GenPink

Born in 1991, I have a very good vivid memory and basically had the ultimate "90s childhood."

Based on this book I've read, all these generations can be split into 4 different groups, that is to say generations kind of go like "cycles" repeating over and over.

Gen X in particular grew up during the turbulent 60s or 70s from parents who often divorced for the first time and didn't receive much care, as children were pretty much ignored from society in general. Also relatively few in number. This bred in them this angst from uncaring parents evident later on in the grunge movement.

Gen Y on the other hand were mostly the offspring of the Baby Boomers who wanted the very best overprotected, nurturing kind of environment for their children. (some say too much) It was a different time called an "unwinding" when people cooled down from the "revolutionary" 60s/70s and just enjoyed life more and it was evident in the end of the cold war. The Gen Y kids enjoyed this more prosperous time and became sheltered because of it, retaining many of these traits into their now emerging adulthood.

As stated before these go in cycles. gen x is like the Lost Generation of adult generation right after WWI who could barely find work and just questioned what the point of life was ie modernism. Grunge was a lot like this with the I don't care being a motto. Hard to fool, realists.

Gen Y is most like the G.I. generation that fought in WWII. They had a "anything is possible spirit" and joined the war effort because it represented a wider important cause. They tended to be have a happier outlook on life and became big builders of industry and took the nation to new heights. Gen Y has the potential to be the next best generation if they keep their entitlement in check.

The book is called "Generations" authors William Straus and Neil Howe

I was born in 1997. Do you think I'm Generation Y or Z?

I was born in 1974 and so definately gen x. funny thing is i cant remember the 70s because i smoked too much weed as a baby, i hate the ignorant 80s and the 90s were waaay too complacent. Actually i love the 2000s. When the twin towers got blown up? sheer gen y angst comedy. Seriously, internet is the best thing ever since free porn and we are about to enter the next great depression! Never a dull moment. By the way i love spongebob so can i pass for a 90's gen y? please? I actually i can relate mostly to Patrick because according to wiki it says:He lives under a rock and his most prominent character trait is his lack of intelligence.

Actually the MTV generation was from 1978-1987, which holds both characteristics of Generation X and Generation Y. It says on this website (mostly about sports) right here:
"Generation - MTV Generation. These are people born between 1978 to 1987."

Source: http://apudgeisasandwich.wordpress.com/2007/10/12/the-mtv-generation-witness-to-the-greatest/

I think it only fair that, given the dates allowed for Generation X's birth years, we Y'ers should have a more extended birth range. Rather than 1982-1995, we should be allowed a 1985-2000 interval, similar to X. After all, the 1977-1983 born people are more or less a cusp generation between X and Y, and the people born between 57 and 63 definitely have more Boomer traits than X ones.
I don't see why our generation has to be cut off so abruptly at 94 or 95 when X is extended up to 1979!

I think you're right! Generation X & Generation Y share a multitude of the same similarities (unlike previous generations that were like one set standing on one side of the Colorado River staring off into the distance and trying to even see the other generation). Our generations were both pioneers to technology, not so much that we invented it, but we were born during times of technology change. We grew up with technology, like-love it, and live with it throughout our daily lives, so we're use to it.

Generation X experienced Music Videos for the 1st Time. We saw the T.V. go from Black and White (where you were your parent's remote if they didn't feel like getting up to change the channel) to LCD/Plasma Screen TV's. We saw cartoons go from what we thought were cool to (flat characters) to 2-D and then 3-D then Total Animation. We were raised on computers coming into their own. We saw gaming go from Atari to Nientendo to playstations and X-Box. We saw the Internet in its infancy move to a pre-teen stage and begin to come into its own. We saw the Berlin Wall come down in 1989, the cold war stop and the "Super Power" Nations move to communication, the World opened up to the thought of US being Humans and One World.

Generation Y saw Music Videos on Handhelds (1st DVD players then Phones). You have seen T.V.'s go from Color with Remote to LCD/Plasma and even now SONY has 3D T.V. w/glasses technology (it rocks, by the way, except when you move or have to get up and take the glasses off, then it can be a little dizzying). You saw cartoons go from flat to 3D full animation FILMS! You were raised on computers taking the next leap to becoming portable. You had Nientendo to playstation to Xbox and Xbox 360. You saw the Internet Flourish and grow up to full adulthood, with the World not just beginning to feel like one World, but with the Internet, the World literally became connected and you can at lightening speed and in real time pc phone or video, you can talk to someone across the world and almost anywhere in any Country. Along with your generation become the catalyst for change (Get out and Do Something).

Gen XY wants technology, we both appreciate Nature/the Enviornment and want to see it continue and see less of the amazing things vanish (Save the Planet or Go Green!). We both want what we want, now, not years later. We both want and share the superhighway of information (where you can find the answer to any question with just a few clicks of the keyboard or a couple taps with our thumbs or fingers on our phones. We see the World around us, we appreciate the amazing thing within it and yet we both see the future of endless possibilities and we want to explore them too.

So, YES!, I think Generation X and Generation Y have a lot of the same similarities and we we both want a lot of the same things.

What I love best is that not only do we "see" each other, but, we are both willing (Gen X and Gen Y) to accept each other for whatever we may be without trying or wanting to change a thing. The age of, "Hey, you are who you are and it's all good, whatever it is you choose to be".

Here's hoping that as you all continue on your own journeys and us on ours, that neither of us ever loses sight of the other, and that we both will forever accept those who have come before us, while recognizing and accepting everyone's own right to choose our own routes even if we may take different roads to get to where ever we are each going.

Born in 83 so I've always considered myself G-so-flY (sorry couldnt help it). I was always under the belief though that you could tell the generations based on a 20 yr fix give or take a couple of years or so I mean i could be way off on that but thats how i looked at it. With that said sense we have no way of truly telling & those of us born around 81 - 84 can pretty much choose I've always gone with Y. I jus' like the idea of bein' part of that new generation & I really like the term Millennials. Though I like the idea of the XY Cusp to me it jus' kinda sounds flip-floping to me either you're one or the other in my book. Of course thats jus' me. I also like the sound of Millenials it sounds sorta fantastic. With that said though I could totally give you heads up about the generation before I really feel I relate more to the one I choose.

I think I'm both X and Y generation because I was born in 1979.

I was born in 1980, right on the cusp. I probably identify more with the gen Xers. The music I generally listen to ranges anywhere from the Beatles, the Doors, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd to Nirvana, the Pixies, REM and Sonic Youth. I was 13 almost 14 when Kurt Cobain died which was of significant influence to how my friends and I identified with ourselves in relation to the rest of society. I'm at least partially a Gen Yer in that I'm very much "plugged in." I can't imagine life without a computer and I prefer to text over doing it the old way although I was an adult before these things were indespensible to me. I also don't find any pre-Seinfeld television very relevant if that means anything. I guess I don't know what Gen I am but then again, lablels are for social dinosaurs. Any comments?

i was born in september of 84, i can remember when mtv still showed music videos, useing the computers at school was something to look foward to, Im also not sure exactly where i would fall into, but from this i guess i would be in the MTV/Doom mix, i do remember watching the Smurfs, Snorks, Pound Puppys, and cartoons like that when i was lil oh yeah and Alvin and the Chipmunks

Born right as 1986 ended and 1987 begun. Some would consider this the last of the cusp, others the first of the Y's, although this site has more of a consensus that 86-87 would certainly be outside of cusp range.

The weird thing I notice is that there is a decently sharp difference in 4 age groups, the X, The mtv generation (74-86), the Early Y (81-91) and later Y. (89-99) The reason why I seperated Early Y from Late Y is because there is a huge difference between the two, as early Y grew up with Computers. I made the dates as late as you can define them, but the dates can certainly go earlier. Anyone born in the 90's are clearly not part of the cusp, but the question is could late 80's (87-89) claim to even have an ounce of X in them. I really don't think they do.

As far as group identification is concerned, there are plenty of those who want to time things differently. I think those in the MTV generation want to identify with X, those in early Y want to Identify with the cusp, and the later generations either claim to have some X or are too busy with twilight to even care. Along with this, there tends to be a superiority complex on the part of those along the lines of each subsequent generation. Who had the best childhoods? Who remembers more?

If you can remember challenger, you certainly have some X in you. If you don't remember the end of the cold war, you clearly don't. I think that is the best rule of thumb.

haha, as a definite 'Harry Potter kid', i love the twlight comment.

My sister calls my little sister a generation Y but im not sure if it is or not correct because Gen Y was the early 2000's ( she's born on 2000, 3rd Jan

I personally think Gen Y ends in mid 1990s, however my sister was born in 1994 but I think she is more whatever the generation after Gen Y is.

I would like to offer hard and fast cut-offs for this dilemma.

Generation X, wherever you may say is begins, certainly ended in 1976 or 1977 and generation Y begins in 1982-1983. There is roughly a 5 year gap of people who have been called the XY-cusp generation, MTV generation, internet generation or, as I think it's fair to call, the Nintendo generation.

Generation X seem to be hard workers, determined and have a sense of 'coming back home' - meaning that they rediscover their families in their early/mid 30s and start families later. They work hard and play hard, but maintain a youthful edge.

The MTV (XY-cusp) generation are the first to be computer and technically savvy at an early age. They are maturing now and starting families while remaining very career focused, but with a broad social perspective.

Generation Y are a generation where technology is a natural second language and have grown up without a balance, in a climate where childhood disciplining has been frowned up and sending your son to his room (where his TV and X-box is) is now considered punishment and outdoor activities are in decline. They are more demanding, but do not seem as well educated as previous generations. Will be interesting to see what happens with this group as they approach 30 and 40.

So in my view, the MTV (XY-Cusp) generation was a transitional generation, where more young people understood and grew up with technology, but still used a pen and paper at school and still got kicked outside to play rather than playing computer games all day. I would say if you were born between 1977 and 1983, you are most likely part of this generation. Afterwards is definately Y. Before is definately X

I was born in 1992 and my sister in 1994. I'd say that we are both Gen Y and that my sister is one of the youngest Gen Yers.

Expanding on that, I read an article this morning which said that Gen Y (aka, Millenials) were born from 1980 to 1990 and after that is the "iGeneration".

I was born in 75, and never really thought about the whole generation X/Y thing. I realized I was generation X when the media was reporting about "generation X" and my father told me that Gen X was my generation. It certainly was a different time.. I remember Carter as president when I was very, very young.. and I remember Reagan getting elected. I remember the transition from bellbottoms and polyester to Z. Cavarrici jeans with french-rolled cuffs, Jams, and ridiculously overstyled hair. My first compact disc was the Dick Tracy Soundtrack, got it when I was 15 I think (1990) and MC Hammer - Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em. also 1990 I believe. I've been tech savvy since I was a child, my first computer was a Commodore Vic-20, also had a Commodore 64, Commodore 128, Amiga, IBM PC Jr, 286, 386, 486 PC's, then a 486DX (with math coprocessor!), then finally came the Intel Pentiums and the AMD Athlons. My father was a gadget junkie, so he always got the latest tech.. remember the evolution of the home video game consoles too. We had an atari 2600, intellivision 1 and 2 (those controllers were horrible - circular disc always sticking and the controller overlays would crack and you'd have to play the game with no overlay and had no idea what button did what! We had the colecovision too (loved playing the Smurfs), and then in the mid 80s I got a Nintendo Entertainment System for my birthday. (8 bit one, old school mario!), a couple years later the Sega Master System, followed by the Sega Genesis and SNES, then the Sega CD add-on, Sega Saturn! then the Sony Playstation!

IMO Hardcore Gen X ends around 75/76. True cupsers begin around 1977.

Cuspers (77-83) grew up on old school technology, but knew and experienced it quickly coming to an end. You could maybe add 84/85 to the mix safely.

Gen X thought computers and bar codes were the devil, and the year 2000 was doomsday.

Cuspers were too young to totally embrace that opinion, and were constantly adapting to the changing culture.

Gen Y dont even understand that fear.

Anyway, cuspers are truly a different breed from both Gen X and Gen Y, and somewhat hard to understand - like the Baby boom/Gen X cuspers.

I was born in 1997,so I guess I'm either Y or Z. Z seems to start anywhere from 1990 to 2003.

I was born in 1968, which probably makes me the oldest dude here. And I believe that places me solidly in the middle of Gen X. I was a child of the 70's and a teen of the 80's. I grew up with "Classic" MTV from 1981 to 1986, i.e. pre- hip hop\rap crap MTV. MTV when they actually showed music videos most of the time. There was also, let me see: roller skating(pre-roller blades), drive in movies, video arcades w\ coin-op games only costing a quarter, gas just starting to rise over a dollar a gallon, real American muscle and pony cars, real movie stunt people doing real stunts, classic rock and 80's new wave on FM radio, "classic" 70's early 80's Sci Fi, Smokey and The Bandit and The Dukes of Hazzard. I graduated from high school in 1986.

I totally agree with u. There are so many sources. I always say I am XY cusp. I was born in 1978.

Thanks for your informative info.

I was born in 1985 and I definitely feel as if I am an XY cusper. I remember the fall of the soviet union, the first Bush presidency, a time when CDs were around but only the rich had them (the rest of us used cassettes or vinyl), the DVD hadn't been invented yet, computers still used MS-DOS and few people were online (and those who were used AOL on a crappy dial-up connection), there was no such thing as facebook or myspace, etc, etc, etc. I laugh when somebody born in 1991 tries to say they are gen-x because they like 90s music or spent their childhood in the 90s. If you were still in grade school when the new millennium rolled in, you are pure generation Y, no ifs ands or buts about it. People born from 1986-2000 have a very different culture and outlook on life than us XY cuspers and true generation X (which IMO is 1964 to 1979).

I am a member of Generation Y, having been born in November of 1991. However, I live in an underdeveloped Caribbean country so me and most of my peers aren't just like those living in developed countries. We didn't have computers in primary school, and I didn't have internet access at home until 2000. I definitely remember the home phone (most persons here still have one after all, as do I), although there are no long-distance calls to the next city, because the next village isn't that far at all. Obviously there are going to be a lot of other differences, both in regards to life then and now, but we also grew up watching Spongebob, Rugrats, etc., and right now are techno-savvy, spend plenty of time on the internet, and connect with each other on Facebook.

That said, I think some of the comments on here are particularly mean. I don't consider myself any better than anyone born in the 70's, 80's, or late 90's, nor do I think that the entertainment I grew up with is better (although I do think it was great). I think some of the comments actually show a level of egocentricity and arrogance on the part of some gen X'ers and some of those of the XY cusp.

While negative generalisations are usually based on the negative characteristics of the majority, don't forget that every person is different. Not every gen Y'er (early or late) is egocentric, impatient, or inconsiderate. Many aren't. Some people prefer the music and shows created before they were born. I hope that other members of gen Y are aware that many of the fashions/cultures existing now are basically copies of those of generations past.

I wonder though, if it's proper to call myself a gen Y when the article mentions, "There is much dispute as to ... whether this term is specific to North America, the Anglophone world, or people worldwide."

I completely agree. The fact that we are categorized as a certain generation does not mean that we are a completely different sub-species, nor does it mean that we are all the same. Although we are generation Y, we are the same people with the same characteristics. The same can be said with baby boomers, gen Xers, and gen XY cuspers; you are not all the same, so why are we being categorized as all the same people?

Yep - same here. I was also born in 1982. Recently (I am from Australia) there has been a TV program on called "Talking About Your Generation". It is a quiz show to see who knows the most about their generation (Baby Boomers / Generation X or Generation Y). Everyone that I have viewed the program with recently has been going for their own generation - except for me - I have no idea which generation I fall into so I have been going for either Generation X or Y. My cousin bought the boardgame (based on the show) - it was OK for him to play because he was born in 1986 - so he believes he is definetly Generation Y. He asked me if I wanted a game with him - but I had no idea what Generation to play as... They (the TV program) say that Generation Y begins from the beginning of the 80s - but that is their own assumption. Watching the show I can answer questions about Generation X as good as I can answer Gen Y... So yes, I agree, if you are born in 1982 - either of those 2 generations will do.

I was born in 1991 and i consider myself to be in both the gen x and gen y group because i was the kid of the 90's and i grew up listening to grunge music of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains since i was three and wore flannel shirts and flannel jackets since i was four up until I turned eight and i remember watching awesome nickelodeon shows during it's golden age era like rugrats, the ren & stimpy show, the adventures of pete & pete, are you afraid of the dark, all that, and etc. and one of my most favorite shows to watch on MTV during the mid 90's when i was three was 120 Minutes (I remember all of the music videos and I since watched the show until it got cancelled in 1999 when I was eight), Alternative Nation, and The Grind and my favorite show to watch on HBO was Tales From The Crypt and I didn't use any computer technology in the mid to late 90's because even though computers existed before 1997, I didn't use them until i gotten older and I didn't get a cell phone until i turned 14 and that was in 2005. Well basically, I'm more of a 90's kid than a 2000's kid because i can remember all of the events that happen in the 90's along with the music, movies, tv shows, and fashion trends because the future (2000's) wasn't really that great and I just often wished that I wanna go back into the 90's and relive my awesome childhood from 1994 though 1999 because the 2000's generation y is soooooo boring and lame...I mean...emo music?

Born in 1991? why are you even in this conversation?
Yep, you are part of Gen Y NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
Do you actually remeber the year MTV first debuted? Ofcourse not, because by the time you were even old enough to know what MTV was, it was already washed up.
What Saturday mornings were about?
Not being able to call friends in the city next to yours because you were charged a long distance fee? (home phones, you know the ones that only work when connected to the wall)
Only playing with a computer at school and fighting over who gets the colored one, because all the other computers are in green and black ? ( and there was no internet on these, it was all about Oregon Trail).
Wanting to buy Micheal Jackson's Jacket, barbie doll, and glove?
The best Damn TV shows were in the 80's?
I dont even watch TV anymore everything on it sucks DRAMA, DRAMA
Well if you relate to anything I have wrote I guess thats the Generation I am in. by the way have you noticed how I did not ABBREVIATE any of my words? (laughing)
Born In 1977

erhhhh , have you relise the way your speaking makes you sound like your from GenY so get over yourself i was born in the 1993 and i dont belive in this petty stuff about what years we were born in and what generation we are and other people saying how we all act and stuff because im dont belive any of it like we all have our own minds and just because we arent a baby boomer or gen x we still have a heart as if we were ,and i dont belive in god i belive in nature and what he holds everyday for us and how the world spins to the point we can understand and grow ,. so dont doubt how we belive .,.. and who we belive we are!

Saturday mornings were the best every kid was doing the same thing, watching smurfs or peewees playhouse and eating there boo-berry cereal. The best computer was the color one but i liked carmon sandiago better than oregon trail

i was born in 1980 and i so remember everything you are describing. i had a friend who lived ten minutes away in the same state but had to call a long distance number because they were just barely on this side of the state line. and the oregon trail game, how lame was that compared to today?! reading all that makes me think gen x is probably where i fall in the category, if it really matters.

any person born in the mid 80's and early 90's (1990-1991) had a 90's life that's non stop fun and i'm not talking about the people born in the 70's in case you haven't notice.

if you were born in the early 90's, werent you too young to be enjoying the 90's? wearing diapers and watching cartoons? hell, the 90's were great for those of us who were old enough to stay out past 6pm!

i was born in 1991 too

preach on brother preach on

im 14. 15 in 3 months
and i was born in the end of 1994 and i see myself as gen Y.

Yeah, you're pretty much the same age as my sister (born October 1994) and I'd consider you both to be the youngest Gen Yers.

I was born in 1984 and have always considered myself a cusper, even though I never really knew what term to give myself. I feel that my personal experience is different from gen Y because my parents were much older and were born pre-baby boom, hence a different style of child-rearing. My siblings were all 13 years or more older than me, all gen x-ers. Since I was constantly babysat by my siblings in the 80's, I think I was a lot more aware of teen culture of the 80's than others of my age (and this has been proven with convos with my peers). I grew up with the TV shows of the early 90's, with Duck Tales, Full House, Fresh Prince and SNL featuring Dana Carvey making fun of George HW Bush.

Like Katie stated earlier,I resent being referred to as the Y generation. There are many ways I feel like I relate to gen Y such as working with networks rather than independently and thinking on a global scale, but I find young gen Y-ers are extremely inconsiderate and selfish (I'm not quite sure how that oxymoron works out).

I have found that because of my cuspy-ness (hehe) I have been able to befriend people from many different generations. I have gen Y friends as well as baby-boomer friends. My husband is a solid Gen Xer, etc...

Best of all worlds :)

Like 78'er just said: "we see things for what they are. in all possible dimensions." I think that is what makes us so dynamic. And so darned annoying to everyone with narrow viewpoints LOL

i was born in 78 and consider myself gen xy. we are not sad like x or happy like y. just some blasaibla combination like an xy'er.

we see things for what they are. in all possible dimensions.

Wow, I thought I was the only one who rebelled at being included in gen y. I was born in august of 1978 with siblings 6 and 7 yrs older than me. I started teaching eighth grade when I was twenty. So, needless to say I am an old soul. This is a conversation I have with my daughter's mother (she was born in '74) all the time. Someone mentioned having a commodore 64 and an atari. I 'll do you one better... intelevision! We seemed to have the best of both worlds; experiencing the old and watching the new develop. We had video games, but only as a supplement to going outside. We grew in a time where you turned to one radio station for r&b and another for rap. You had very distinct styles that you could point to and recognize them as 80s, late 80s/early 90s. Now everything runs together. Things I and my circle (from'73? to '80?) can reference are not even in the realm of understanding of those born after.

btw, i was born in 1992

sabby, you are definetly not gen x. You could be either gen Y or Z. Some people are starting to classify gen Z as those who were too young to remember 9/11 and were completely born in the digital age. i think there should be a YZ cusp like there is for XY. if there was YZ, I would want to be in that category.

I was born in 1995 and every website i go to tells me something different. So i really want to know am i gen X Y Z.

I was born July 1978 - definite Gen Xer - I cannot identify with Gen Y at all. They are almost an alien species to me. Seventies kids, and maybe those born into the early eighties, are the people I understand, relate to, and share common values with. Gen X (particularly the latter half) is, in my experience, hardworking, adaptable and independent, with some techno savvy but none of the egocentricity, impatience and sense of self-entitlement that typifies Gen Y. And I totally don't get the social networking stuff. I just don't get why face-to-face interaction (not to mention good spelling and grammar) went out of fashion...

You cannot generalise Gen Y (or anyone) like that. Just because we were born in a different year (myself, I was born in 1992) doesn't mean that we don't care about anyone else. Yes, many of us do want things to be instant as a result of technology, but not everyone. Face-to-face interaction and good spelling and grammar didn't go out of fashion, just some people are too lazy to take care with their spelling and grammar, and its not only Gen Yers. For me, Facebook and MSN are important in keeping in touch with friends. It allows me to easily keep in touch with my school friends that live up to half an hour away from me, and up to an hour's drive away from each other. Obviously you haven't met many Gen Yers.

Amen!! I could not have said it better. I guess Im an XY cusper (born in 1980) but I agree I can't relate to Gen Ys attitude of self-entitlement. They seem to lack substance. Every thing about them seems superfical and unimportant yet they all belive they are important and deserving just because they exisit. I mean what a load of crap. and their parents did this to them with all their slack parenting skills. Example.... I have a brother 15 years younger than me. The way we were raised was completly different. I was held accountable for my actions. I did not get EVERY thing I wanted. And my mother never stuffed my head full of the garbage gen Y was feed. For some reason the parents of gen y thought it would be a great idea to constantly tell their kids how special they are and shelter them from all disappointment, embarassment, and hurt. Come on people!!! Yes we all want to protect are kids but you know what, some of these things are part of growing up and finding your place in the world. Gen Y has completely missed out on this.

I don't belive gen X has completely peaked yet. There is still the youngest of us, the xy cuspers, who are just now rising to the top. Our kids are in elemetary school now. I think we have a different attitude toward parenting then that of Gen Y parents or our for that matter. Atleast I know I do. I hope this will make a differance.

I'm 24, born in 1984. I'm definitely gen Y. I don't know how I could possibly be thrown in with Gen X. It's a completely different set of social experiences and values.

I was born in early '88 and I can't stand being linked to people born 91 or later! I have much more in common with those born in the 80's. As a living example - My brother was born in 91 and we grew up with totally different societal references. I watched darkwing duck - he watched spongebob. I remember getting a computer and aol in fourth grade, my brother wasn't even in first grade (He can't remember not having a computer). I got a cell phone when I went to collage, he had one from the time he started high school - but all his friends had them in middle school. Half the time when he's talking about trends I have no idea what they are. He grew up WITH technology, I watched it emerge. Admittedly there was an NES in the house from the time I was three - but my parents had bought that - for themselves.

There is a sharp divide between those who remember life before the 90's and those who grew up in the mid to late 90's. For gosh sakes my brother doesn't really remember the Clinton-Lewinski scandal! He was too young! I remember the end of the Cold War!

In fact there IS a term for people like me; Cold Y, although it is technically 81 to 87.

how do u remember the 80s? u were born in 88

and i was born in 91 as well and can remember growin up watchin both those cartoons, not having a computer, and the beggining of the World wide web ;)

u just have a special case, many ppl born in 91 are not like ur brother but more like u... He's more of a 95+ child

Well according to research, Generation X is 1965-1979 and Generation Y is 1980-1995, and I'm not taking it back. You can't possibly believe that because I was born in 1977, I'm Gen Y. I may have some Gen Y tendencies, but I'm more Generation X than Generation Y. Almost all the researches say thatGen X is 1965-1979. You may not agree, but it's the truth. I'm Gen X with some Gen Y tendencies, but nevertheless, I'm Gen X. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Don't try to put me in Gen Y because I'm not.

I was also born in the late 70's which is "77". I do not relate to anyone born before 1976. 1977 to 1981 was the people I related to. The kids who grew up in the 80's with all the best cartoons and also growing up in the 90's when altenative music was at its peak. I am not a Gen X. I knew people who were born from 60' and mid 70's and they do not relate to the "new age" of those born in the late 70's and experiencing childhood in the 80's. I'm definitely an XY Gen.

I was born in 1977, and I DID NOT and I WILL NOT considered myself as a Yer. I'm an Xer. I TOTALLY can't relate to those born in the 80s. Like the other poster said, I also related to people born between 1975 and 1979. Most of my friends were born between 1975 and 1979. I believe and always believe to this day that those who were born in the mid 60s to the late 70s (1965-1979) are Gen Xers and those who were born in the 80s and 90s (1980-1995) are Gen Yers. I have way too much in common with an Xer for some stupid survey to say that I'm a Yer.

I don't think it matters what year you were born in as much as what class you were in. I graduated in 1998 yet I was born in 1979. All my close friends were in my class. They were born in 1979 and 1980 and I related to them. The people in the class of 97 seemed a little bit different (a little more serious and stern). Many of them were born in 79 as well. The class of 96 was that much more uptight.

I was born in 1977, and feel I have WAY more in common with those borm between 1975 and 1979 than with those born early 70's and early 80's. We remember being kids of the 80's, and teens of the 90's, we're all, for the most part, in our 30's now, have kids, and are raising another generation. To me, those born in the 1980's started a new trend in child births, and they are influencing how many are in their graduating classes, and for us 70's babies, we had some small classes, while 80's babies are LARGE! The generation that is known as X stops at 1979!

It's not set in stone in the cosmos that generation y people "have" to be anything or anybody.There are no no established rules to life and im fuckin hate these people coming off like they are entitiled to be whom ever the fuck they think they are.I mean, for all intents and purposes,you can very well be laying in a dark room throwing up your internal organs and it wouldn't matter worth a shit.So fuck off generation "Y" or whatever the fuck it's called.Oh and by the way,It really doesn't matter that it's a "futureistic" "modern" time".Theres a lacking of the avant garde,cool mentality that used to exist that doesn't now,so in fact,people were cooler in the past an it just sucks know as a consequence of the times.So fuck you and your stupid crap music,and self and what the fuck ever.

Who gives a rats ass if your some person born in the 80's.Do you think thats makes you special or something?All gen y does is rip off the culture from the past wich was cooler and regurgitates it as if they originated it.What a pre fabricated self entitled bunch of nothings.

Wow, this hits the nail on the head. I was born in 80, and I can't stand that list of Generation tries to call me GEN X.
X'ers were the type that went to HS in the late 70s and early 80s, they became the pretentious college students in the late 80s and early 90s.
Culturally, their influences came from different sources, and their just seems to be a different set of values. Not better, not worse, just different.
I don't think you can have a generation be more than 15 years (at least not in contemporary industrial societies where change happens a lot quicker). The point of establishing generation boundaries is to group people by age and define the culture of that age. GEN X Really should be 1962-1976; making '77-91 GEN Y; still I'd accept the cusp thing more than being Gen X

I was born in 1975 but I definitively feel like an XY, why? cause in many things I don't feel like an X'r and I have strong relations with people younger as well as older than me.. I defintively love the Internet and keep online everyday, though I knew analogue technology I am more arelated with digital ;)

Hey, so far the youngest here. Born in '83 and already married. I like the xy cusp term as I feel it best describes me. Some boomer tried to tell me I was gen y, not gen x so I thought I should look up the different years. I am not technologically dependent-thank god, I don't own a facebook or myspace page. In fact, I tried once to get a myspace page and wound up with the trojan horse virus. Needless to say my solution to the problem was to buy a new computer. I grew up with an analog tv (turn dial for three channels) and I was the remote control when mom and dad wanted a channel changed or the rabbit ear antennas fixed. When it came to playing nintendo or playing outside, my choice was outside with my toys and imagination. I identify more with older adults and can't fathom the need that gen y has to constantly keep in touch with one another. Though I must say I had to fulfill a high school computer requirement to graduate. I think that's a gen y thing.

I'm a cusper (born August 78) and feel like it. I share the gen-X memories but possess a lot of the gen-Y attributes. Technologically I think I'm probably more savvy a la gen Y, but unlike a lot of Ys I remember rotary phones and record players. I find it normal to more easily relate to say, someone 5 years younger than me than someone 3 years older...

Just like Dan, I too was born in September of 1978. I have always considered myself a member of Gen X, for a lot of the reasons that Dan has already put forth.

When I look back on my childhood, I definitely have more in common with the Gen Xers (my wife was born in 76, and all my friends were born sometime in the 70's). I feel like I have a more common bond with them.

The Gen Yers, I just don't get. There just isn't that much commonality between them and I.

I see it like this: generally speaking, I consider those born in the 40's & 50's to be boomers, 60's & 70's to be Xers, and 80's & 90's to be Yers.

I was born in September 1978. I think the cusp XY is pretty accurate. I tend to
gravitate more to Gen X. I feel nothing in common with Gen Y. I don't use much
technology, hate gadgets, and my TV is nearly ten years old. When I went to college,
email was still MS-Dos based, the net was just starting to become popular, everyone
took notes on a pad of paper with a pen, no kids had cell phones, I didn't even have
cable in my college dorm room until junior year (1998) of college!!! I grew up playing
with plastic toys more than playing video games. My friends still had Atari, I had C64.
I vividly remember the dot-com bubble. I remember when rap and hip-hop were on the fringe of the musical scene, and synonymous with
the Beastie Boys and Run DMC. I have a hard time relating to people even two or three years younger than I am, in the sense of
cultural influences. MTV was a fringe channel until I was a pre-teen. When I was a kid, we had two computers per classroom, not two computers per student. I can relate better to the frustration and bitterness that many in Gen X felt, compared to the relative material prosperity that I think most Gen Yers relate to.

On the other hand. . .
I remember bits and pieces of the 80s, but can't put them into perspective. I am a
child of the nineties. My adult life wasn't influenced by the 1990-1992 recession, but
by the 2001-?? recession (in my mind, the economy still hasn't recovered). I grew up with grunge,
Hammertime, Vanilla Ice, and remember Tarantino's first big movie. I took a computer language
class in middle school.

So I guess I feel more like Gen X than Gen Y, but not totally Gen X. Maybe 3/4 to 1/4.

But that's ok, as being a "mix" is the American way.

Thanks for the read.

Great post! I was just searching for those like me born in 1982 that felt sort of...ignored, generation-wise. I've always felt like I didn't fit into either generation -- growing up in the 90s, remember how all the media focused on was Gen-X, and since about 2002, it's been focusing on Gen-Y. They must have forgotten us....

I've even recently started a blog called Generation XY (really!), but there's nothing on it yet, as I've been busy with other things.

I am looking for Gen Y style as the boss or line manager They are old enough now!

I am also looking for information on how Gen Y manages the generational diversity at work.

Many thanks.

IMO
gen x 65-81
gen y 77-94
gen z 95-?

xy cusper 77-84 or wider 75-85

i was born june 1978. i remember the 80's as a child. the 90s was my decade for sure. i agree with the cusper. that is me. i am not a solid gen xer, even though i consider myself gen x. not a solid gen yer. i am a hybrid of both.

XY cuspers grew up in the analog to digital flux of the 80s and 90s

they are analog-digital split, most of them still teenagers and at home with parents when AOL came out, circa '95.

XY cusper Parents got AOL while they were still in high school when Oprah endorsed it, so this group can relate to having internet at home like gen yers.

gen xers are more used to analog and TV shows - they were (21 and up), grown and out of the house by 1995 using the internet/digital technology mainly at work.

gen y are more digital, had internet instruction at school at a young age.

my 2cents anyway

Interesting.
Yes, I definitely like the XY Cusp. Best of both worlds.
Whichever it is, 1982 was one of the best years to be born apparently. I can't remember where I read it, but we're meant to be much more communicative, creative and work-focused than other years.
Saying that, I also read (of UK people anyway) that those born in the early to mid '80's are meant to find it harder to settle down in the work-world because of the post-Thatcherite society at the time...

I was born in 1980- I've been trying to figure it out for hours now (for a school paper)! I guess I'm XY Cusp, but I identify most with Y.

I also was born in 1980 so I'm like you, born on the cusp. I differ from you in that I identify more with the gen Xers. The music I generally listen to ranges anywhere from the Beatles, the Doors, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd to Nirvana, the Pixies, REM and Sonic Youth. I am however, very much "plugged in." I can't imagine life without a computer and I prefer to text over doing it the old way so I guess I at least partially identify with the Gen Y crowd. I also don't find any pre-Seinfeld television very relevant if that means anything. I guess I don't know what Gen I am but then again, lablels are for social dinosaurs. Any comments?

Hey! You know, just today I went through the EXACT SAME THING. I read an article about Gen Yers in the work field, and saw it referred to just about my age (also born in 1982) and I also considered myself Gen X because that's what we were told, right? So I found your XY Cusp definition you posted, and have been looking it up (don't find much more about it).. I like it too, because it fits perfectly- doesn't it?

I also heard Gen Y were those kids that are growing up with more of a stronger grasp on the communications/phones/internet, etc... I just think it's really crazy how we're kind of in the middle, you know? Not really here or there- because I know people born 1975 ( considered Gen X, and I definitely don't see a relation to me, having been born circa 1982 :P) And I don't think Gen Y should go as far back as 1970s either.. Gen Y I think children of the 90s.

But anyway, XY Cusp- I'm all for it ;)

Hehe.. Doom Generation. I like that one.

Love your blog. I was trying to explain this exact thing to my grandchildren yesterday. I told them they were Gen Y but that when they got older they could re-invent who they were and re-name their generation.

I like the XY Cusp the best too. That definitely describes me!

Did you know that cuspers tend to relate to a wide variety of people better than either Gen X or Gen Y as well?

as a cusper, i know im so flippin misunderstood! i think being who we are, we tend to be less self-involved than the x's or y's...even though we're know to be the most selfish group!

I definitely like the XY description best. I'll go with that ;)