A 1991 Wisconsin news report didn’t have high hopes for Gen X youth. We proved them wrong.

Sometimes, it takes hindsight to figure out the essence of a generation. For example, the Boomers didn’t know while they were coming of age that their gen would lead to an explosive growth of the population. It often takes years to see and analyze the trends. So when WMTV Channel 15, a news station in Wisconsin, put out a special report of how Gen X was shaping up, it would be impossible to know if their predictions were correct. The year was 1991, when Gen X was entering college and early adulthood. (A few of the younger X-ers were just finishing up high school.) The exposé was focused on how, for the first time in American history, many of this 80s/90s generation were facing more hardship than their parents. ‘What TV news thought of Gen X’ A chyron reading, “What TV News thought of Gen X back in 1991” floats at the top of the clip, posted by 90s Rock Vault. Two news reporters sit behind a desk, the woman wearing an 80s-styled white blazer, complete with linebacker-sized shoulder pads. She shares, “This is the first generation facing adulthood believing that life for them may not be as good as it was for their parents. It’s creating a generation whose only reality is simply a future in doubt.” The clip cuts to a person wearing headphones as they lie on a backpack. Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” screams in the background, as the camera cuts to young people strewn across college campuses. “There is a sense of insecurity, which is probably realistic.” Another voice is heard saying, “And you worry about, you know, just getting a job.” The 13th Gen We hear the reporter add, “It adds up to a lot of anxiety that shows up in their music, their clothes and their attitude. Often misinterpreted and misunderstood, about the only thing they are certain of is that they are uncertain. They are Generation X, the 13th Gen.” They cut to an interview with Victor Ferrall, the then President of Beloit College. He explains, “If you start from Ben Franklin and count forward in American history, this is the 13th generation of Americans.” The reporter continues, “Growing up in the economic upheaval of the 70s and 80s, weaned on Sesame Street and MTV, most 20-somethings accept their unique situation. Their life will not be like their parents’.” We flash back to Ferrall, who further shares, “There’s a huge change in America. Just for the entire history of our country, people have always believed that life would be better for their children than it was for them.” Over photos of people walking down a busy street in the ’90s, the reporter adds, “…until Generation X. They watched inflation balloon their parents’ paychecks. And now they search for the real value in everything they do.” ‘Without all the hype’ She holds a microphone up to a young woman. “Realistic. ‘Real’ is the main thing that we’re looking at. Something that’s real with, yeah, without all the hype and the gimmicks and things like that. It’s our whole mentality.” Roseanne Cheeseman, of Directions Magazine, jokes, “That whole thing about waiting till you can get your big break into the burger industry. You know what I mean? And a lot of that is tongue in cheek. I think that a lot of the cynicism on the part of Generation X is not so much being 100 percent disillusioned with their chances in the world, but a lot of it is just making fun of the situation.” “Generation X,” the news reporter shares, “ponders whether the future holds happiness.” For that thought, they throw it over to Gerald Marwell, a Sociology Professor at University of Washington. “People in the ’60s,” he says, “had a pretty good idea…they thought that they were going to be like, in a sense, their parents. They were going to get married. They were going to have kids.” The divorce revolution When it came to Gen X, the concept of commitment was reimagined. Young adults dressed in red and black flannel shirts are shown as the reporter continues. “And while the flower children were protesting and fighting for social change, they started a revolution.” (“The divorce revolution,” Marwell states.) She relays, “Generation X grew up smack dab in the middle of it.” The report then interviews a young woman, wearing all black, her ear riddled with earrings. “A lot of people, I don’t think, expect to be happy in relationships. Cuz that’s what they saw.” Another woman adds, “I think a lot of people are leery of that and would like to have a longer relationship before they get into the commitment of marriage.” Marwell explains, “The kids today aren’t really sure what their lives are going to be like. They aren’t sure how many kids they’re gonna have. They’re not sure they’re gonna have any kids. They’re not sure of what’s going to happen to them.” Finally, Ferrall shares, “Parents had uncertain values to pass on to their kids. And economic uncertainty to pass on to them. And it left young people kind of rootless. Kind of unsure of themselves.” Gen X now Now, 35 years later, we have a true sense of how Gen X fits into the world. Despite the uncertainty, many are often quite successful. Kieran Smith writes, “After college, Gen X continued to succeed in the workplace, resulting in a generation financially outcompeting those around them. According to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of American workers reaches its peak between the ages of 45 and 54, roughly the age of most Gen Xers.” Generation X, despite the cynical jokes and often dark music, are also deemed by some to be the happiest generation. In a recent piece I wrote for Upworthy, I quoted Alene Dawson’s 2011 article “Study Says Generation X is balanced and happy,” for CNN. She cites University of Michigan’s The Generation X Report, which claims Gen Xers (who at the time were between 30–45) are ‘active, balanced and happy.’” Don’t let the grunge rock fool you. While some of us might have been handed a plate of lemons, we squeezed as much out as possible to make lemonade.