Generation X. It is a term created by the media for the purpose of marketing and keeping down young people of today from reaching their full potential.
The media labeled us Generation X because our generation has no central theme advertising companies can use to have us relate to their products. There is no central theme in our generation except for age. America is more ethnically diverse than previous years. There are more interracial friendships and relationships than in past generations. Economic status and family structures are varied. Generation X was given so that despite our diversity, we'd feel a unity and buy everything "relating" to our generation.
And we fell for this marketing tactic. Everytime you see a newspaper or magazine article with Generation X in the title you shell out a few bones to be "informed" about our generation. A new movie, television show or book comes saying it's about Generation X (like "Melrose Place" or "Reality Bites") and you have to see or read it to "connect." And when a band is "representative" of Generation X (such as Nirvana after Kurt CobainÕs death), their records sell.
But IÕve never seen a single artist which represents my life.
I say Generation X and all the stereotypes about it are made to keep down the morale of todayÕs young people and prevent them from succeeding. Generation X sounds void of direction, like we have no purpose in life, making us think the future is gloomy and unimpressive.
My view of why we were given this sad, depressing name is the generations born in the '50s and '60s, generations who were said to be radical and rebellious with their peace movements and sexual revolutions, cannot accept growing old and letting a new group of people be the center of attention. They donÕt want a new group of people taking control of the world as the older generations move on and retire. The older generations point out our faults and describe us as lazy, losers, anguished and disturbed because they're threatened by change and want to keep us away from taking control of our lives.
A good example of how the older generations' influence is keeping the younger generation down are the stories concerning youth in the media. What do you see when you open the newspaper or turn on the 10 o'clock news?
Youths die in drunk-driving accident. Three die in gang-related drive-by shooting. LSD, pot use rising among high schoolers. Kids with pagers. Kids with guns. Violence in schools.
It all makes the future seem pretty bad. But, is it really that horrible? I've gone to public schools for 12 years and I've never seen the problems the media make seem happen everyday in every school in America. Sure there are problems, but it's not as big as the media says.
The truth is, there is no Generation X. There is no set attitude of this generation. There is no music which represents our generation. We donÕt all see our future as bleak and depressing. We're not all into gangs, drugs or carrying pagers. We donÕt all dress the same. It's all an exploitation and a lie.