Why Gen X is the real loser generation: the Economist

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not that one but this one: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/opinion/gen-x.html?unlocked_article_code=1.fE8.UMA6.No0Xj6Q9Rmjp&smid=url-share

This article is so true but so flipping depressing.

"The inability to accept this may explain why so many Gen X-ers voted for Donald Trump. If they view him as anti-establishment, he validates their need to feel that they’re being subversive. If you see a post that used generative A.I. to make Mr. Trump look like a U.F.C. fighter or Rambo, I’ll bet you a bottle of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill that it was made by a Gen X-er. Mr. Trump is more Beavis or Butt-Head than John Kennedy or Franklin Roosevelt, and that appeals in the sense that he annoys the responsible grown-ups, which X-ers have loved doing since “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” And mostly, he gives them a story that says: Yes, you were lied to, and that’s why your life sucks, dude."

This line of thought is so completely alien to me (GenX born in 1972) that when I see that crap, I assume it's Boomers who can't tell AI from real photos. I guess I do see it with a few GenX acquaintances who went full MAGA. I don't see it among my actual friends who are much more the stereotypical hyper-competent and responsible type who are always the clean up crew and get stuff done.

All this navel gazing is so boring to me. Call us the generation of losers. It no biggie.

But we’re not. Gen X largely made the internet what it is.

Pipe down in the back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not that one but this one: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/opinion/gen-x.html?unlocked_article_code=1.fE8.UMA6.No0Xj6Q9Rmjp&smid=url-share

This article is so true but so flipping depressing.

"The inability to accept this may explain why so many Gen X-ers voted for Donald Trump. If they view him as anti-establishment, he validates their need to feel that they’re being subversive. If you see a post that used generative A.I. to make Mr. Trump look like a U.F.C. fighter or Rambo, I’ll bet you a bottle of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill that it was made by a Gen X-er. Mr. Trump is more Beavis or Butt-Head than John Kennedy or Franklin Roosevelt, and that appeals in the sense that he annoys the responsible grown-ups, which X-ers have loved doing since “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” And mostly, he gives them a story that says: Yes, you were lied to, and that’s why your life sucks, dude."

This line of thought is so completely alien to me (GenX born in 1972) that when I see that crap, I assume it's Boomers who can't tell AI from real photos. I guess I do see it with a few GenX acquaintances who went full MAGA. I don't see it among my actual friends who are much more the stereotypical hyper-competent and responsible type who are always the clean up crew and get stuff done.

Such stupid writing and they clearly don’t get it at all.

[Anonymous]

Is the Economist article different? Anyone read it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Gen-X. Being honest, that article bored me. No I haven’t become more conservative. No I didn’t vote Trump, ever.

Anyway, I will eventually leave this earth knowing that my generation produced and experienced the best music ever.

I couldn’t make it through the article either. She was focused on throwing in Gen X cultural references but not really analyzing the actual issues.

This is the second shitty NYT author on DCUM this week.

The economist article was much better. But hard to post.

GenX has had a rough hand, especially later GenX that were too young to get in on explosion in housing prices but too old to be part of the post-FB tech scene. We had the lot decade of investment, basically dot.bomb to GRC jobs drought and when things finally improved were muscled out by the larger Millenials.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not that one but this one: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/opinion/gen-x.html?unlocked_article_code=1.fE8.UMA6.No0Xj6Q9Rmjp&smid=url-share

This article is so true but so flipping depressing.

"The inability to accept this may explain why so many Gen X-ers voted for Donald Trump. If they view him as anti-establishment, he validates their need to feel that they’re being subversive. If you see a post that used generative A.I. to make Mr. Trump look like a U.F.C. fighter or Rambo, I’ll bet you a bottle of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill that it was made by a Gen X-er. Mr. Trump is more Beavis or Butt-Head than John Kennedy or Franklin Roosevelt, and that appeals in the sense that he annoys the responsible grown-ups, which X-ers have loved doing since “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” And mostly, he gives them a story that says: Yes, you were lied to, and that’s why your life sucks, dude."

This line of thought is so completely alien to me (GenX born in 1972) that when I see that crap, I assume it's Boomers who can't tell AI from real photos. I guess I do see it with a few GenX acquaintances who went full MAGA. I don't see it among my actual friends who are much more the stereotypical hyper-competent and responsible type who are always the clean up crew and get stuff done.

GenX voted for Trump? I assume they mean non college educated— because that’s the real divide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not that one but this one: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/opinion/gen-x.html?unlocked_article_code=1.fE8.UMA6.No0Xj6Q9Rmjp&smid=url-share

This article is so true but so flipping depressing.

"The inability to accept this may explain why so many Gen X-ers voted for Donald Trump. If they view him as anti-establishment, he validates their need to feel that they’re being subversive. If you see a post that used generative A.I. to make Mr. Trump look like a U.F.C. fighter or Rambo, I’ll bet you a bottle of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill that it was made by a Gen X-er. Mr. Trump is more Beavis or Butt-Head than John Kennedy or Franklin Roosevelt, and that appeals in the sense that he annoys the responsible grown-ups, which X-ers have loved doing since “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” And mostly, he gives them a story that says: Yes, you were lied to, and that’s why your life sucks, dude."

This line of thought is so completely alien to me (GenX born in 1972) that when I see that crap, I assume it's Boomers who can't tell AI from real photos. I guess I do see it with a few GenX acquaintances who went full MAGA. I don't see it among my actual friends who are much more the stereotypical hyper-competent and responsible type who are always the clean up crew and get stuff done.

All this navel gazing is so boring to me. Call us the generation of losers. It no biggie.

But we’re not. Gen X largely made the internet what it is.

The point is why do we care? We’re not that weak. Let it go.

[Anonymous]

Not the article, but the author talking about it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSWyNgXeyqA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not the article, but the author talking about it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSWyNgXeyqA

What a debbie downer. Eh so ten more years in the U curve, no pensions for us, and all the boomer wealth gets transferred to millennials and gen z. Who cares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not that one but this one: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/opinion/gen-x.html?unlocked_article_code=1.fE8.UMA6.No0Xj6Q9Rmjp&smid=url-share

This article is so true but so flipping depressing.

"The inability to accept this may explain why so many Gen X-ers voted for Donald Trump. If they view him as anti-establishment, he validates their need to feel that they’re being subversive. If you see a post that used generative A.I. to make Mr. Trump look like a U.F.C. fighter or Rambo, I’ll bet you a bottle of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill that it was made by a Gen X-er. Mr. Trump is more Beavis or Butt-Head than John Kennedy or Franklin Roosevelt, and that appeals in the sense that he annoys the responsible grown-ups, which X-ers have loved doing since “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” And mostly, he gives them a story that says: Yes, you were lied to, and that’s why your life sucks, dude."

This line of thought is so completely alien to me (GenX born in 1972) that when I see that crap, I assume it's Boomers who can't tell AI from real photos. I guess I do see it with a few GenX acquaintances who went full MAGA. I don't see it among my actual friends who are much more the stereotypical hyper-competent and responsible type who are always the clean up crew and get stuff done.

All this navel gazing is so boring to me. Call us the generation of losers. It no biggie.

But we’re not. Gen X largely made the internet what it is.

The point is why do we care? We’re not that weak. Let it go.

Whatever man. I don’t see any meaningful stats in this article. It’s all just feels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Gen-X. Being honest, that article bored me. No I haven’t become more conservative. No I didn’t vote Trump, ever.

Anyway, I will eventually leave this earth knowing that my generation produced and experienced the best music ever.

I couldn’t make it through the article either. She was focused on throwing in Gen X cultural references but not really analyzing the actual issues.

DP. Agree. The article missed the mark. Whatever.

[Anonymous]

Gen X voted for Trump because they're Republicans since childhood! They grew up with Reagan and it's imprinted on their brains.

[Anonymous]

Gen X are life losers. I remember thinking when the TV show Thirty Something came on, never watched it btw, that Gen X were thirty nothings.
Sure they are Trumpers to blame somebody else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not that one but this one: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/opinion/gen-x.html?unlocked_article_code=1.fE8.UMA6.No0Xj6Q9Rmjp&smid=url-share

This article is so true but so flipping depressing.

"The inability to accept this may explain why so many Gen X-ers voted for Donald Trump. If they view him as anti-establishment, he validates their need to feel that they’re being subversive. If you see a post that used generative A.I. to make Mr. Trump look like a U.F.C. fighter or Rambo, I’ll bet you a bottle of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill that it was made by a Gen X-er. Mr. Trump is more Beavis or Butt-Head than John Kennedy or Franklin Roosevelt, and that appeals in the sense that he annoys the responsible grown-ups, which X-ers have loved doing since “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” And mostly, he gives them a story that says: Yes, you were lied to, and that’s why your life sucks, dude."

This line of thought is so completely alien to me (GenX born in 1972) that when I see that crap, I assume it's Boomers who can't tell AI from real photos. I guess I do see it with a few GenX acquaintances who went full MAGA. I don't see it among my actual friends who are much more the stereotypical hyper-competent and responsible type who are always the clean up crew and get stuff done.

GenX voted for Trump? I assume they mean non college educated— because that’s the real divide.

I'm the PP. In my wider circle, I have college-educated acquaintances who voted for Trump. And they're not all male. Several are very successful, even by DCUM standards. It blows my mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gen X are life losers. I remember thinking when the TV show Thirty Something came on, never watched it btw, that Gen X were thirty nothings.
Sure they are Trumpers to blame somebody else.

Thirtysomething was about boomers. Not Gen X.

[Anonymous]

The economist article was better