User:Scarpy/Xennials

Xennials is a portmanteau of Generation X and Millennials and refers to people born on the cusp of those generations, typically the late 1970s to the early 1980s. Two other popular popular terms exist, Oregon Trail Generation and Generation Catalano, to refer to the same group of people.

To-Do
Xennials "represent a small population among a time period of record-low birth rate in America. There were roughly 25.1 million people born in the U.S. between 1978 and 1984, representing only 36% of all Gen X births, or in 1984, merely 10.6% of the entire American population. (Multiple factors contributed to lower birth rates at this time, including more women entering the workforce, the oil crisis, higher crime rates, and a shaky economy.) On the other hand, beginning in 1977, Xennials mark the beginning of an upswing in birth rate, at 15.1%, compared to Gen X’s low point, a 14.6% birth rate in 1975 and 1976, respectively."
 * https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nationally-representative-survey-reveals-moms-shopping-habits-with-generational-comparisons-151934055.html
 * This article from Timeline cites CDC population data: The linked CDC report is here:

Transitional Millennials Ages: 18-22, born 1984-1988 Characteristics: came of age during the Clinton years, show strong optimism about their ability to achieve and about political process Politically: more likely than any other generation to be Democratic and progressive, though one third are still unsure of their affiliation Issues: economy, environment, social issues

Cusp Millennials Ages: 23-28, Born 1978-1983 Characteristics: Came of age during the first Clinton term, strongest preferences of any generation regarding environmental protection issues Politically: Lean Democratic, but only slightly Issues: Health care, funding for education, economy

Transitional Millennials (18-22 years old) and Cusp Millennials (23-28 years old) started their political awareness during the Clinton years. While their political identifications are still not fully formed, the greatest number in both groups tend toward a Democratic party identification and a liberal/progressive ideological orientation, the Transitional Millennials more than the Cusp Millennials. These two older Millennial groups, especially the Transitional Millennials, are more likely than any others to hold opinions considered to be “liberal” or “progressive” across virtually all issue clusters: economic intervention, environmental protection, security, crime, education, and social issues. Finally, these two Millennial groups tend to have relatively positive and optimistic perceptions of the political process and their economic futures.





Marketing research:
J.D. Power has used Xennials in a dozen or so consumer studies:  (I don't think the studies themselves are available.) "J.D. Power defines generational groups as Pre-Boomers (born before 1946); Boomers (1946 to 1964); Gen X (1965-1976); and Gen Y (1977 to 1994). Xennials (1978-1981) and Millennials (1982-1994) are subsets of Gen Y."

Nationally Representative Survey Reveals Moms' Shopping Habits With Generational Comparisons

The Xennial outlook on finance, tech and home life Xennials (An untapped opportunity for marketers) "Recent research from GfK Consumer Life uncovers how Xennials serve as the bridge between the infinitely dissected Millennials and oft-neglected Generation X" (I don't think the research itself is available.)

The case for micro-generations: An Xennial takes on Gen X

Parking's New Target Market: Xennials (Based on first hand interviews with xennials)

Xennials: the in-between generation redefining growing up. Summary of report from JWT Intelligence's The Innovation Group: "The report also features in-depth case studies of two major groups, the  New Types and the Lifestyle Types, which are then broken down into 12 detailed sub-types, including the New Adult Festivalgoer and the Xennial Entrepreneur." Link to pdf of report:



Probably not using

 * Review of
 * Review of

Generation 9/11

 * https://web.archive.org/web/20060811211815/http://www.utexas.edu/features/2005/generation/
 * http://www.generation9-11.co.uk/2.html
 * * https://wordspy.com/index.php?word=generation-9-11
 * http://www.generation9-11.co.uk/2.html
 * * https://wordspy.com/index.php?word=generation-9-11
 * * https://wordspy.com/index.php?word=generation-9-11
 * * https://wordspy.com/index.php?word=generation-9-11

Etymology
The neologistic term "Xennials" is a portmanteau blending the names of Generation X and the Millennials to describe a "micro-generation" or "cross-over generation" of people born during the Generation X/Millennial cusp years of the late 1970s to the early 1980s.

Australian Dan Woodman, associate professor of Sociology at the University of Melbourne, has been attributed with identifying a new micro-generation, called Xennials, a mix of Generation X and Millennials who were born between 1977 and 1983. Xennials was however first introduced as a concept by Sarah Stankorb in an article she wrote for the GOOD magazine in 2014.

The term Xennial is reported to be first created and used in a September 2014 article in GOOD magazine written by Sarah Stankorb and Jed Oelbaum. Good magazine describes Xennials as "a micro-generation that serves as a bridge between the disaffection of Gen X and the blithe optimism of Millennials". Dan Woodman, an Australian sociologist, was credited by the Australian media with inventing the term, but Woodman says he did not coin the term. , and the earliest traced usage is the 2014 article from Good magazine. The term Xennials received additional attention in June 2017 following an Instagram post describing it which went viral on Facebook. According to The Guardian, "In internet folklore, xennials are those born between 1977 and 1983."

The term Oregon Trail Generation was used by Anna Garvey in her 2015 article "The Oregon Trail Generation: Life Before And After Mainstream Tech", published in Social Media Week to describe those born at "the tail end of the 70s and the start of the 80s". It is named after the video game The Oregon Trail, the Apple II version of which was played by many American GenX/Millennial cuspers in their school computer labs. Other terms, such as Xennials, Generation Catalano and The Lucky Ones were already coined and are referenced in her article.

Merriam-Webster includes Xennial in their Words We're Watching section, defining the term as "a word that refers to people who were born on the cusp between Generation X and the millennials.

Characteristics
The name is a reference to the character Jordan Catalano from the 1990s teen drama My So-Called Life. Many who identify with the cusp years of Xennials, Oregon Trail Generation, or Generation Catalano do so because they do not feel they fit within the typical definitions of Generation X or Millennials. A real estate conference regarding generations in the workforce at Eindhoven University of Technology described this concept as “generational fuzziness,” saying this can lead to the formation of a 'microgeneration'.”

Cassie McClure, writing for Las Cruces Sun-News, describes those in the Oregon Trail Generation as "remembering a time before the digital age, but barely". Anna Garvey describes these individuals as having "both a healthy portion of Gen X grunge cynicism, and a dash of the unbridled optimism of Millennials", and discusses their relationship with both analog and digital technology. Sheknows.com describes individuals born in the late 1970s and early 1980s as sharing traits with both Generation X and Millennials.

Anna Garvey describes U.S members of this group as having had an "AOL adolescence" and as being from "the last gasp of a time before sexting, Facebook shaming, and constant communication". The Dickinson Press describes those born in the early 1980s as having early adulthoods which were impacted by the events of the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War.

According to Australian sociologist, Dan Woodman, "The theory goes that the Xennials dated, and often formed ongoing relationships, pre-social media. They usually weren't on Tinder or Grindr, for their first go at dating at least. They called up their friends and the person they wanted to ask out on a landline phone, hoping that it wasn't their intended date's parent who picked up." Woodman has referred to Xennials as a "cross-over generation" crediting this concept to journalists writing about individuals born during the cusp years, saying that this idea sounds plausible with respect to generations because "the divisions we use aren’t particularly robust. They tend to be imported from North America without much thought, built arbitrarily around the Boomers, and capture changes that often don’t have clear inflection points, so dates can vary." Although he warns that an entire cohort of people will not have one set of characteristics or experiences. Woodman also says "the 'Xennials' must be taken with several grains of salt. There isn't yet any strong academic evidence for the grouping, although clearly the idea resonates with a lot of people who felt left out by the usual categorizations."

When Generations Collide
"Have absorbed some of the cautiousness of the skeptical Xers who entered the workforce when jobs were almost impossible to get and were always told they would be the first to do worse than their parents. The younger Cuspers may have never attended a rave, dyed their hair purple, or gotten even a single tattoo, and they resent having been stereotyped with all of the negative images heaped upon Generation X. At the same time they have been imbued with the optimism of the Millennial generation, whose career confidence has been fuled by an unprecedented economic technological boom."

Taylor 2018
"A major reason for differences in communication styles between Gen Xers and Millennials is their experience with technology (Nwosu et al., 2016). Xennials are impressed with technology advances (Garvey, 2015). They are comfortable with computers in the workplace, but remember school days without them and are therefore able to appreciate the perspectives of both Gen X and Millennial employees (Fluck and Dowden, 2011). Xennials adapt easily to technological changes and can assist Gen Xers with transitions (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014). Though there are documented differences, major generations share many characteristics and are not as different as they may seem (Nwosu et al., 2016). Like the Gen Xers and Millennials, Xennials also appreciate having a positive work/life balance, will go the extra mile to succeed, want to be appreciated, and desire clear feedback (Dhami, 2014). While Xennials may form a bridge between two major generational cohorts, they do possess unique characteristics of their own (Giancola, 2006). Xennial employees exhibit a mix of Generation X cynicism (Shafrir, 2011) and Millennial optimism (Garvey, 2015). While they do not yearn for the conformity Millennials crave (Shafrir, 2011), they similarly desire coworkers who live the core values of the organization (Dhami, 2014). Xennials landed in a short span of history before the recession without many investments to lose like members of Generation X or the inability to find jobs like many Millennials upon graduation (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014)."

"Xennials prefer to work with authentic people (Dhami, 2014) and can relate to the members of both the generation before and after them (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014). They are comfortable communicating via e-mail (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014), using cell phones (Binion, 2015), and navigating social media but are able to function without them (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014)."

"The microgeneration between Generation X and the Millennials merge the ballpoint pen and computer mouse (Fluck and Dowden, 2011). The opportunity for an Xennial to use a computer growing up was special and the internet was not a part of their childhood (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014). Xennials are unlikely to have used new technologies extensively in their schooling, but have always experienced it in the workplace (Fluck and Dowden, 2011). They were able to ease into the use of technology as it developed (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014) rather than feeling alienated by it like Generation X or taking it for granted like Millennials (Garvey, 2015). Xennials grew up with Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and pagers (Binion, 2015) and set up their first e-mail addresses in college (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014). They bought cassettes and CDs, but also built impressive MP3 libraries (Garvey, 2015). The members of this microgeneration obtained their first cell phones in their late teens or early 20s (Binion, 2015; Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014), and though they are now dependent upon them, they clearly remember using pay phones and dial-up internet connections (Garvey, 2015). Xennials became adults before texting, Facebook, or instant messaging (Shafrir, 2011). Today they have a strong presence on social media, but remember life without it (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014)."

"Xennials were the first kids to grow up with computers in the home, are still awed by new technology (Garvey, 2015), and adapt to it easily (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014)."

Xennials were born in a quiet break between two distinct generations (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014), wedged between Generation X and the Millennials (Dhami, 2014). They form a link between Gen Xers and Millennials (Lamagna, 2015) though they sometimes feel like generational misfits because they do not identify with either label (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014). Some researchers push this microgeneration on to Millennials (Garvey, 2015), while most place Xennials at the end of Generation X (Shafrir, 2011). No one really knows where the members of the microgeneration belong (Garvey, 2015). They want to identify with a major generational cohort (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014), but are never fully comfortable with how they fit into the world (Shafrir, 2011). Xennials survived their toughest growing up years without the intrusion of social media and for the children born just after them, the entire world changed (Garvey, 2015). Shared experiences help Xennials determine more of who they are, which is a trait they have in common with Gen Xers (Shafrir, 2011). Examples of the Xennial microgeneration are portrayed in television shows such as My So Called Life, Dawson’s Creek (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014), and Saved by the Bell (Shafrir, 2011) and in movies like Empire Records (Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014). Some shows geared toward Xennials failed to make it past one season because they resonated with such a small audience (Shafrir, 2011)."

Graeme
"They have inherited the healthy aspect of Xer skepticism and savvy byt they have have the Gen Y attitude of 'we can change the world'. You won't find these Cuspers flopping down on a couch, from which they struggle to rise, reacting with a 'Whatever' to every question they are asked. They've not swallowed so much skepticism that they cannot act. At school, for instance, they will take on the system and challenge the idiot teacherm maybe even start a campaign to get him fired, or at least make him so uncomfortable that he will resign of retire. As they've entered the workplace, they've already shown themselves more willing to work long hours and be more compliant than the slightly older Gen Xers. Competing for scarce jobs has made them more hungry for work, and more willing to accept whatever starting point is offered to them on the corporate ladder."

Organizational value - just Xennials
"Xennials identify with characteristics of both Gen Xers and Millennials (Giancola, 2006). Though they may feel out of place at times (Shafrir, 2011; Stankorb and Oelbaum, 2014), Xennials actually form a link between the major generations (Lamagna, 2015)."

Savvy organizations realizing the Xennial’s curious perspective mix should see how the microgeneration individual can fuse a team spirit, into one that integrates both the tech-fingered Millennial and the self-reliant, life-wise Gen Xer. Importantly, the tangible business benefits of reducing organizational tension caused by generational value differences include boosting employee engagement, thereby reducing employee turnover, fostering innovation and increasing individual and team productivity. These organizational benefits transcend generational theory, according to which each generation develops its own values that arise out of collective experience. Events that happen to a generation as a group of people also form the basis of generational subculture theory. As Xennials have tasted the experiences of the generations on either side of them, they develop innate empathy for both groups of their colleagues, despite not feeling like they belong squarely in either one of those major generations themselves.... companies have access to people-focused value that can bind inter-generational teams together. Based on their flexible generational positioning, Xennials can emotionally inhabit a number of identities, as they grew from children to adults across the two anthropological worlds that have most affected the mindset of our current combined workforces. In the business world, where integrating generational values and styles is consistently challenging, hybrid-like Xennials could easily be called the alchemists of workplace teams, based on their capacity to fluidly communicate with and understand the broadest range of inner employee minds.... The Xennial microgeneration are a productivity-enhancing organizational asset uniquely placed to help diffuse tension between Gen Xers and Millennials in the workplace.

Rather than feeling like misfits who have no true place, Xennials can be empowered to assist the organization in ways other employees are not able.

The “micro-generation” of Millennials born in the late 70s and early 80s (sometimes known as Xennials or the Oregon Trail Generation54) are a specific subset of the millennial generation with unique qualities that stand to make them ideal new law professors. These millennials remember a time without home computers and had to learn, without the help of their typically technology-wary parents, how to use the internet, use a word processor for school, or make calls on their pocket-sized cell phones. These law graduates have worked for attorneys who do not use computers and may have entered practice at a time when they had to help maintain paper files. They’ve seen firms move from using fax machines to email, from filing things in hard copy to filing online. These millennials understand the Internet of Things55 yet can readily recall a time when there wasn’t a computer in their pockets. Who better to teach law students of the same generational cohort about the use of technology in practice, the impact of technology on legal ethics, and the doctrine behind a legal landscape that can no longer be separated from technology?

Codrington, G. (2008), “Detailed introduction to generational theory”, Tomorrow Today, pp. 1-15.

Early Millennials (1981-1986) vs. Recessionist Millennials (1987-1995)
As we reviewed Millennials comments, we noted that older indicate this belief. Instead, our review identified three subthemes in which we categorized the responses.

“As a ‘Millennial’ born in 1983, I actually associate most with the subgeneration called either the ‘Oregon Trail’ or ‘Xennials’. My childhood was mostly analog, with the early computer systems I used not having internet access…In high school, we got dial-up internet at home with Windows 95 machines. AOL chat was the social media of choice my first 2 years of college; MySpace the second two; Facebook access wasn't until grad school. I didn't get a cell phone until my senior year of college. That consumer technological development framed my growing up, and is how I identify with my generation.” “…I feel that there is a huge difference between older millennials and younger ones, and that they all get lumped into the same group. Older millennials remember a time before having internet, younger ones may not.”

Mayo Clinic
The birth years defining the generations aren't carved in stone. You might identify with more than one generation if your birth year falls near the beginning or the end of a given range of years. In that case, consider yourself a "cusper" — one who's on the cusp between one generation and the next.... Three such groups exist in today's work force: .... Traditionalist/baby boomer. Born around 1940 until 1945, members of this cusper group value the strong work ethic of the traditionalists. But some of these cuspers are also eager to challenge the status quo, a definite baby boomer trait.... Baby boomer/generation Xer. Born between 1960 and 1965, these cuspers witnessed the success of their older baby boomer counterparts, but they themselves experienced the recession that plagued the early generation Xers. Computers didn't come into elementary and high schools until after they graduated....Generation Xer/millennial. Born from 1975 to 1980, these cuspers possess an interesting mix of generation X skepticism and millennial optimism. They're quite comfortable with technology.... Cuspers are a valuable resource in any work group. Because they identify with not just one generation but two, they can foster understanding between the two generations. They're often skilled at mediating, translating and mentoring.