Friday, September 07, 2007

Who am I?

Yesterday at work I was relaying the joy of my new purchase to work colleagues. No, it was not a pair of shoes, or even a handbag. It was a PVR. For those of you who are techno-illiterate, it stands for Personal Video Recorder, and has dual digital TV tuners and a 160Gb hard drive and completely rocks.

After much struggling, and bemoaning ("Two fucking physics degrees - surely I can connect a stupid fucking TV together!", etc), I was enjoying new and improved clarity, recording shows onto the hard drive and marveling at yet another toy that I had purchased.

So, after my glowing reports of this new found joy, I was asked, "Are you sure you aren't Generation Y?".

Now - this of course led me to a bit of research. According to Wikipedia, Generation X is the generation spanning those born between 1964 and 1979 - an age range which I can assure you I most definitely fit into. But funnily, it then went on to say that Generation X-ers were notable for their "stereotypical reputation as apathetic, cynical, disaffected, streetwise loners and slackers". This is a description that I think hardly fits me. Although, conversely, they they then go on to say that "Generation X is noted as one of the most entrepreneurial and tech-friendly generations in American history". Now that is more like it.

As for Generation Y, which loosely follow the birth years of Gen X-ers, up to approximately 2000, there seems to be little to exactly describe this group. Perhaps as their influence is more fully felt within the community at large, we shall understand what it means. They are collectively described as rude and rebellious, but more appropriately, they are reactionary and are more likely to think along the lines of "an eye for an eye" philosophy. They are accused collectively of bad spelling, poor grammar, and no respect of authority. But they universally are the purveyors of all modern gimmicks. Studies done have shown that in this generational category, the use of computers, mobile phones, MP3 players, instant messaging, on-line information sharing, blogs(!) and forums such as Facebook are not only common, but the norm. And it is into this part of the definition that I most clearly identify.

So it seems to me that there maybe Gen X and Gen Y - but it seems that there is something more. There are those of us who are Gen X in our birth years, and perhaps in our earlier years we were the rebellious slacker youths (hell - we gave John Hughes his entire early career by relaying our angst!). But now we are technophiles who fill up our, perhaps, empty lives by gimmick after gimmick. Electronic toys (of the non-adult variety) are our passion and our distraction.

So what generation are we that fit in between? X and a half? Gen i - for all things Mac? Suggestions please!

3 comments:

coffeesnob said...

wasn't one dose of physics enough?

i prefer pod people (after the ipod).

gen y is mostly distinguished by its vacuous obsession with celebrity: paris, lindsey, brad, reality tv etc.

KittyMeow said...

I dont think the ability to adapt to technology is necessarily a generational thing. There are plenty "older" folks out there - my Mum for one - who have thrown themselves head first into the 'net and have learnt much from it.

I'm not sure where you sit on the Gen X scale - but is it possible that those people born closer to the crossover years share traits from both generations. For example, I am technically Gen Y yet relate a lot to X'ers too. That might have to do with being born in a country which was a bit behind the rest of the world when it comes to "social development" (Communist Romania - joy!!)...

Anyways, enough babbling....been a lurker for a while..I love your blog and your kitty is gorgeous! :-D

Anonymous said...

Well,
I know where you sit on the Gen X and Y scale and you are a Gen..........
Thought I'd say just how old/young you are my dear, didn't you ;)
Anyways, as a gen X (most definitely by my age), I can say that the decriptions are crap and its what you do nd how you feel.
For instance, I like my vintage vehicles (well, two are older than me{1941 and 1956}, the other is almost as old {1971}, but I have a few more techno toy than you - and a few my young nephews want to take home as well (Just I have the money to buy them).
Bugger the age brackets and descriptions - Lets call ourselves Gen Stuff you all!!!!!

Pssst, cynical Gen Xer... you ... never :) and you do have good spelling and grammar!

Pingu