Generation X, people born between 1965 and 1979, are America\u2019s goofy middle children sandwiched between the much larger Baby Boomer and Millennial generations \u2014 both of whom get a lot more press. Gen X<\/a> prides itself on being individualistic, nonconformists committed to a D.I.Y. ethic whether that means writing a punk \u2018zine or launching a tech start-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (If you just asked yourself \u201cWhat\u2019s a \u2018zine?\u201d you\u2019re clearly not a member of Gen X.) It\u2019s a generation marked by an aloof cool where any personal slight can be written off with a \u201cwhatever\u201d and one that\u2019s deathly afraid of taking anything too seriously. It\u2019s a generation that was so put off by the corporate, commercial culture of the \u201980s<\/a> it rebelled by wearing second-hand clothes and ironically embracing low-brow \u201970s<\/a> culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s the generation of hip-hop, Tiger Woods, Quentin Tarrantino, the re-birth of punk rock, John Cusak movies, and Atari. Not a bad resume at all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A big reason Gen X is so self-reliant is that it\u2019s the generation hardest hit by divorce. According to a 2004 marketing study<\/a> it \u201cwent through its all-important, formative years as one of the least parented, least nurtured generations in U.S. history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gen X was the first generation that experienced both parents working outside the home. But, unfortunately, at the same time, childcare centers and afterschool programs had not yet emerged to a significant extent. That\u2019s why you hear so much folklore about 80s kids being allowed to run feral throughout the neighborhood or even the whole time. This is the \u201ccome home when the streetlights come on\u201d generation, and it shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, the \u201cCoolest Generation\u201d finds itself somewhere between 42 and 56 and is hitting middle age. Unfortunately, that means it\u2019s now the most stressed generation in America.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although, in true Gen X fashion, many refuse to let anyone see they\u2019re stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An extensive study by Penn State<\/a> showed that stress began to hit Gen X sometime in the last decade. The 2012 study discovered that Gen X had an average stress level of 5.8 (out of ten) while Millennials (3.4) and Baby Boomers (4.4) were a lot calmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not just the anxieties of hitting middle age. An even more recent study<\/a> shows that the trend hasn\u2019t changed in the last decade as all of the generations have aged. In 2021, 22% of Gen Xers admitted to daily struggles with stress followed by Millennials (17%), Gen Z (14%), and Baby Boomers (8%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The APA\u2019s Stress in America Report from 2023<\/a> indicates that Gen Z may be coming for the throne soon, though, with major financial and loneliness issues weighing them down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A big reason for the stress is having to take care of multiple generations. Many Gen Xers have to care for their aging parents as well as their children who are just starting to make their way in a world that\u2019s become much harder to afford. And that\u2019s to say nothing of Gen X\u2019s own money worries. Even though they\u2019re starting to reach retirement age, many members of the generation are woefully far away from having enough money saved up. One estimate<\/a> says the average Gen Xer is about $400,000 short of what they\u2019d need to comfortably retire. Talk about a stressor!<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"gen](\"https:\/\/www.upworthy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/origin-90.gif\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"gen](\"https:\/\/www.upworthy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/origin-139.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"gen](\"https:\/\/www.upworthy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/origin-91.gif\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
![\"gen](\"https:\/\/www.upworthy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/origin-92.gif\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n