Xennials

This is the first section from a piece I created in the Fall of 2022 highlighting the similarities in different demographic segments in the United States. I am going to break this out and share them here.

About This Section

The third part of the original paper provided the author the opportunity to pick a single “other” demographic segment. For this section, he coveredr the micro-segment that parallels the release of the original Star Wars trilogy – the Xennials (Dalton, n.d.). This segment has several alternate names including “Geriatric Millennials,” “Cusper” (although this term is non-descriptive as “Cuspers” exist between any two generational segments,) “Catalano,” referring to Jordan Catalano in “My So-Called Life,” or “The Oregon Trail Generation” (Eileen, 2021). While the author feels personally drawn to “The Oregon Trail Generation,” he will use the term “Xennial” throughout this section. ?

Additionally, as a member of this segment, being born in 1981, he will provide his first-party experience for the sections on rearing, memorabilia, and heroes as there were no soruces of authority on the topics discovered.

Basic demographics

Analysis of the transition period between two major generations can surface micro-generations where the line between outgoing and incoming generations become blurred. The 21 million Americans born between 1977 and 1983 (infoplease, n.d.) may identify as a Xennial. This period is the buffer between Gen X (1965-1980) and Millennials (1980-2000) (Dalton, n.d.). In 2022, this segment is 39-45 years old, achieving widespread recognition of their unusual status as part of a blog entry from Merriam-Webster in 2017, which elevated a word first presented by Sarah Stankorb in a 2014 article of Good Magazine (Merriam,-Webster, 2017).

Xennials were born into an analog world and entered adulthood as digital took over (Dalton, n.d.). Technology use and growth for this micro-generation was non-cohesive. At home, they may have been using a second-generation personal computer, but the lack of widespread word processing software still had this generation handwriting or typewriting their early school assignments. By the time Windows hit schools, computers were kept in labs requiring teachers to schedule time for use. Computers connected to the “World Wide Web” were likely further segmented away from computers running on a local network (without internet access.)

Generational core values

Xennials grew up in a time before hyper-connectedness and still had to know how to entertain themselves when they were away from the monstrous desktop in a corner of the house; the Gameboy didn’t hit until Christmas of 1989 (Video Game Console Generations - VG Legacy | Hardware Platforms, 2022) when this micro-segment was already 6-12 years old. Changes in technology are normal for Xennials. Frequently they were called upon to be the bridge between the old and the new (and their parents and the helpdesk.)

As a hybrid of Gen X and Millennials, Xennials pull from a toolbox of intra-generational characteristics to help drive the workplace. They are seen in the workplace as having a unique combination of high-tech, practical, and strong communication skills. ?Because of the rate of change during their youth, this cohort is seen in the workplace as inclusive and adaptable. They quickly absorb information, adapt, accept, and implement changes (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022).

In the post-COVID workspace, they are being looked at again for their ability to translate between leadership/senior workforce (frequently younger Boomers and Gen X) and the younger workforce (Millennials and Gen Z) (Luc, 2022) . Erica Dhawan, author of the article “Why the Hybrid Workforce of the Future Depends on the “Geriatric Millennial”,” writes, “[Xennials] are valuable because they have a varied skill set to refer to – one that lets them cater to the needs of people with different degrees of understanding of (and patience for) the digital world” (Luc, 2022).

Significant life events

In addition to the adaptation to changing technology being key for Xennials, the key life events that affect this cohort’s outlook on life are quite different from Gen X and the Millennials. In general, their childhood was not shaped by global events. They remember the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of Apartheid in South Africa, but, even though perpetrated by two Xennials, the majority of the cohort was not affected by the fallout of the event (Williams, n.d.).

The second major event, 9/11, occurred during Xennial early adulthood (ages 18-25.) This event, almost overnight, changed the way that Americans lived. ?In response, “181,510 Americans enlisted in the military in the year following 9/11” (Kendrick, 2021). Barely in the workforce during the recession of 2007-08, Xennials likely did not have investments in property or investments (Killik & Co., n.d.) This insulated their estate from impact. However, their lack of seniority and high levels of student loan debt may have made them more impacted than other generations (Lebowitz & Akhtar, 2019).

Rearing

Xennials seem to share their experiences growing up with their older late-generation Gen X peers. Many continued to grow up in two-income families and were left at home after school to fend for themselves. For entertainment, many had “unlimited” television opportunities via cable television with subscriptions almost tripling between 1977 and 1984 (see table, (Cable_Households_77-99.JPG (1465×385), n.d.).)

Many Xennials had fond memories of watching reruns of favorite sitcoms of their parents’ generation with their parents. These include “I Love Lucy” and “Get Smart.” “The Beverly Hillbillies,” and more. As the generation began to age, some television programming began to incorporate life lessons (Billinson, 2019)similar to the morality tales of ?sop. ?ABC began to focus on family viewing with one of the most identifiable over-the-air (OTA) programming blocks, “TGIF” or “Thank Goodness for it Friday.” TGIF launched in 1989 led by producer Jim Janicek and was branded as a sense of national community, “with families across the country all making the same Friday night plans in their living rooms” (Billinson, 2019).

Xennials rode their bicycles without helmets and stayed out at friends’ houses (but our parents knew their parents, and they had each other’s home phone numbers.) ?They enjoyed road trips without electronics but likely had a computer at home. Because of the speed of change during their young years, the type of computer from house to house was likely different. It is unclear if there were competitions between youth about whose parents provided the biggest and best device. One tends to think that those parents were just struggling to keep up, and this drove a strong co-dependence on the youth to support their parents that may extend into current times.

Cultural memorabilia

Devices seem to be at the core of what defined Xennials. Some grew up with cutting-edge Windows devices, some ran MS DOS, and others “still” had BASIC OS devices from the early 1980’s. The challenge was most parents didn’t understand what they had or what they needed. The Xennials became the conduit between the adults and the computer company. The young Xennial would be responsible for setting the devices up and maintaining them when they stopped working. In later life, Xennials were called on to help their Boomer parents create resumes on word processors. It was not uncommon for Xennials to, in their high school and college years, volunteer at community centers teaching “Basic Computer Skills” to older adults.

Heroes

While Xennials tend to have been raised similar to Gen X, they do not have the same cynical view on heroes of their time. Generally, Xennials views on cultural heroes is closer to their younger Millennial peers with some Gen X influence.

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