Generation X, a term typically used to describe the generation of Americans born between 1965 and 1980, although some sources use slightly different ranges. It has sometimes been called the “middle child” generation, as it follows the well-known baby boomer generation and precedes the millennial generation
(Generation Y, meaning those born between 1981–96). Generation X also has been called the “baby bust” generation, because its members were born when the high birth rates of the baby boomer decades declined (attributed in part to the introduction of the birth control pill, which first went on the market in the early 1960s).
It has fewer members than the generations that precede it (Gen Y and Gen Z, meaning those born between 1997 and the early 2010s). This is one of the reasons that Generation X is considered to be forgotten or overlooked when generations are discussed
The Gen X experience
Members of Generation X, or Gen Xers, grew up in a time when there were more dual-income families, single-parent households, and children of divorce than when boomers were growing up. Consequently, many Gen Xers were latchkey kids,
returning from school to an empty home while their parents were still away at work. Gen Xers were the first generation to grow up with personal computers to some extent, thus becoming tech savvy. They were the first generation to grow up
with cable television widely available. MTV, the cable television network that initially broadcast music videos 24 hours a day, was rolled out in 1981 and was embraced by so many Gen Xers that MTV Generation also has been used to describe the Generation X cohort.
