re: A person born in 1981 is a Millennial or Generation X?

The reason why millennial has gotten hard to define is simple.

Sure, it probably started around those born in 82.

But, no, the typical 34 year old doesn't really identify with the complete nut jobs that are 18-22 year olds in America today.

The 34 year olds probably started the "everyone gets a trophy" generation............but the 18-22 year olds have taken that shite right off the deep end into the "words hurt me, never offend me..........EVER" generation.

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so things like instant messengers, social networking platforms, cell phones, etc mark very different generations 

secondary variables like the dissolving of long distance phone rates are major demarcation points

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I'd add just the pure volume/speed at which essentially anything is available as well. From the millenials born in 90s forward, the idea of having to actually wait for many things regarding information or entertainment is essentially nonexistent. That has to have a pretty noticeable impact on development.

Eta:this isn't a knock on the technology or those fortunate enough to be born with it.

I Was born in 1987, but I consider those born from 1982-1987 pretty similar. We did not have an overstimulation of social media, computers and overbearing SJW parents. I did not get FB until college when I had most of beliefs already sewn up. I would suggest that the millennial generation should be subdivided A and B.

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I Was born in 1987, but I consider those born from 1982-1987 pretty similar. We did not have an overstimulation of social media, computers and overbearing SJW parents. I did not get FB until college when I had most of beliefs already sewn up. I would suggest that the millennial generation should be subdivided A and B.

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I was born in 1986 and have had this kind of discussion quite a few times. There is a very odd sub-generation straddling X and Millennials that distinctly remember a world before the proliferation of the internet, before text messaging, before social media, but those technologies were coming into their own as we became adults. My sibling is about six years younger than I am, and our childhoods have very little in common.

ETA: I have no issue being called a Millennial. In fact, I'd rather identify with Millennials than X'ers. Doesn't change the fact that trying to lump my life experiences with someone born in the mid to late 90's is silly

I remember sending my first text message my senior year in HS. Now, I have students and swimmers who complain their iPhone upgrade is behind...as young as 7. My first phone was a Nokia flip phone at age 17. I had already bought my car before then by writing for the paper and having a lifeguarding job...this is not same thing.

I agree, things simply moved too quickly in that era.

I remember going to the "computer lab" in middle school to learn to type on green-on-black screened apples. I remember typing reports for school on an electric typewriter. I remember how much it sucked trying to call a girl on the one and only phone in her house and having her parents answer the phone . I remember when car bag phones were the most badass thing ever. I remember getting my first computer and having Encarta on a set of discs. I remember AIM taking off. I remember getting bitched at by my parents because AIM was using up our single phone line. I remember the unadulterated joy of conning my parents into getting me my own phone line. I remember getting my first cell phone in my mid teens. I remember when you were charged per text. I remember when getting a Facebook account was a college right of passage.

There's a very small sub-generation that didn't come of age before the IT revolution, and didn't come of age after, but seemed to grow up with it, as part of it.

ETA: If you don't remember the sheer hysteria concerning the Y2K bug, you grew up in a different generation than me. If you were terrified of the Y2K bug because you were going to lose money because of it, you also grew up in a different generation than me

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ETA: If you don't remember the sheer hysteria concerning the Y2K bug, you grew up in a different generation than me. If you were terrified of the Y2K bug because you were going to lose money because of it, you also grew up in a different generation than me

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i had dreams of a road warrior life starting that night as i took my mom's car to friends' houses

there are probably some other good benchmarks

VHS v. Disc (with streaming and DVR being huge for the little kids of today) is a big one

hell...bring it back a bit. cassettes

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hell...bring it back a bit. cassettes

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I damned well owned a Walkman

In fact, I remember using my stereo system to record radio hits onto cassettes. God, now I'm making myself feel old...

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i think you're about my age. we really did live in both worlds and it's really crazy to think about

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Yep, Just turned 35. I think you're absolutely correct. I'd imagine my 3 year old is not going to have near the need for memorization on a practical level early in life. My wife actually makes it a point for him to play memory games on cards, wooden chips etc because of the likelihood of him having such a wealth of resources available when he starts school in full. On the flipside, he has such an significantly larger knowledge base compared to what I feel we were offered, due to our ability to expound greatly and appropriately on any topic he is interested in at virtually any time.

I mean one of my favorite computer "games" in grammar school was simply hitting the letter that was falling down the commodore 64 screen and watching it dissappear.

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I'm 84 and I'm far from
A millennial. I have millennial friends and I would say born on or after 90, really seriously you notice the cultural differences of one

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1990 is far too late. Someone born in 90 was probably using social media and had a cell phone in high school. I have siblings born as late as 87 and they are definitely Millennials, which I think is defined by being the first generation to be native internet users. I didn't have internet in my house until I was 25 and didn't have a cell phone until I was 21.