Xennials: The New Classified Micro-generation and What you Need to Know

Xennials is a term that was recently created as a micro-generation of Gen X and Millennials. Xennials were born between 1977 and 1985 and have distinct characteristics that differentiate them from Gen X and Millennials. It has also been known that Xennials are also called the “Oregon Trail Generation.” Don’t laugh but that game gave a lot of us life, we would sit for hours to play! We have put together some of the biggest differences between Xennials and Millennials.

The recession hit us around late 2007 and unlike Millennials, Xennials were already in the workforce. It’s believed that Xennials were hit the hardest due to their transition in the workplace and newly student-loan debt. Jobs were cut and the group was quickly forced to learn survival.

Many Xennials successfully made it through childhood and teenage years without social media. MySpace was new on the scene, but that was all we really had. Millennials and Gen Zs are married to social media. Would they maybe survived the early 2000s?

September 11, 2001 will also be a day Xennials will clearly remember. Xennials were more than likely sitting in classrooms watching on television screens the devastation that happened that day...live.

Xennials didn’t get a cell phone in elementary or middle school. They pretty much had to bed their parents to get them one in high school. Even then, they were confined to a certain amount of minutes and had to wait after 9pm to talk for free. Who remembers that?

Whether you’re a Xennial or Millennial, the generations are all about innovative experiences and change. There are meaningful differences between the generations, but all being change agents in the community and workforce.