I was recently on a webinar about donor cultivation and when the subject of how to communicate with different segments of the population came up one of the moderators said, “Gen X is the forgotten generation.” Say what?! As a Gen X myself and admittingly I quickly searched the ages for Gen X…because I too, momentarily forgot that I was Gen X!
Gen X is defined as being born between 1965-1980, sandwiched between the Baby Boomers and Millennials…whose populations are greater…thus forgotten. Often advertisers and the media when discussing trends will focus on Baby Boomers and Millennials – skipping over the “middle child” generation.
Others have a different take on the forgotten generation. Speaking directly to Gen Xers from an online site called Upworthy.
1. “You are the most independent and self-sufficient generation…there is literally nothing I can teach you.” Well, we are also known as the “latch-key” kids, who had to figure “stuff out”, entertain ourselves without social media, etc. Cell phones didn’t even exist!
2. “Even if I did have something to tell you, you wouldn’t care.” Also, known as the “whatever” generation. Well, I care now but as a child my mom bought me a collection of books with one being about a little boy Pierre who said I don’t care about everything…until he got eaten by a lion!
3. “The rest of us are all terrified of you if the apocalypse ever happens…some how you’ll know what to do.” True that!
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