11 Things Gen X Invented But Never Gets Proper Credit For
We talk about what every other generation did for us, but it's time to give Gen X their flowers.
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A / Shutterstock Millennials and Gen Z tend to dominate conversations when it comes to cultural and digital innovation. They are generally considered to be the most creative and forward-thinking generations, while Gen X, born between 1965 and 1980, is typically overlooked. However, Gen X pioneered a myriad of ideas and shifts in thinking that have played a huge part in shaping the modern world.
There are many things Gen X invented but never gets proper credit for, and while we may never ask for acknowledgement, we definitely deserve it. Generation X helped birth modern culture, reshaping how we work and single-handedly building a bridge between the analog past and the digital present. Not to mention, we quietly did it all while squished between two of the loudest generations.
Here are 11 things Gen X invented but never gets proper credit for
1. The Internet as we know it
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Believe it or not, Gen Xers were the first generation to widely adopt and shape the early Internet. Sure, baby boomers laid some of the groundwork, technically, but Gen X built the very first websites and normalized the idea of connecting digitally. They witnessed the inception of the World Wide Web and lived through the seismic shift from simplistic analog to complex digital.
Not only did Gen X start a digital revolution, but we also started online communities, enabling people to expand their network and reach. Historical phenomena like Napster and AIM were created by Gen X and became the foundation that launched today's digital culture.
2. Indie music
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Before the world was so digitally connected, the options for getting music were pretty limited. You either went to your local record store or watched whatever was playing on the radio. Mainstream artists were popular, and if you were an indie artist, the chances of people hearing your music were slim to none. Gen X changed all of that.
Punk, grunge, and underground rap resonated deeply with Gen X because those styles of music mirrored their rebellious spirit. We were changing social norms and allowing people to truly be themselves, so the music helped express our dissatisfaction with the system.
3. Doing it yourself (DIY)
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Because of how Gen X was raised, we embraced do-it-yourself culture. We had to be self-sufficient, so we became the "figure-it-out" generation. Gen X did not have the internet to Google the answers to all of life's problems. Many of us were latchkey kids who were left to our own devices while our parents worked. We quickly learned to tackle things on our own and think outside of the box.
Gen X wasn't afraid to get our hands dirty. We learned through trial and error and slowly gained the skills necessary to handle tasks that the generations after us would pay someone to complete. We started the DIY movement, and when YouTube came along, it simply leveled our game up.
Gen X was truly built to handle anything that life throws at us with resourcefulness and independence.
4. Reality TV
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Millennials tend to take the blame for reality shows. But, if we're being realistic, Gen X invented them. Our teens and early 20s were spent watching MTV's "The Real World." It was the first time we got to play voyeur in the lives of other people. The drama was fascinating to watch, and it laid the groundwork for the reality TV we know today.
Shows like "Big Brother," "The Real Housewives," and "Love Island" may never have come about with their 90s predecessors. The global obsession with watching other people live their lives only got bigger. Yes, it gets a bad rap, but people we might otherwise have never known about have found fame and fortune through being open and transparent, and many have given us life lessons on what not to do.
5. Gaming culture
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I distinctly recall my family getting our first Nintendo gaming console. My brothers and I stayed up until all hours of the morning playing Super Mario Brothers in an attempt to beat the game. Baby boomers started arcades, but when it comes to in-home gaming systems, Gen Xers were the ones who got it off the ground.
Atari, Sega, and Nintendo were the grandfathers of in-home gaming and have continued to evolve to this day. Video games became a lifestyle instead of a pastime. For better or worse, Gen X gave birth to true gamers who could do what they loved and even earn a living by doing it.
6. Graphic novels
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Coming books were already in existence before Gen X came along. But we elevated them to a status of respected literature. Before, they were just considered children's books, but Gen X made them more mature, philosophical, and artistic, paving the way for today's comic-based blockbusters like "Watchmen" and "The Sandman."
The term "graphic novel" was first coined in 1964, just in time for Gen X to grow up and make it popular. It wasn't broadly used until the 1980s when many of them achieved commercial success and critical acclaim. Graphic novels are now one of the fastest-growing literary genres globally.
7. The hybrid work mentality
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Before Gen Z normalized working completely remotely, Gen X was the first to push back on the 9-to-5 hustle and bustle. We realized the importance of spending time at home because we didn't get a lot of dedicated family time growing up and were left to fend for ourselves. Our parents went out and made a living, but Gen Xers realized, you don't have to sacrifice life for work.
Before it became trendy, Generation X questioned corporate culture, prioritized work-life balance, and embraced freelance work, entrepreneurship, and doing their jobs at least partially remotely. We set the stage for the gig work economy and created flexible work models that met our personal needs while still bringing value to the businesses we supported.
8. The future CEO archetype
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Called slackers in their youth, Gen X wasn't exactly lazy. In truth, a slacker was a person who was disillusioned with the standard American Dream and thought they could do so much more. They had lofty ideas that many discounted, but believed they were built differently and could walk to the beat of their own drums. They knew that there was more to life than giving your entire existence to a job.
Hate them or love them, prominent Gen X CEOs include Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey, and Google founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. As a matter of fact, over half of the Fortune 500 CEOs are Gen Xers, and we are becoming the majority of senior leadership. We learned through forced ingenuity that we could launch our visions and realize dreams that were different from the plans our baby boomer parents had in mind for us.
9. On-demand programming
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When I was a child, we had to be in front of the television when our favorite shows came on if we wanted to watch them. Otherwise, you just missed it. But it wasn't long before cable TV came about, along with the ability to get programs on demand. Now we could save them to watch at the time we preferred, and that totally changed our lives.
We started to sunset VHS recordings in favor of DVR technology with the understanding that entertainment should fit into our lives, and not the other way around. Not only was this more convenient, but it opened up our minds and our eyes to other perspectives about what was going on in the world around us.
10. Blogging and digital communities
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Blogging dates back to around 1994, when many Gen Xers began sharing their thoughts on platforms like Tumblr. That was before the popularity of social media, but after the internet started to grow. It was looked at as personal pages of people of interest, and those who had something to say finally had a place to share.
The 1990s also gave way to online communities such as Open Diary, Weblog, and Blogger, allowing people to connect with others with whom they resonated or find their tribe outside of their immediate areas. Everyone was able to share their deepest, darkest thoughts online with minimal oversight.
A lot has changed since then, but Gen X was the generation that brought the idea of connecting with like-minded individuals digitally.
11. Tech-savvy parenting
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Gen X raised the first generation of kids to experience a fully digital world. It was new to us, so we were the guinea pigs for teaching the world how to navigate a new landscape while keeping our children safe. We learned through trial and error how technology could be a benefit and a threat, and taught our children how to adapt in an unfamiliar world.
There was no playbook for teaching our kids to use technology responsibly and safely, but we had to do it if we wanted them to be able to leverage the digital tools they needed for learning and development. We set clear boundaries and promoted a healthy balance between online and offline activities. Now the world is digital, and they owe a lot of that transformation to Gen X.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and the author of seven books. She focuses on lifestyle and human interest stories that deliver informative and actionable guidance on interpersonal relationships, enlightenment, and self-discovery.
