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No matter when we are born, many of us feel very nostalgic for our childhood and young adulthood. This sense of nostalgia offers a rare glimpse into how other generations used to live: what trends, products, shows, and cultural icons dominated their day-to-day.

The ‘Righteous Memes from Generation X’ Facebook group is a fantastic social media project that captures the essence of Gen X—people born roughly between 1965 to 1980 in the United States. And all in meme form! We’ve collected some of the freshest ones to share with you. For Gen Xers, it’s a blast from the past. For everyone else, it’s an interesting history and pop culture class. Don’t forget to upvote your fave pics as you scroll down.

We wanted to learn about what makes Gen X so unique in the US and why each generation seems to be critical of others, so we reached out to Glenn Geher, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at New Paltz and a published author. You'll find Bored Panda's interview with him as you scroll down.

"There are various reasons that members of each new generation seem to think they see things more clearly relative to members of previous generations. Partly, this fact results from people surrounding themselves with like-minded others. If all of my friends and I tend to see the prior generation as having ridiculously outdated views, then our attitudes are bolstered and feel like a sort of reality," Dr. Geher, from the State University of New York at New Paltz, told Bored Panda via email.

"Further, in a time marked by rapid technological and cultural advancement, members of each new generation often do, in many ways, have a genuinely advanced understanding of the world relative to prior generations," the psychology expert noted that there's a kernel of truth in the idea that all generations tend to criticize others.

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We wanted to find out what it is that makes Gen X unique in the United States, compared to other generations. Dr. Geher was kind enough to shed some light on this.

"We Generation Xers saw—and largely created—profound technological advances in our lifetimes. We saw the realization of the full human genome, the shift from paper mail to email, and shared global issues such as climate change. Our world is truly and permanently changed relative to the world of prior generations," he said.

#5

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Carol-Anne Parker , twitter.com Report

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Roger9er
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, the word 'sometimes' in that song just doesn't apply anymore. It hurts all the fücking time!

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#6

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Guy Martin , twitter.com Report

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AnnaRachelle
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I miss the excitement of going to rent a video for our betamax. If we were really lucky we could pick some sweets from the local shop to go with it,not once did we have a snack from the video store

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The psychology professor added that Gen X "absolutely" enjoys different memes and internet content than other generations. "Memes tend to often be generation-specific," he said.

"Gen Xers may find memes about having difficulty resetting passwords hysterical while the younger generation seems to have better figured out things like account passwords and they seem to be onto other things when it comes to what they find funny and how they see the world in general."

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Members of Generation X are the parents of Millennials and Generation Z (aka Zoomers). Meanwhile, Gen X themselves are the kids of the Silent Generation and early Baby Boomers. According to the US Census data, there were over 65 million Gen Xers as of 2019. Compare that to roughly 72 million Baby Boomers, as well as another 72 million Millennials in the United States.

#8

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Joy Derenthal Report

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Roger9er
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"It was a fantastic show!" "Yeah, it was good." "Nah, it wasn't thát good." "No, it was pretty bad, actually!" "It was awful!" "It was terrible! Booo! Booo!"

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There is some confusion as to how exactly to define Gen X in terms of when they were born. Investopedia notes that some researchers like William Straus and Neil Howe describe them as being born from 1961 to 1981. However, Gallup states differently, that the range runs from 1965 to 1979. But broadly and culturally speaking, Gen Xers are individuals born between the mid-1960s till the very early-1980s. This time span and cultural values will differ in other countries.

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Gen Xers, who are known as an ‘in-between’ generation, are approaching the middle of their careers and (hopefully) peak-earning years right now. However, they may be the first generation in the United States that is worse off than their parents when it comes to retirement prep. Only the future will tell.

#10

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J Stuart Holmes Report

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Michael P (Perthaussieguy)
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That would have been a sweet set up back then. And the speakers would have been almost the cabinet size too

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A few key events may have done a lot of harm to Gen Xers’ potential savings and earning power, including the dot-com bubble, as well as the financial crisis of 2008. And this is clear from the numbers. Investopedia points out that as of 2021, Generation X households have estimated median retirement savings of $87k, compared to $162k for Baby Boomers and $50k for Millennials. What’s more, a third of Gen Xers have taken loans or early withdrawals from their retirement accounts, compared to 24% of Baby Boomers and 46% of Millennials.

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#13

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Brian William Report

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Francis
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i was way too much afraid of that thing as a child.. i was under the impression, that you will burn your hand to ashes if you even touch it at any moment... my parents didn't smoke anymore and didn't use it tho

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#14

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Carolyn Dougherty- Loro , twitter.com Report

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Marie Dahme
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As dorky as that sounds…. It’s true. I’m never got to have my pastel baby blush pink bedroom and now at 51….I’m getting my wish !!! Lol

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The ‘Righteous Memes from Generation X’ Facebook group currently has 92.3k members, and the community is focused on having fun, posting good memes, and being excellent to each other. The moderator and administrator team running the whole show asks anyone posting and commenting to “leave their politics at the door” because it will serve to divide the community.

#17

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Cullin Pattillo Report

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Mistiekim
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can correct the red eyes all you want - it doesn’t correct the demon inside

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#18

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Carol-Anne Parker Report

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Quirinus
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be honest, I'm not even that surprised. If you remember, that was the time when artists like Era, Enigma, Enya (coincidEnce?) were particularly popular. And I mean mainstream popular.

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Moreover, the mods and admins want the community members to stay on-point and post memes that are relevant to the theme of the entire group: namely, things related to Generation X, not random stuff they find elsewhere. They also note that current events are rarely relevant.

Meanwhile, members should avoid posting videos, reels, and TikToks. And there’s no place for any sort of generation-bashing. That means that nobody should be attacking older generations for messing up things or young generations for having a weak work ethic. Anyone who writes‘ ok Boomer’ in a comment will get a 24-hour-long mute. And though personal stories from the ‘Good Old Days’ might be fun, the point of the group is to post memes.

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#23

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Elizabeth Goldberg Report

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Tucker Cahooter
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you don't remember Madness, and you don't remember them doing this song in "The Young Ones", then I'm afraid we have nothing in common, sorry.

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These Gen X memes are incredibly funny and relatable if you know the cultural context of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. And though nostalgia has plenty of upsides, like energizing us and helping us power through tough times, too much of a good thing can have a very negative impact. Someone who’s constantly stuck thinking about the past may ignore genuinely good opportunities in the present. And it isn’t healthy to be overly cynical of how much the world has changed ‘for the worse,’ yearning to go back.

#25

Hilarious-Gen-X-Memes

Joy Derenthal Report

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Billy Harrelson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah they did that on purpose. They knew. They knew we were trying to build the perfect mix tapes for free.

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#26

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Amandass Parkko , twitter.com Report

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TonyTee
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whenever I talk about how much I hate the snow cause it turns to ice, and how me and ice don’t get along (for obvious reasons) I reference these commercials and refer to myself as the Life Alert lady who’s fallen and can’t get back up xD It’s embarrassing when it happens to me but that’s how tf it feels 😅

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Psychologist Valentina Stoycheva, Ph.D., writes on Psychology Today that there is a difference between helpful and harmful nostalgia. It’s rooted in “the difference between incorporating the positive emotions of reminiscing into the present versus renouncing the present for the sake of reinstating and perpetually reliving some moment in the past.”

According to the psychologist, some individuals go completely overboard glorifying the past, and get stuck. They might start hoarding items, getting excessive plastic surgery done to create the illusion of youth, or they might stalk their former partners on social media. Stoycheva urges anyone yearning for a period of time that is long gone to ask themselves what emotions and former self-states they’re after. 

Which of these Gen X memes did you enjoy the most? How many Gen X Pandas do you think we have? What are you the most nostalgic for, whatever generation you might be? Swing by the comments, tell us what you think. In the meantime, for some more awesome memes from ‘Righteous Memes from Generation X,’ check out Bored Panda’s previous feature over here.

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#32

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Carol-Anne Parker Report

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JB
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

honestly, we weren't missing out on anything for lack of any of today's tech

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#35

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Shannon Pitts Report

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Eva Kašu
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

google ´ratafak plachta´. That´s true nightmare fuel for Slovak kinds. This one up there looks like every alcoholic uncle in the village.

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#36

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Guy Martin , twitter.com Report

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Cassi Lyris
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to fantasize about getting such an amazing job like she does on accident in this movie. If you think this movie is unrealistic, rewatch Home Alone and contemplate how a single salary afforded that house! Like, WHAT?

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#37

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Guy Martin Report

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John Harrison
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lol, this is so true. There's so much from the 80s that is just absolutely bizarre, and much of it geared toward young people.

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#38

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Alastair MacLennan Report

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AnnaRachelle
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a shell suit. Atleast that's what we called them in the UK. I wanted one soooo bad. Felt really great when I first wore it

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#40

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Guy Martin Report

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AnnaRachelle
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You could wait 10 minutes before eating it,foolishly thinking it would of cooled down,right until you bit into it and burnt your bottom lip and chin!

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#43

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Shannon Pitts Report

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Betsy Ray
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These were fun. Except for the child at the park who fell from the slide, and I took him and his mom to their dentist. But the round merry-go-round only ate one child in all my years playing on it. And it wasn't me.

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#45

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Gerald McGrory Report

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Lost Penny
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

in a strained voice: It was the 70-s, man... S**t was wild...! /takes a deep drag.

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#48

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scoobydoomistakes Report

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Mistiekim
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We all noticed the same background over and over in chase scenes too. We were just too polite to say anything about it.

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#50

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Jim Rose Report

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sbj
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Snakes on a plane, wasn't a scary film, just a travel show for reptiles

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Note: this post originally had 131 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.