seen throughout their relationship with technology, as their relaxed persona is evident with the various technological advancements with electronics, cultural attitudes surrounding fashion, and their overall musical identity.
The Entertainment technologies most impactful to generation X arcade games, video games, and personal listening devices. The fashion and hygienic technologies that should be considered the most important to generation X can be split into two different categories. In fashion, various fashion fabrics and fashion accessories embodied a changing culture, and with hygiene, the development of several haircare products, such as flat and curling irons, as well as the improvement of menstrual products all made their mark on Generation X. Through the discussion of cable television, we can see the extent to which it has affected Generation X personally and culturally. Cable television is now integrated into the daily life of millions of Americans, and has a significant impact on the children who watch it daily. The communication technologies that are chosen to discuss are two of the most important technologies that came out of Generation X. These technologies greatly affected both the people of Generation X and every generation after.
