Isn’t it fascinating how we’ve divided the human timeline into these quirky categories? We’ve got the silent heroes, the booming boomers, the effortlessly cool Gen X, the tech-savvy millennials, the Zoom-loving Gen Z, and hey there, Gen Alpha, you’re next in line. But right now, let’s turn the spotlight on you, you awesome Gen X’ers – the original latchkey kids, the masters of retro-cool. Born in 1965–1980, you know all too well about neon clothes, jelly bracelets, stirrup leggings, pay phones, big hair, and strawberry shortcake…

From the cosmic dust of the ’60s to the neon glow of the ’80s, the r/GenX subreddit captures the essence of what it was like to grow up and live in this era. We’ve curated our favorite posts from the group, so grab your VHS tapes, dust off your Pogs collection, and get ready for a journey through the era of neon fanny packs, grunge anthems, and a world where the only social network that mattered was the one you actually attended in person.

#1 I Feel Like As A Gen-Xer, This Resonates With Me

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The Gen X’ers, now comfortably middle-aged, could tell us a lot about life and how it used to be. Today’s trends, including music, fashion, and TV shows, often take cues from the vibrant ’70s and ’80s. A lively Reddit group, r/GenX boasts 98.1k members and is a hotspot for sharing nostalgic and funny content from that era.

#2 What Would Some Of Our Disproven Facts Be?

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#3 This Sums Up The Genx Music-Purchasing Experience

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Besides the fun things we associate with the ’70s and ’80s, there was much more to it. Gen X was the first generation with both parents working outside the home, but childcare options were limited at that time. Known as the “Latchkey Kids,” Xers grew up preparing meals and maintaining the household after school. This often led to a feeling of being overlooked, with Baby Boomers soaking up the limelight.

#4 I Can’t Disagree

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#5 How Everyone Else Thinks The 80s Looked Like vs. Reality

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#6 What Are Your Thoughts On This? Accurate?

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A recent article in the New York Times defines Gen X this way: “A relatively small cohort sandwiched between baby boomers and millennials, this demographic consisting of Americans born between 1965 and 1980 seemed to dominate the cultural conversation for only a brief stretch of the 1990s, when Seattle seemed like the music capital of the universe and ‘Gen X’ served as shorthand for all things edgy and cool.”

#7 Who Had A Car Stereo That Had A Removeable Faceplate?

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#8 Just Had To Leave This Here. Had No Choice In Fact

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#9 Who Else Grew Up Learning To Question Authority From This Character?

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They were the first to experience widespread cable television access as they grew up. In 1981, MTV, the 24/7 music video channel, arrived, capturing the hearts of countless Gen Xers and earning them the moniker “MTV Generation.”

#10 How Very

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#11 Trying To Think Of A Clever Caption, But I Can’t Top This

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#12 Oh, Ain’t This The Truth

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Gen Xers grew up during a time of significant events. They faced the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, leading to a focus on safe sex. They witnessed history unfold with the end of the Cold War, marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. They saw both the triumph of the first successful space shuttle flight in 1981 and the tragedy of the Challenger explosion five years later. Gen Xers lived through the U.S. government’s anti-drug efforts, epitomized by the “just say no” campaign, and they also navigated the energy crises of the ’70s and ’80s.

#13 This Is Only Going To Get Worse

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#14 Seems Just About Right For Us

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#15 Little Bit Of Truth To This. My Mind Is Still 30, But My Body Says Nice Try

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Gen Xers are known for being resourceful and independent due to their latchkey upbringing. They value a work-life balance, having seen their parents’ work demands affect family time. Their cynicism can be attributed to the economic and societal challenges they faced during their childhood and early adulthood.

#16 “Nobody Puts Baby In A Corner!”

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#17 We Ate King Dongs And Listened To Gregorian Chants. What A Time To Be Alive

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#18 Only Genx Has This Specialized Skill

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Now, aged 43 to 58, the “Coolest Generation” finds joy in simple activities like trips to Costco or Target, cozy Friday nights in, excitement over a new shower or lawnmower, and even crafting jelly from hand-picked crabapples.

#19 This Post Needs To Be 25 Characters But I Think The Fella Below Said Enough

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#20 Omg Fashion Plates!! Who Else Played With These?

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#21 Stuck In The Middle With You

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To offer a point of reference and comparison with Gen X, we’ve gathered information about the next two generations. The revolution was influenced by millennials, also known as Generation Y. Born between 1982 and 1994, they’re digital natives, seamlessly incorporating technology into their daily routines. They moved from an analog to a digital world. Unlike earlier generations, millennials face intense competition due to the economic crisis, prompting them to strive for better qualifications. Unlike their Generation X parents, they’re ambitious and determined to achieve their goals.

#22 I Feel Like Gen X Is The Only Generation To Just Embrace This Reality

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#23 It’s Not Even Funny. It’s A Big Source Of My Stress

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#24 Yes We Did. F**king Gop Idiots

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Generation Z, aged 8 to 23, will be the leaders in the future. They’re also called centennials, born between 1995 and 2010, and came into the world with tablets and smartphones. Who are they? They’re the Internet generation, it’s part of them – in their homes, education, and how they socialize. Finding jobs might be even harder for them than for Generation Y. They’re tech-savvy but might prioritize screens over people. Yet, they use the Internet for social causes. They expect instant results due to their digital lives and are influenced by YouTubers. They can multitask but have shorter attention spans. As consumers, they’re independent and demanding, and their future jobs might not exist yet.

#25 I Suspect We Can All Relate To This

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#26 X’ers Were Scrappy Little Hooligans

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#27 My God… We Suffered… Suffered So Much

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Continue scrolling for a dose of nostalgia and fun from the Gen X era – the generation that gave us leg warmers and the modern smartphone. Upvote your favorite ones and drop a comment on the ones that resonated with you the most.

#28 Has Happened More Than Once!!!!! Especially About 9/11

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#29 Retirement For Generation X

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#30 Not A Gen Xer, But The Ones I Know Are Exactly Like This

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#31 Who Had School In A Portable?

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#32 Some Humor Needs No Explanation

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#33 Peak Genx – Riding Your Bike Down The Middle Of The Street, Standing On The Banana Seat, No Helmet

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#34 The Best Part Of Getting A New Cassette

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#35 Most Accurate Description Of Growing Up Gen X

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#36 Anyone Else Remember These Ashtrays?

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#37 Hilarity On A Level That Never Gets Old

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#38 The Blockbuster Strikes Back

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#39 The Day After?

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#40 So… Umm… There’s That

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#41 My Daughter Found My Old Walkman, So I Left Her A Note

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#42 I Mean, It Seemed Believable At The Time

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#43 Phil Basically Raised A Generation

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#44 You Can Add Driving During The Day In Any Season, Really

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#45 Anyone Remember The Metal Lid You Had To Use A Butter Knife To Pop Off?

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#46 I Had This Exact Mini Stereo! Did You?

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#47 How Many Of Us Had Grandparents With This TV?

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#48 Sit, Ubu, Sit. Good Dog. Does Anyone Remember This?

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#49 Yes We Turned Out Just Fine

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#50 I Wonder What This Week’s Big Misunderstanding Caused By A Partially Overheard Conversation Will Be!

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#51 Childhood Toys Roundup: This Parking Garage (Ding, Ding, Ding)

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#52 I Thought This Sub Would Appreciate This Cosplay From Superman (1978)

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#53 This Post Is To All The Genx’s With Uncommon Names And The Bitter Sting Of The Gift Shop Keychains

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#54 This Reality Hits Harder Twenty-Nine Years Later When I’m In My Early 50’s

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#55 The Emotional Damage This Inflicted Upon Me Lives With Me To This Day

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#56 Who Remembers This? National Geographic Was A Portal To The Rest Of The World

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#57 It Was The Hug We Never Got

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#58 I Learned Opera From A Cross Dressing Rabbit

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#59 Let’s Get Down To Brass Tacks. Every House Had These Coasters

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#60 This Place Was A Friday Night Out

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#61 For My Cake Day I Went To See “The Big Lebowski” In Costume. How’d I Do?

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#62 The Annual Mrs. Roper Bar Crawl, Hillcrest San Diego. This Should Be A National Event And Possibly A Federal Holiday

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#63 It’s A No Brainer Really

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#64 Took A Family Vacation To Oregon. Had To Visit Gen-X Mecca

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#65 What’s Another Truth About The 80’s You’d Like To Share?

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#66 How Many Of Us Still Bear The Scars?

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#67 Does Anyone Else Still Do This?

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#68 What Non Horror Movie Scenes Traumatized You As A Child?

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#69 What Was Your “Must See” Movie You Shared With Younger Generations?

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#70 Who All Laid On One Of These Bad Boys As A Kid?

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#71 Fisher Price Activity Center

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#72 If Anyone In Your Family Sewed, In The 60s,70s Or 80s They Had One Of These. My Mom Had A Few

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#73 I Can Smell This Picture

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#74 Who Else Had A Sticker Album?

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#75 Who Hid In These Clothing Racks In Department Stores As A Kid When Shopping With Their Parents?

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#76 Whenever I Hear The Title “Surgeon General” This Is The Guy That Pops Into My Mind

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#77 Ah, The Good Old Days Lol

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#78 If You Used One Of These, You Belong Here

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#79 Who Thought “Ring Around The Collar” Was Going To Be A Bigger Problem Than It Actually Was?

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#80 I’m Just Going To Leave This Right Here

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#81 Whether It Was Shepard’s Pie, Tuna Casserole, Or Spaghetti Sauce… It Was Served In This

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#82 I Listened To Hours Of Dr. Demento And Dr. Ruth Westenheimer On One Of These

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#83 For Some Reason Saloon Doors On Your Kitchen Were Popular Among Our Parents

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#84 Time For Timer Commercial

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#85 The Joys Of A Sugar Stick Dipped In Different Colors Of Sugar…

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#86 Adulting Is Far Less Glamorous Than I Was LED To Believe It Would Be

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#87 Who Else Had The Amazing Hot Air Popcorn Popper? Worked Like A Charm – If You Liked Dry Popcorn

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#88 Now Look At Them Yo-Yos! That’s The Way You Do It!

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#89 I Was Looking For A Used Graphing Calculator On Ebay. I Bought This Also, Because I’m A Grown-Up

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#90 I Would Spend Hours In This Store Just Looking

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#91 Were You One Of The Ones Who Thought It Was Real?

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#92 Now You Have $47 Fees On $52 Tickets

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#93 Who Remembers Mr. Bones Candies?

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#94 I Think We All Remember This

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#95 I’ll See Your Bowl Cuts, And Raise You Two Afro Puffs

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#96 How We Used To Check The Weather

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#97 Did Anyone Else Have This Toy As A Kid? This Is My Original One From The 1970s

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#98 Anyone Else Remember Reading Reader’s Digest?

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#99 Every Grandchild Got This In Their Stocking When We Gathered At Grandma’s Christmas Day

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#100 Everyone Here Knows The Answer To The Question You’re Thinking Right Now

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#101 You Probably Had One Of These In Your Fridge While You Were Growing Up

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#102 Is It Just Me Or Were These The Height Of Sophistication Back In The Day?

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#103 In My Youth, This Was A Michelin Star Restaurant. Did Anyone Else Think It Was Special?

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#104 Did We All Eat Goulash Growing Up? I Loved This…

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Source: boredpanda.com