Generation X: From the Atari to AI, and We’re Still Kicking!

Ah, Generation X—the forgotten middle child sandwiched between the Baby Boomers, who invented everything, and the Millennials, who expect a trophy for everything. We’re the ones who grew up without Google, Wi-Fi, or smartphones. But here we are, at 50 years old, casually using AI on my smartphones (Samsung of course!) like it’s no big deal.

I mean, we did grow up with rotary phones, after all. No caller ID, no blocking spam calls—we just rolled the dice every time we picked up the receiver. But fast forward a few decades, and now we’ve got Bixby and Alexa, AI butlers and online shopping. We used to dream of living like The Jetsons, and now we're low-key getting there… minus the flying cars, of course (Elon’s still working on that).

Remember when “cutting-edge technology” meant having an Atari? Our thumbs were blistered from Pac-Man, and the graphics were basically a pixelated nightmare. But did we complain? No! We were pioneers! Fast forward to today, and we’re nonchalantly swiping, tapping, and zooming on touchscreens with the finesse of a pianist.

The ‘80s gave us the first cell phones—those brick-sized monstrosities that could double as self-defense tools. And when texting arrived, we hit T9 like it was second nature. Texting without a full keyboard? Please, we thrived in the land of “press ‘7’ four times for an ‘S’.” Now, in 2024, we’ve leveled up to dictating text messages with AI while drinking our almond milk lattes and reminiscing about how we invented irony.

And don’t even get me started on the internet. Back in the day, we were connecting to a dial-up modem, enduring screeching noises that sounded like alien attack. Kids today don’t know the thrill of hearing “You’ve Got Mail!” or the rage of someone picking up the landline and kicking you off the internet. Now, we’re connecting to AI in milliseconds and running entire businesses from our phones. We're out here, 50 years old, telling ChatGPT to help with our daily work tasks, like it’s a normal part of life. (Spoiler: It is. We’ve adapted.)

The best part? We didn’t get participation trophies for any of this. We didn’t just survive the technological revolution—we thrived. We witnessed the birth of the internet, the rise of the smartphone, and now, the AI revolution. Look at us, 50 years old, and we’re still at the cutting edge of technology. Google assistant wakes me up and knows my coffee order and Bixby's managing my playlist and doubles as my remote control.

So, to all you Millennials and Gen Z-ers: Yes, we still use Facebook. Yes, we listen to music that came on cassette tapes. And yes, we will flex on you every time we ask AI to schedule a meeting or summarize a report. We might be 50, but we’re still young enough to out-tech you and old enough to know that it all started with us.

Long live Generation X—the last generation to survive both the analog and digital worlds! (Now, if only I could figure out TikTok studio..)

Written with the assistance of ChatGPT (still teaching it my amazing sense of humor)

Caroline Kfoury