Members Of Generation X example essay topic

742 words
'What? The land of the free? Whoever told you that is your enemy... Yes I know my enemies They " re the teachers who taught me to fight me Compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission Ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite All of which are American dreams. ' (Know Your Enemy, Rage Against the Machine) Perhaps this explains some of Generation X, as they have come to be called, or perhaps it open up more questions. I'd like to share what I've learned about Gen X from people who are part of that Generation.

19-39 Hopefully this will clear up some misconceptions about them, and shed some light on whom they really are and what they are trying to prove. Generation X is made up of people 19 to 39 years old. They are one of the most outspoken subculture groups in America today. They have not only voiced their opinion through books and newspapers, but through the Internet and especially political means. As a group, their age gives them a large voice in the election of government officials who hold their views. Generation X has collectively defined themselves as; ...

A group of individuals who grew up with no one at home after school. It appears we have little hope for the future. No jobs, no homes, and basically no money are almost expected of us. Some believe that these blockades will be too much for us to handle and we will for the most part fail at life, but many see our individualism and resourcefulness that have been built up through our childhoods as our saviors. We will soon discover who is right and who is wrong. Many members of Gen say that most people of the generation before them think they represent something negative to them.

That is Gen X is against their parents. However, actual members of Gen X believe something different; that they were the unwatched responsibility of their parents. Their parents did not take care of them, and yet their parents expect them to monetarily support the largest amount of senior citizens ever known. The justice that governs generations seems to have failed somewhere along the way, and it will be the responsibility of Gen X to fix it, or make it worse. Many people have studied the subculture of Gen X and reported many interesting statistics about it. Some of the more interesting findings are found below.

Gen X is marrying later, having kids later, and wanting to spend more time with family. 54% have completed or enrolled in more than one year of college. 63% are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. They have been left with a 4 trillion dollar debt. More believe they will see a UFO than a social security check with their name on it. Generation X was the first generation to grow up with television. By the age of five, they had watched 5,000 hours of television each.

Actually, many members of Generation X believe that they were raised more by television than by their parents. In shows such as the Brady Bunch, Different Strokes, Full House, and the Dukes of Hazzard, all of the families had only one biological parent. Of course Family Ties, the Wonder Years and Growing Pains all had both biological parents. What all of these shows have in common is that they took the place of the parents in the family, since the children could now taught by the parents on the television. Members of Gen X had more than just television to keep them occupied. Generation X ers also grew up with groundbreaking movies like "The Breakfast Club" and "Fast Times at Ridge mont High".

These movies walked the lines of proper social place and stretched the ideas of what was acceptable content for movies when they were made. Many music groups are also made up of members of Generation X and have spoken out through their lyrics about the current situation for their generation. Bands such as the Beastie Boys and the Mighty Mighty Boston es have appealed to the younger half of Generation X. Older members have been known to prefer listening to Metallica, AC / DC, REM, and Gun 'n Roses.