Generation X | Meaning and Definition

What is generation X? 

Gen-X refers to the generation in which people were born between 1965-1980. Generation X was the middle generation between the Baby Boomer and the MIllennials/Generation Y. Canadian journalist Douglas Coupland first made the term Generation X famous in other words, Douglas popularised the term. Later on, Douglas stated that he came to know about the term from a 1983 Paul Fussell book named Class: A Guide Through the American Status System. Douglas Coupland also used the term in his novel, Tales for an Accelerated Culture, which was published in 1991. They are also known as the “Latchkey Generation” as they spend most of their time at home without any kind of supervision from adults or their parents. 

Timeline 

Their timeline differs from researcher to researcher. Different researchers mentioned different timelines for this generation. For example, researchers like William Strauss and Neil Howe think that the exact birth years for the people of this generation are 1961 to 1981. But other demographers like Gallup place their birth years from 1965 to 1979. 

Comparison with The Baby Boomers and The Millenials: 

They have roughly 65 million members in their generation. But both the Baby Boomers and the Millennials have around 72 million people in each generation. According to a few surveys, Gen Xers will carry significantly higher credit card debt than the Baby Boomers and the Millennials. Also, people from Gen X believe they will face much harder times achieving financial security compared to the earlier generation. These explain a lot about the Gen Xers mindset and mentality.