GenerationTarget.com - Mature Market News

Will The Real Generation X Please Stand Up, Mr. Shady?

Generation X has been analyzed and type-cast as cynical and apathetic. But in reality this seems far from the truth. They are a diverse group that defies categorization. Politically, they vary widely in their levels of involvement and party affiliation.

They are in the process of inheriting a country already fraught with debt and weighed down by unmanageable federal programs such as Medicare and Social Security. As a result of their enormous college tuition loans they now face record levels of debt and a daunting job market where the promise of automatic employment is not passed out with the diplomas on graduation day.

Generation Xers are into public service in a big way. A strong community service background is practically a requirement. This involvement goes a long way toward combating the apathetic, Gen X stereotype. But even more important, it brings politics down to a real-world level. It's much more meaningful to see the effects of poverty first-hand than to hear a speech by President Bush or a member of the Democratic Party.

A much less cynical reading of their outlook is that they feel blessed by the opportunities life has granted them, and want to give some of that back to those who have not been so fortunate. It would be nice to think that this feeling is characteristic of all Gen Xers in general.

Many are surprised at how often people are really volunteering. A local shelter for battered women in Williamsburg recently named a young Gen Xer as one of their best volunteers, and a large number of this group are participating in programs for local children on Halloween and Thanksgiving.

And as an added benefit one consequence of this new conformity is that when one person volunteers, they usually bring someone along.

While service organizations and charity work must compete with many other activities in their lives, the growth of their service oriented outlook is becoming a focal point of their daily lives.

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