Today’s Topic

Members of the so-called “Generation X” have one thing in common, say the experts who study such matters: They don’t like to be lumped together as a group.

Yet, generations are repeatedly defined by their transitional twenties: the Beats of the ‘50s, the Flower Children of the ‘60s, the Me Generation of the ‘70s and the Greed Generation of the ‘80s.

No one really knows how to define the age range of Generation X, some of whom are younger than 20. But, according to a 1991 novel by Douglas Coupland, they are disillusioned, alienated and unfocused.

In today’s Youth Opinion, Kristen Perry agrees with that description and berates her fellow Generation X-ers for their lack of passion, hope and faith in the future.

But who are these young people? Is life really that bleak for the generation that will reach adulthood in the last decade of this century?

“They tend to be more pessimistic, more cynical and less trusting of institutions than prior generations,” says David Stewart, professor of marketing at USC. “But there is no evidence to suggest that we’ve seen a massive increase in suicide rates or drug usage as a result of those attitudes.”

Adds Ronald Goodstein, assistant professor of marketing at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, “They’re anti-niche. They don’t want to be targeted by marketing groups. They say ‘I’m different, I don’t want to be traditional, I’m unique.’ The irony is that they’re all saying the same thing, which gives the group commonality.”

Still, like every generation before them, today’s young adults are facing a unique set of circumstances that give their generation its character. For Generation X, the experts say, the economy and the job market are the defining issue.

“Downsizing has become a permanent part of American business,” says Marshall Nickles, associate professor of economics at Pepperdine University. “Businesses are getting along with fewer layers of management, which makes it difficult for youngsters to find work.”

“Economic conditions make it harder for young people to move out of their parents home,” adds Clarence Hibbs, professor of psychology at Pepperdine.

Generation X may take longer to, as Hibbs says, “accomplish the three tasks of unattached young adults--coming to terms with their family of origin, establishing themselves in work and establishing relationships with other people.” But, few expect Generation X to be a truly lost generation.

In fact, some experts are downright optimistic about the outlook for this group--40 million of whom are between age 20 and 29, according to the 1991 census.

“There are 76 million baby boomers,” Stewart says. “As they begin to move out of the way, Generation X will command premium jobs.”

Adds Goodstein, “This is not a lost generation, as the ‘X’ implies. They are perfectly identifiable, reachable and substantial in size. They have a reputation for being slackers--people who don’t work hard. They work as hard as anybody during work hours. Then they’re back outside doing things and accumulating experiences.”