Talkin 'bout my generation

Generation X young adults who were born in the mid 1960s to the mid 1970s, typically perceieved to be disaffected and directionless.

Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary, fourth edition (2004)

I stumbled upon this gem in the course of a harried working day, and paused to savour it. The official definition of an entire generation. (Mine.)

So I rifled the office reference library (with the encouragement of my equally amused, equally harried boss) and found this:

Generation X Members of the generation of people born between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s who are highly educated and underemplyed, reject consumer culture, and have little hope for the future.

Collins Concise Dictionary, fifth Australian edition (2001)

and this:

Generation X the generation following the baby-boomers characterised in contrast with that group as being not as easily identifiable as a group and in particular as not being vocal on social issues but rather concerned with individual gain.

Macquarie ABC Dictionary (2003)


Wow. That's me, huh?

I can't wait until they come up with the definition for Generation Y.

But, chuckles aside, it led to a sobering thought: obviously, Generation Z is next. Then what?

If we weren't currently overwhelmed by the looming threats to our existence posed by climate change, dwindling water resources, peak oil, dwindling forests, escalating world conflict, and greedy governments too obsessed with their own immediate gratification to do anything about all of the above, maybe I wouldn't be wondering if there was something eerily prescient in this.