The image of Gen-Xers as social drop outs has been exaggerated by the media and is not all that fair. If they rebelled against the idealism of their parents, it is because that idealism gave way to a society unequivocally focused on commercial and industrial progress. Gen-Xers recognize the inaccuracy of the ideological labels used by their parents' generation and see social class and cultural backgrounds as being more influential. They are not necessarily cynical but are certainly pragmatic.
They work as hard as their parents did but prefer free agency to loyal corporatism. They are far more likely to take risks in regard to their careers. While past generations aimed to land secure jobs that enabled them to amass material comforts, Gen-Xers tend to look for jobs that allow them to develop their personal talents. Moreover, they are credited with the creation of a new style of entrepreneurship and the resulting dot.com boom.
What's next? The term Generation Y has already been coined to describe those born in the 1980's. Unlike the Gen-Xers, who grew up in a time of transition, Generation Y were born into a world dominated by technology; a world in which face-to-face communication is secondary. What this generation will be like, however, remains to be seen.
