Xennials is a portmanteau blending the words Generation X and Millennials to describe a “micro-generation” or “cross-over generation” of people whose birth years are between the mid-late 1970s and the early-mid 1980s.
Good magazine has described Xennials as “a micro-generation that serves as a bridge between the disaffection of Gen X and the blithe optimism of Millennials.”
Xennials dated, and often formed ongoing relationships, pre-social media. They usually weren’t on Tinder or Grindr, for their first go at dating at least. They called up their friends and the person they wanted to ask out on a landline phone, hoping that it wasn’t their intended date’s parent who picked up."
Basically, our childhood was internet less, we experienced the rise of internet during our teens and we learned to live with social media during our early adulthood.
We experienced the cold war, the rise of terrorism and are very aware of the impact of the west on the world. We were in college when the towers fell, we were part of the workforce when Facebook was created. We used IRC, ICQ Yahoo, Google, Netscape, Napster. Most of us didn’t have a computer when we were young but started using them in High School.
We often identify with mix of Gen X and Millenials traits. We’re often a a bit cynical but want to be hopeful and believe in people and society.
Obviously, generations are not fixed in stone and don’t dictate who we are or how we think but as a group we often feel different than Gen X and Millenials. Our older siblings are Gen X, our younger siblings are Millenials, we’re something in between.
Awww, FINALLY. When I was growing up, Gen Xers considered me to be part of a different cohort. But then when Millennials came along, so did they.
I bought a 300 baud modem with birthday money when I was ten and I’ve been online in one way or another ever since. I think that also took me out of the typical GenX stream, but by the time Millennials came along, there was just the Internet.
Buying computer / tech with birthday money is so real. I bought my first computer with birthday / summer work money at like 15 years old or something. Fighting to use the phone line to get online was a constant hassle. I remember my friends calling me so that I would hop on IRC 😅 I remember first time my mom picked up the line while I was connected, she screamed at me because she thought I had broken the phone. Having to teach our parents about these things is very relevant to our generation too I think.
Born in 1980, I felt too young to relate with GenX but too old to relate to GenZ. I feel ‘seen’ by Xennials.
There’s also a connection to immigration in the 70s, 80s & 90s which I don’t think gets talked about enough.
