According to Dr. Geher, people in one generation not fully understanding members of another generation is "an age-old human issue." This has become especially relevant in the last several thousand years due to very fast advances in technology.

"I will hear members of my parents' generation talk about '45s' versus 'LPs.' Members of my kids' generation talk about Spotify and 'streaming,' and members of my own generation talk about what a game-changer CD technology was when it first came out," the professor told Bored Panda via email.

"Members of different generations also often use different slang terms," he said. As an example, he noted that his son used the term 'booling' recently, which is similar to 'chilling' or 'hanging out.' It's a reminder that staying up to date with slang terms is very important for communicating with others.

"There is also a strong tendency for people to think that their generation is somehow comprised of more enlightened people than is true of prior generations. This also seems to be something of a constant in the human experience," Dr. Geher said, adding that finding common ground is often the key to bringing people from different generations together.

"Games, such as any number of card games, board games, pickleball, bowling, ping-pong, tennis, etc., can be both fun and bonding for people from different generations," he said.

"Inter-generational gatherings, as found at holidays, for example, have that same potential. For instance, this year, I played a game of backyard American football with a bunch of 20-somethings. While I may not have been the star, I think I held my own and it was definitely a bonding experience," Dr. Geher opened up to Bored Panda. "We still text around photos from this epic game to this day."

The key is to facilitate open-mindedness. "If people think that someone from some other generation just 'doesn’t get it,' and is unwavering in this belief, inter-generational relations are likely to be strained. The good thing is that open-mindedness is one of the basic human traits that seem to have a large environmental component—meaning that one’s level of open-mindedness (and the ability to develop a genuine understanding of others) can change based on time and experience. In other words, people can actually become more open-minded with effort and time," Dr. Geher explained.

According to the professor, it can definitely be a challenge to stay flexible and adaptable in the modern world. Dr. Geher revealed that he also personally finds it difficult when he has to learn a new piece of software for work, even if it is ultimately something that can make his job easier. It's a sentiment that we and most other people share! Learning new things is hard.

"For people from my generation, Generation X, the key is being open to the possibility that novel technologies, art, and ideas may well have merit and utility. I don’t play much in the way of video games, but I used to play Atari quite a bit as a kid," he said.

"When my son turned me on to Fortnite and Minecraft, I have to say that I never exactly mastered these games, but I did develop a rudimentary understanding and appreciation by watching him play. As the old adage goes, minds are like parachutes—they only work when they’re open. And this fact is likely key to fostering connections across generations."

Generation X includes people born in the United States between 1965 and 1980. Members of Gen X are the children of the so-called Silent Generation (Americans born from 1928 to 1945) and baby boomers (individuals born from 1946 to 1964, colloquially referred to as just 'boomers').

After Gen X come Generation Y (people born from 1981 to 1996, also known as millennials), Generation Z (Americans born from 1997 to 2012, who are known as Gen Z or, colloquially, 'zoomers'), and Generation Alpha (anyone born between the early 2010s and the mid-2020s).

Naturally, there are small disagreements about how to classify generations and if these classifications are even needed in the first place.

For example, some researchers and online communities take a broader approach and argue that Generation X refers to anyone born between 1961 and 1981. And if you’re looking at other countries besides the US, the generational timeframes will look very different.

Statista reports that around 66 million Americans are members of Gen X. In 2021, they numbered around 65.8 million people, and it’s estimated that this will drop to 63.9 million in 2028.

Generally, the attitude is that baby boomers and Gen X had things easy in terms of employment and being able to easily afford property, which are huge pain points for millennials, zoomers, and older members of Gen A.

The reality isn’t so straightforward, though. It's far more nuanced.

CNN reports that many members of Generation X, the oldest of which are within a decade of retirement, might run out of money after exiting the labor market. As per CNN, 45% of US households risk falling short financially if they retire by the age of 65, and 54% if they decide to retire at 62.

“The shift from defined-benefit pensions to defined-contribution plans left baby boomers and Gen X with less time to accumulate savings,” researchers from Morningstar’s Center for Retirement and Policy Studies explain. According to them, there is a retirement crisis.

Nostalgia marketing is a big driver in business, no matter what generation you’re from. It’s a popular way to sell products (from clothes and toys to technology and food items) that were popular two to three decades ago. The BBC reports that consumers tend to spend more money on brands that evoke nostalgia.

“You don't have to dig through an attic. Content from the last few decades, and even before, is everywhere and so easily remixed,” says the executive strategy director at Brooklyn-based branding firm Red Antler, Liz Juusol. In other words, anything and everything can become content for nostalgia products and content because it's so easily accessible these days.

On the other hand, Krystine Batcho, a professor at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, notes that nostalgia may be less linked to timing and more related to people’s feelings about the difference between the present and the past.

If you feel like something’s missing, you can feel nostalgic, no matter if that thing disappeared “two months ago, two years ago, or 50 years ago.”

What generation are you a member of? What would you say perfectly defines your generation? What are your attitudes toward other gens? Do we have any members of Gen X reading this today?

We’d love to hear from you! Let us know what you think about the posts featured here today, and tell us what you miss the most about the past.