To think I'm neither gen x or a millennial?

[Spidder]

I know, I know; I shouldn't care. But this is the adult version of poring over your star sign.

Apparently gen x is 1965-1980. Then millennials are 1981_ 1995 , or something.

I was born on the cusp. I don't have much in common with x or mill. Kind of a mix of both really. I thought we were called gen y a few years ago, but now that's been given to those born after 1995.

So, I know I'm bu to care, but aibu to not think I'm x or millennial?

Being confused about which generation you are in is classic Xennial behaviour!

Hugo Rifkind sums up the confusion well in an article in the Times- ‘ I’m not a snowflake and I’ve never had a haircut like Princess Diana’.

The span of Boomers is ridiculous. A person born in 1946 has very little common life experiences to someone born in 1964.

For me being a Xenial is sort of summed up by the music of the 1990s. Early nineties I was a stroppy hormonal early teen in my bedroom listening to grunge music, wearing black nail varnish, convinced that no one would ever understand me. Then mid to late nineties I’d cheered up a bit and was going to cheap and cheerful pubs and nightclubs, dancing to Britpop.

One of my grandparents was born at the start of the boomer year and my parents were born at the very end.

To me housing is a major difference in the generations, half my grandparents own multiple houses in london, my parents could buy a house in london back in their day, me and my cousins haven't got much hope without huge help.

I don't get how me at 25 can be lumped in with the mid thirties and older people who "bought when the market was cheap around 2008", I was in secondary school fgs!

Hold on - why are Gen Z at war with Millenials? What's the problem?!

I thought I was a Xennial due to the whole analogue childhood/ digital adulthood being very much my experience. But now looks like being born in '85 is too late to be Xennial?

Guess I'm an Elderly Millenial.

Like others, I don’t identify as a millennial, despite allegedly (just) falling into that bracket. I would say I’m an Xennial too.

I'm a Gen X (born late 69) so definitely had an analogue childhood and teenage. But I was using a computer at work by 1991 (age 21) and had a mobile phone in 1994 (age 24) and was using WWW at the same time, so consider myself to have had a digital adulthood too.

@Spidder

hmmmmmm I thought so too. But apparently gen y is at war with millennial over centre parting and skinny jeans. Millennials are now seen as old by gen y. Whereas I see millennials as ridiculously young.

This is what I get for dipping into random news.

I do like analogue childhood/digital adult. That is totally me.

You are a little confused. Gen Y ARE Millenials. It really doesn't matter what you feel you are. These are very general groupings used to market and determine general trends and behaviours. You aren't compelled to follow any rules you know.

I thought millennials are 1985 - 2000? So those of us growing up at the turn of the millennium/being born then?

I’m a top end millennial (late 80s) and aside from not owning a house have nothing in common with the so-called millennial woke, freelance job holding stereotype!

xennials are more likely to have a digital adolescence surely? I had a pager at 12, a mobile at 14 (travelled to school alone). Emails maybe at 17. Needed a laptop for uni.

I'm a xennial DH is GenX there is a lot of overlap in our childhood/adolescent experiences. Where I see barely any overlap with the millennials I know.

I just still struggle with the fact I'm now in my 40s

I was born 81, and my (toyboy) other half was born in 1990. So technically we are both millennials. The only thing I feel is different between us is that I do remember the time without the internet when I was a child, but we had it at home by the time I was 14 and I did have a mobile phone in sixth form.

@HerculesMulligann looking at my kids and their friends (late teens) zoomers are definitely more cynical than millennials. Not slackers exactly, but they take the piss out of everything. I got a bit worried when I noticed it in my lot, thinking that I'd maybe been a bit too vocal while watching the news and so on but all their friends are like that too.

Have to say that if they keep up this attitude while also being the most tech savvy employees in the workplace they'll be a force to be reckoned with. As long as they can be arsed!

I love the zoomers I know. They've got a fresh outlook on life and they don't whinge. Well, not too much.

Am I at war with Gen Z? I had no idea. I had heard they don't like my skinny jeans... But they don't like my side parting now? How can a parting go out of style. Pff... Baggy jean wearing no nothings.

I thought millennials are 1985 - 2000? Nope. Millennial band ends at 1996.

Yeah, I am a Gen X who loves the Zoomers

Wierdly relatable!

I'm 1980 so that makes me a Xennial.

I was born on the cusp of 80. So

Dh is v definitely gen x. They got free uni and cheap houses. I didn't get a mobile phone until I was 21 and we paid twice as much for our house as people a few years before us on our estate.

Ds is the vv bottom end of zoomers- like I was gen x. He's a cynical little thing, but I thought he'd inherited it!

@Spidder same same thinking my kids had inherited the cynicism. I honestly really questioned myself. I don't think so now though. Or if they have they're taking it and running with it and giving it their own slant. I mean they'll say things in response to political announcements etc that I hadn't even thought of but are actually spot on. So not parroting me at all. And not being bitter or angry about it either, just like well let's look behind what's going on here and then I'll form a judgement. Really, streets ahead of where I was in terms of decoding messages in my late teens.

I thought all the snowflake style comments you see on the DM were actually directed at people who fell into gen z & not millennials.

TheyWalkAroundInWellies

completely agree.

DS2 comes out with the most comical cynical one liners that's nail politic speeches so aptly. I'm in awe of his wit, and wonder were he he got it.

Ooh I didn't know this was a thing. I always thought I was technically generation x, but would identify more with people who were teens in the 90s - grunge, britpop etc. I read the book 'generation x' when I was at university and definitely felt like it was about the generation older than me. I'm glad to have found my place

My kids are both alphas apparently, I wonder what they will be like as a generation? And will covid be a defining feature of the alpha generation childhood?

The Generation X bracket is fairly big.

Speaking as a GenXer the younger you are the more financially screwed you are. If you were born in the late 60s, early 70s you would have a chance to be in the free Uni, Cheap house and good pension category, if born in the late 70s not so much.

I was born in 76 so was one of the last year's to get free Uni, but house prices were really starting to take off when I left uni with a master's. I ultimately decided to move to another country rather than take part in the UK housing madness.

It's interesting to note that the oldest millennials will soon be 40, and probably still without a secure place to live and income :(

Has anyone read the 4th turning? I would really recommend it.

I’m a xennical! I didn’t know but that feels much better. Thanks.

@Peakedin1997 I think you must have the most Xennial username ever!

For fellow grunge-loving Gen X or Xennials who want to feel really old - this year Kurt Cobain has now been dead as long as he was alive (27 years).