Generation X: Bigger, Badder, Impactier
Gen Xers get a lot of crap and generally ignored by marketers and brands. Which is weird considering they may be the largest and most impactful generation in the history of the US.
While it's commonly believed that Millennials are the largest generation and that Gen Xers are the smallest, that myth, which has been perpetrated by the media and advertisers for decades is based on a single article published by MetLife. In fact, there is no official timeline for Gen X.
National Geographic defines Gen X as 1961-1981. This follows the trend of each generation lasting 18-20 years, as opposed to the 14 years that MetLife defined it as. This is important because of the large birth spike from 1979-1983. Generational expert David Foote defines Gen X as 1960-1979, Masnick and Markert define is as 1960-1984, Strauss/Howe and National Geographic define it as 1961-1981, the Yahoo! and the US Census Bureau as 1963-1982, and Centro as 1962-1982.
When you look at the top 10 most authoritative sources (which exclude insurance company marketing teams and sources basing their timeline on their misleading article) you get an average of roughly 67-87 million people. In fact, current research shows that "early Millennials" as defined by the MetLife timeline, in fact identify more with Gen Xers. This is because they are, by the most practical model actual Gen Xers. This model suggests that there are 86.7 million Gen Xers, making it the largest generation ever.
Why is the 1965-1984 generational model is the most practical because that time span is 19 years, the average length of generations (Boomers and Silent Generations being 18 years, Millennials and Gen Z being 19). Also 65-84 encompasses an increasing birth trend from the lowest in US history to the highest. It also includes several distinct cultural events; a presidential assassination attempt, "trickle down economics", a major war, the space race, an impeachment, the Civil Rights Movement, transformation of gender relations, the sexual revolution, birth of the Internet and social media, etc.
It should also be noted that Gen Xers, aside from being the largest generation, are arguably the most influential based on establishing cultural trends (the last 7 directors to win an Oscar were Gen Xers as are most of the current top stars), spending, innovation and startups (Gen Xers make up 55% of startup founders).
Gen Xers also have the second greatest individual spending power; $14,431, compared to $2,666 for Millennials. They have the highest median family income ($68.75k). They are the largest generational cohort in every state in the US with the exception of North Dakota.
