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Xennials: A Generation Caught Between Two Worlds!
I don't know about you, but if you are a late Gen Xer or early 80s baby, this can resonate. However, some people on the cusp, in particularly the young Xers born in the late 70s generally don't want to be associated with anything 'ennial'. And with all the negative stereotypes slapped on millennials, how can we blame them? Nevertheless, it resonates with many, and I for sure don't fit into either box perfectly.
Here I responded to this meme on my feed:
83 baby here. We've had the best of both worlds!
And it's true, but there are some who just don't get it. And it's not just the late 70s kids that distance themselves from the Millennial label, but it's the early 80s kids as well. I being one of those Xennials mentioned above often deal with comments such as the one below:
Kasper Behrenthz Laursen decided to chime in with his said Gen X wisdom to boot.
((No you are all millenials. Ive never met anyone born after 1980 that were generation X or that acted like generation X.))
I presume you haven't met very many early 80s kids, have you? My apologies, I must have missed the memo that said "complaining about millennials calling themselves Xennials" was the official Gen X pastime. Who would have thought?
((You on the other hand - are a true millenial - just the fact that you dont wanna be a millenial makes you a millenial.))
I guess you're just keeping it old school, huh? 📼 Ah, the self-proclaimed "Xennials"... the forgotten middle child of generations, desperately trying to find their identity somewhere between grunge and TikTok. 🤷♀️
I suppose you're right. The fact that they don't want to be called millennials is just so... millennial. It's like they're screaming, "I'm a special snowflake!" while sipping on their $10 cold brew coffee. ☕️
But let's be honest, who can blame them? Being associated with participation trophies and avocado toast addiction is a heavy burden to bear. No wonder they're trying to distance themselves from the millennial label. 🏆🥑
In the end, it doesn't matter what they call themselves. Xennials, millennials, or even "The Oregon Trail Generation" – they're all just trying to navigate this crazy world while still figuring out how to use a rotary phone. 📞
((Whining dont change reality - your generation should have learned that by now - but no - and thats why every generation after yours are almost made up of people whining.))
Are you calling my postitive comment... whining?
Calling everyone born after 1980 a "whining millennial"? So very mature and Gen X of you. But let's be real, who’s really doing the whining here? Check the mirror, dude. It’s not like us ’83 kids haven’t already learned the facts of life by now. I bet you're the kind of person who still thinks slap bracelets and Hypercolor shirts are the height of fashion. 🌈 I mean, come on, dude. You're out here trying to cling to your Gen X identity like it's a rare Nirvana cassette tape. Meanwhile, you're acting like a walking, talking stereotype of a millennial. The irony is so thick, you could cut it with a jagged little pill. 🎤
Speaking of early 80s kids, we grew up rocking both analog and digital—getting the raddest of both worlds. So what’s with these bogus “whiny” stereotypes getting slapped on us since 2015? By then we early 80s kids had already peaced out of high school, were living life on our own, and totally adulting.
Being born in this gnarly sweet spot means we don’t fit neatly into either the Gen X or Millennial boxes, and that totally wigs people out. But let’s be real—if you were born in the early ‘80s, you scored the best of two generations. So what’s the damage, guys?
This is exactly why we early ‘80s kids bail on the Millennial label in the first place.
You gotta look at it from our POV. Can you really blame us for not wanting to get lumped in with whiny attitudes, the Tide Pod craze, man buns, cancel culture, or still chilling in mom’s basement? Like, gag me with a spoon! No wonder we’re ghosting that Millennial tag. 🏆🥑😂
As I always say: I’m not your labels. So take a chill pill or just bounce! 🤘😎
For those of us born in the early ‘80s, life has always been a neon-tinted mix of two vastly different eras. We grew up in the analog world of Saturday morning cartoons, cassette mixtapes, and payphones, but we came of age in the digital revolution, adapting seamlessly to the rise of the internet, cell phones, and social media. We’re not fully Gen X, but we sure as heck aren’t Millennials either. So why does it seem like every few years, people try to force us into one of these categories? And why do we keep rejecting both? Well, the answer is quite clear.
More Than Just Stereotypes: The Xennial Reality
It’s easy to say we’re distancing ourselves from Millennials because we don’t want to be associated with the usual stereotypes—participation trophies, avocado toast, and TikTok dances and the likes. But the real reasons go deeper. We’re not avoiding the Millennial label just because of pop culture caricatures; we genuinely don’t share the same cultural experience as those born in the late ‘80s and ‘90s.
At the same time, we don’t fit the Gen X mold either. Gen Xers were already teens or adults when we were still learning how to ride our bikes. They were defined by latchkey independence, punk rebellion, and a general “whatever” attitude, while we were the last generation of kids who actually had to call our friends’ houses and ask their parents if they were home before hanging out.
If We Wanted to Be Gen X, We Would Just Call Ourselves Gen X!
((Nope. Xennial is a term made by millennials who wish they were Gen X. I get it. I would too... but 100% Gen X here!))
After all... who wouldn't want to be part of the generation that brought us such cultural touchstones as Beavis and Butt-Head, flannel shirts, and the phrase "talk to the hand"? 🤚 But let''s be real...
If that was the deal, why wouldn’t we just call ourselves Gen X? We totally had the option! 😂 But nah, we’re not Gen X. We didn’t just think the future was some passing fad—we embraced it, full throttle. Meanwhile, Gen X kinda brushed off tech like it was just another trend, and look where that got ‘em—Blockbuster and Toys “R” Us totally wiped out. \n\nSure, we had a rad childhood just like Gen X, but let’s be real—I wouldn’t trade my killer millennial teen years for anything. If you were born between ‘77 and ‘80 and still claiming Gen X, dude, stop frontin’. You were a teen in the ‘90s—own it! 😂
Some people argue, “If you don’t want to be called a Millennial, why not just be Gen X?” Simple—we aren’t Gen X either! That generation shaped the pop culture of the ‘80s, but we were still kids when their defining moments happened. Gen X had their coming of age in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s—MTV, grunge, and the slacker ethos. Meanwhile, we were still watching DuckTales and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
We entered high school when alternative rock was fading into nu-metal and pop-punk, and by the time we hit adulthood, the internet was changing everything. Unlike Gen Xers, we weren’t jaded by the system—we adapted to it. We grew up without the internet but embraced it rather than resented it.
The Synthwave Connection: Nostalgia Without the Limits!
One of the biggest reasons early ‘80s babies resonate with synthwave culture is that it embodies our exact experience—being caught between the neon-soaked dream of the ‘80s and the digital transformation of the ‘90s and 2000s. We have nostalgia for both eras, but we don’t belong entirely to either.
Synthwave perfectly mirrors this hybrid identity. The music is drenched in ‘80s nostalgia, but it’s created with modern technology. It’s not just retro—it’s retro-futuristic, blending the past and the future into something unique, just like us early ‘80s kids.
Xennials: The Best of Both Worlds!
So, where does that leave us? Stuck between two generations? Not really. It just means we’re something different—something in between and beyond. The term Xennial may not be officially recognized in demographic charts, but it perfectly describes our experience:
🔹 We grew up in a world without social media, but we adapted to it easily.
🔹 We played outside until the streetlights came on but also mastered the early internet.
🔹 We know how to fix a VCR and troubleshoot a Wi-Fi connection.
🔹 We still remember the excitement of renting VHS tapes but embraced streaming without hesitation.
Rather than trying to fit into Gen X or Millennial boxes, we celebrate our unique position. We’re the bridge generation, the last ones to fully experience an unplugged childhood while becoming fluent in digital adulthood.
Conclusion: Labels Don’t Define Us!
At the end of the day, we distance ourselves from the Millennial label because it simply doesn’t fit—and the same goes for Gen X. We’re not rejecting either generation out of spite; we just have a different lived experience that neither fully captures. We were shaped by both eras but defined by neither.
And honestly? That’s kind of rad. 🚀
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