Gen-X: The Ignored Generation?

Gen-X: The Ignored Generation?

I'm just picking on GenXers.

This is TIME Magazine article about Jeff Gordinier, the author of X Saves the World: How Generation X Got the Shaft But Can Still Keep Everything From Sucking. As a Millennial, naturally I disagree with a lot of what he says about my still very young generation.

First, I think it's ironic that a GenXer, especially one who came of age in the 80s, is accusing Millennials of consumerism. OMG..LOL (that was for Gordinier) The youngest of the Millennials are about 10, so it's hard to fully assess Millennials at this point. Also the oldest of us are coming of age during the biggest financial melt-down, and housing bust in American history. Those reasons alone will drastically shape the Millennials who are still growing up, and even those of us who are already 'grown ups'. Words like Responsibility are a cool new buzz-word for people our age. A word that hasn't been very popular in about two generations.

Also 'role models' like Paris Hilton, and Britney Spears are actually part of Generation X. I'm an 'old' Millennial, so I remember the rise of Britney Spears in my early high school years, but the biggest 'influence' she has had on Millennials is her melt-down in the mid 2000s. The same decade that will be defined as the 'break-out decade' of the first-wave Millennials.

GenX may 'save the world from sucking' but Millennials may have to actually just save the world. Period.

Grown Up

I still don't feel like a grown up, even though I'm almost 25. I feel like I get mixed messages of what a grown up is supposed to be, and when that happens. Sometimes I feel like 25 is incredibly young. Other times I feel like I'm supposed to be way farther down the road than I am. Some people older than me say "I had 2 kids and a mortgage by your age", while others seem to think that 25 is synonymous with 15.

I was telling my husband the other day that I'm at the age where teenagers are starting to annoy me, and I definitely feel the age divide a lot more than like 3 years ago, when I was about to turn 22. I was at Walmart (Super Walmart that is open 24 hours) around 11 pm last week, and the whole place was full of tweens and teens. It was sort of eerie, as Walmart tends to be late at night anyway, but it made sense when I saw part of the store was sectioned off for what looked like a party. The banner said "Vampires vs. Werewolves", and there was a giant cake, so I assume it was a "Twilight"party. Geez, kids these days.. I don't remember doing anything like that when I was a teenager. A themed party at Walmart? Interesting... I guess it's a good way to keep teens busy.

I 'm starting to understand all the fuss adults make over protecting their kids when they're teenagers. I really did think I knew a lot when I was 16-17. I was a camp counselor when I was 19 (barely 19) and the girls in my cabin were about 11 and 12. I live in a different state now and when I go visit home, it's really strange to see that the girls are graduating from high school now. I saw a few of them a few years after that summer camp when they were about 15 and they didn't seem much different besides wearing trendy clothes, and makeup. It hit me for the first time just how stinkin' young I was at 15, and how adults must have seen me and my friends back then. We really were kids. I think you always think adults are saying that out of some sort of power play- "you're still really young. it's still a long time until you'll be a grown up." I remember thinking, 'yea right, you are just old and don't know anything". It turns out you really don't know a lot at 16.

So now that I've come to terms with losing my adolescence, how do I go about being a grown up? What exactly does that entail? Here is what I have so far:
-I have a mortgage
-I'm married
-I get annoyed by teenagers
-I have a job that I can complain about, and tell college students that they are 'idealistic' and don't know about the 'real world'
-I have to watch what I eat for the first time in my life.
-My priorities are slowly changing.
-The idea of not being secure scares me more than not following my dreams.

So maybe I'm on my way there.

The Universe is just not that into you

I've been reluctant to bring up my spiritual beliefs on this blog, as I've wanted to focus on more social trends, and that sort of thing. However, I've been aware of a distinct difference in my beliefs and a lot of emerging spiritual trends.

Recently Rev. Bacon appeared on Oprah, and spoke about that deep nagging question: why do bad things happen, why to good people? A guest on the show talked about how she was angry that her mother was dying of cancer, especially since she has young siblings. She was angry why God would let her mother die of such a harsh disease, and let her younger siblings experience such a terrible loss. Rev. Bacon's response:

[Rev. Bacon] believes Nikki is living in fear of what she might be losing. Instead of feeling fearful, he hopes Nikki will ask herself what the experience is trying to teach her. "Where are you to grow in this? Where are you to expand? What more of you needs to be extended and expressed?" he says. "If you do that, this entire experience will be a boon for the entire family."

Elizabeth says an important step in the healing process is for Nikki to allow herself time to grieve. "Let yourself cry. Cry in front of your brothers and your sister," Elizabeth says. "Model to your siblings what it means to love. And sometimes the greatest badge of love is grief. ... Just show how grief-stricken you are at the possibility of losing your mother."

I want to start out by saying that I half agree with this. I agree that Nikki should grieve, be angry, and mourn her loss. I agree that she can learn and grow from the situation. The part I don't agree with is that she's in the situation she's in because the Universe is trying to teach her something- "he hopes Nikki will ask herself what the experience is trying to teach her." What a horrible thing to tell someone.

Also- I don't agree that "Nikki is living in fear of what she might be losing". I think the ability to love goes hand-in-hand with the pain of loss. I'm not saying that she should be forever paralyzed by her pain of loss. What I'm saying is that she has lost something, and it's important to acknowledge loss as loss. Crap is crap. I don't like it when people turn pain into 'some noble way the Universe helps us learn'. Again, I'm not saying we should forever wallow in misery, or that we can't have immense growing experiences from painful experiences. I even believe a lot of good can come from bad situations. But, it's because there is hope that Pain is NOT purpose.

I understand that may people believe in the mystery of how the "Universe" interacts with individuals. I guess what I'm exploring is the purpose behind the actions of the Universe? If it's just a action/reaction relationship, it doesn't explain why so many horrible things happen. Or why good things happen when people don't deserve it. I don't think the Universe is that into you. If you mess up in your life, the crap that happens isn't the Universe wisely "teaching you a lesson". That gives license for people to judge anything that goes wrong in your life. Sometime things just happen, without any purpose. Sometimes things just suck.

I know that sounds pessimistic, but it actually frees you from the responsibility of controlling the universe. When something horribly tragic happens in your life, instead of finding out the WHY? hopefully you can start to think about the purpose behind the Universe and find that it's good.

With all this said, my personal belief is that God is good and in control in spite of the things that happen. It's a lot more than an reactive relationship, which is good or would have been smote by the Universe some time ago.

That's my 2 cents on the universe.

Heroes or Nice Guys

It's clear that Mills (Millennials) have already shown some characteristics of being a Civic or 'hero' generation. We care about the environment and are enthusiastic about going green. We flooded social networking sites with grassroots political movements. We voted in record numbers. We actually look forward to challenges. We are restless with the status quo, and are waiting for older generations to look to us for help. We are tolerant. We are concerned citizens. We value working together over divisiveness. We strive for everything just short of saving the world.

Sounds like every Pepsi commercial that's been aired the past year right? I think people get it by now, and the media definitely gets it. Mills are looking to make a difference. A sure characteristic of a hero generation. But I'm wondering, do we really fit the mold of a Hero generation? I know we like heroes. Even the TV show Heroes, and throwbacks to our childhood: Captain Planet, Power Rangers, He-Man, even the Care Bears. It's clear we like the idea of being a hero, but I'm skeptical whether we will end up fulfilling this destiny or not.

In previous posts, I've already talked about generational cycles, and compared Millennials to the Civic/Hero archetype. One thing Mills are missing in being established as this type of generation is what authors Howe & Strauss call a "hero trial". For example, the GI Generation was faced with global Fascism, and the task of rebuilding a new America after the Depression. Millennials have been confronted with some crises already: September 11 attacks; collapse of the housing market; an economic meltdown comparable to the Great Depression; social crises like school shootings. However, I'm not sure there has been an event that have really tested us as a generation, or truly challenged us to work together.

Also- not all eras have a hero. The Civil War era didn't have a Civic generation. They drifted from a Reactive (The Gilded Generation- tough cowboys and gunslingers of the Wild Wild West) to an Adaptive (The Progressive Generation- pioneer settlers during Post-Civil War, and Victorians interested in 'modernizing' the country).

There is evidence that a new generation is forming, not much younger than the first-wave Mills. Author Don Asher calls this emerging generation "The Moat People". They see the world as a scary, uncertain place. They've witnessed the economy and the housing market collapse, so their aspirations include more practical matters: a steady job, making money and maybe owning a home someday. A far-cry from Mills dreams of saving the world. Moats see the world as an unreliable place, and see the problems of the world as paralyzing, and much bigger than themselves. They would rather be left alone to build a sustainable life in an uncertain world. Similar to Mills, they were protected and told they were special by their parents. Instead of finding a way to save the world with their awesomeness, they are interested in retreating, and creating a place of stability for themselves. Sounds like the beginnings of an Adaptive generation (similar to the Progressive Generation after the Civil War).

I still think there is a chance Mills will face a crisis in which we will have to come together as a generation. I think we are poised to become the next 'greatest generation'. But for now I think we're just 'nice guys'. Not hereos. We haven't had the chance to use our super powers yet though.

We'll see.

Generational Cycles- Quick Intro

Millennials Rising fleshes out what this generation will look like in the "Oh Oh's" (2000s) 10s, 20s, 30s and so on. Reading this from the perspective of a Millennial, I think the predictions about the "coming of age" or the "break-out" decade of Mills has been surprisingly accurate. The cycle is partly based on the typical "Civic generation" cycle, which is the archetype of the Millennials. Here are the 4 generation archetypes in an era.

An era starts with an Idealist generation, focused on social issues, and question/challenge the morals of institutions. Idealists are born and grow up in a societal 'high'- when crime is low, optimism is high, and children are indulged.

Next comes the Reactive generation, focused pragmatic-solutions, and survival. They are usually rebellious, independent, and cynical. The are born during an 'awakening'- when society is focused on 'self' rather than community. Crime starts to rise, and children are under-protected. They are usually branded a "bad" generation.

Next, the Civics are born during a time when society is divisive and unraveling. Civics focus on 'how to clean things up'. They gear toward rebuilding institutions, and value optimism and team-work.

Next, Adaptives are born during a time when society is in Crisis. They are over-protected, and value fairness, sensitivity, cooperation. They tend to be conformists, and are usually labeled as a "good" generation.

So based on this cycle it's fairly easy to identify these archetypes in the present era.
Boomers (Idealists)
GenX (Reactives)
Millennials (Civics)
?? babies/still unborn (Adaptives)

So what does all this actually look like?
To better understand the era we're in now, it helps to look at the previous era cycle.

Missionary Generation (Idealists) born post-Civil War, and raised with Victorian values, and were a pampered and indulged generation. They grew up to reject the strict Victorian values, questioned 'a woman's place' and other gender roles. Missionaries were born and grew up when the Industrial Revolution hit the U.S. They feared society would become soulless, inhumane, and money-driven. Much to the chagrin of their affluent Victorian parents, they fought for workers rights, rather than furthering technology and accumulating money.They fought for laws that protect women and children from harsh work conditions. This helped lead to the restriction of child labor. You could say this generation actually created our modern idea of childhood for Americans. They embraced romanticism, and were determined to marry only for love, and not wealth or social status. Women of this generation also embraced being single. They were the first wave of feminism and proudly called themselves spinsters. They were the largest group of women in American history to remain unmarried throughout their lives until the Boomers. The 1900s was a time of Awakening in America. Similar to the 1960s-70s.

Lost Generation (Reactives) were born during a time of self-discovery, and new exciting philosophies. Freud published new psychological theories in 1900. Electrical inventions were starting to be produced for mass-consumption. Modern art movements were starting to shock the public, and push the boundaries of what was acceptable. Women's clothing changed, skirts got shorter, women sported a cropped hairstyle. The coming of age for this generation was the Roaring Twenties. The stock market was used as a way to get rich quick. Prohibition was being pushed by the Missionary Gen, and irrelevantly dismissed by the Lost Gen who were famous for speak-easies, bootlegging, and moonshine. F. Scott Fitzgerald was the spokesperson for his generation. A generation who loved the decadence of the early century, but also got lost in the frivolity of the times. Most of WWI soldiers were of the Lost Gen. Hemmingway is supposedly responsible for naming the people who he defined as "a lost generation.." The 1910s-1920s was a time of decadence, affluence, and social unravel. Compare to the 1980s-1990s.

GI Generation (Civic) were born to mostly Missionary parents. They were protected and had benefits given to them the previous generations hadn't experienced. They were on average an inch taller than previous generations due to better nutrition and medical technology. They were the first generation on average to not have a parent or sibling pass away while they were children. Both, huge breakthroughs at the time. They were closely advised by their Missionary parents, who raised them to have strong values, and make a difference in the world around them. GI's coined the phrase 'teenager' which was recognized as a unique phase of life for the first time. They grew up on hero stories like Superman, and were very accomplishment-driven, and optimistic as a generation. They came of age in the 1930s-1940s which was a time of crises, including the Great Depression, and later WWII. It was a time of coming together as a nation, and society beginning to 'trim the fat' from previous values. Similar to the times we're entering now 2000-2010.

The Silent Generation (Adaptives) This is the generation I understand the least, probably because the Silents alive now are in their 70s, and the upcoming Adaptives (who may have similar characteristics) are little kids right now. The Silents were born during the time of crises. As kids their impression of the world was that it is a scary, unsafe place, and it's best to keep your head down, cooperate, and try to just have a good time. As teenagers and young adults the nation was in the Cold War, and not focused on 'teen' culture, which was still a brand new thing. The youth culture that did exist was branded as nice and squeaky-clean, although the reality may have been very different in their personal lives. Rather than searching for purpose, or being 'heroes' this generation focused mostly on financial security. As midlife adults, they set the tone for the careerist and money-driven mood of the 1980s. Silents were the youngest marrying generation in U.S. history, and the first mass-divorcing generation in the U.S. As Reactive generations are oppressed by a turbulent society and culture, Adaptives are oppressed by rigid, pressured social values. In adulthood, Silents were instrumental in helping younger Boomers with the civil rights movement. Growing up in a sense of 'moral oppression' by an unfeeling society, Silents have a sensitivity toward personal rights. A sensitivity, but not a bold conviction like the Boomers that lead the Conscience Revolution in the 1960s.... or the Missionary Generation at the turn of the 19th century...

and the cycle starts again
...and continues..
with a fresh Idealist generation....

So now you know about generational cycles.