- Xennials are a “micro-generation” born between 1977 and 1985.
- This group has also been called the “Oregon Trail Generation.”
- Xennials may have been hit hardest by the recession because of a combination of student-loan debt, job losses, and other factors.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
It’s hard not fitting in.
If you feel sort of but not quite like a millennial, and sort of but not quite like a Gen Xer, take heart: You might just be a “xennial.” That’s a term for the “micro-generation” born between 1977 and 1985.
The term was coined in 2014 by Sarah Stankorb in Good Magazine. People have started talking about Xennials again, with self-proclaimed members of this demographic waxing (read: tweeting) nostalgic about Oregon Trail and flip phones. Merriam-Webster even labeled “xennial” one of its “words we’re watching.”
Below, Business Insider has outlined the defining characteristics of xennials and how they’re different from the generations that came before and after them.
Xennials are a "micro-generation," born between 1977 and 1985.
Source: Business Insider
This group has also been called the "Oregon Trail Generation," in reference to a computer game that was popular when they were growing up.
Source: Social Media Week
Xennials were the first generation to grow up with household computers and have internet access. ("You've got mail!")
Source: Social Media Week
Xennials are naturals at social media, though they grew up without Facebook, Twitter, or even MySpace.
Source: GOOD Magazine
Many xennials didn't get their first cellphone until they were in their 20s. Instead, they had to call their friends' homes and talk to their parents first.
Source: GOOD Magazine
By the time xennials were 20 years old, the music industry had changed completely. Instead of buying cassette tapes, you could download songs on Napster.
Source: Social Media Week
Many xennials remember watching, and sometimes getting personally invested, in the OJ Simpson trial.
Source: GOOD
While xennials recall a time before the internet, they spent their formative years on AOL chatting and emailing.
Source: Mashable
Xennials aren't quite as cynical as the stereotypical Gen Xer but also aren't quite as optimistic as the stereotypical millennial.
Source: Vogue
Xennials may have been hit hardest by the recession because of a combination of student-loan debt, job loss, and other factors.
Sources: GOOD Magazine and CityLab
You can take a quiz from the Guardian to see whether you qualify as a xennial. There are questions about owning "New Kids on the Block" merchandise, making mix tapes, and remembering the advent of car phones.
Source: The Guardian
