Want to know why Gen Xers are so cranky? Read on.
Posted On July 18, 2013
While the Millennial generation has gotten quite a bit of negative press lately (narcissistic keeps coming up) they are certainly not alone. Xers have been hearing it for years. In fact, according to a recent MSN Money piece, this constant pressure is just one of 10 things that are keeping the Xers down. It’s a rather depressing and sarcastic take, but then again, it was written by an Xer. Here are highlights of “why Generation X is hosed:”
- It lost 45% of its wealth in the great recession
- It’s never going to retire
- It’s losing programs its parents had
- It doesn’t own a home
- It has crazy debt
- It’s hogging all the jobs…
- It hates the jobs its hogging
- It has no idea what Occupy Wall Street is talking about
- It was born into a cycle of despair
- It’s ridiculously grumpy about the whole thing
So this list isn’t exactly science, but the author does back up some of the points with research and anecdotes, and a healthy dose of sarcasm. As I’ve been relaying over the years, Generation X is not easy, that’s for certain.
The author doesn’t provide much upside in this piece, but I believe it exists. For example, one of the side effects of being so disenfranchised is that Gen Xers are fiercely loyal to those who earn it. Be a company or a leader who understands and is there for your Gen Xer employees and they will pay you back in spades.