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🎧 The Xennial Struggle Is Real! 🌇✨
- Retro Sonya
- Jun 22
- 14 min read
Updated: 12 hours ago
Before I begin this rant, I just want to iterate that this does not apply to all Gen Xers who are content creators or who run 80s nostalgia pages and websites. Many of my fellow Gen X content creators are some of my favorite people to interact with and hang out with.
In this post, I am referring to those who strut this superiority complex while promoting generational conflicts, as if that will accomplish a single thing in life. Let me break it down for you.
My mother and her younger sisters were all Gen X. They passed their toys, hairstyles, music, and fashion down to me. They weren't gatekeeping anything. I was the only child they did that for. Probably because I was born in the 80s and they were having me share in what they loved at the time.
So why are these Gen X gatekeepers trying to invent this idea that the 80s were strictly something only they experienced? Not all of them are jerks to younger generations (or older ones), but let's unpack some misunderstandings and reasons why they push back so hard against us Xennial hybrids! I was born in 1983, and honestly? That year feels like a perfect glitch in time — right between Gen X and Millennials. We grew up on VHS tapes and cassette mixtapes, memorized Nintendo cheat codes, and survived on Saturday morning cartoons. The soundtrack of our childhood was 80s synth, neon vibes, and the kind of optimism you only see in old movies and retro games. 📼🎮
And yet, here we are — often misunderstood. It goes like this:
Man buns, cancel culture, “woke” wars? That wasn’t us. That’s not what my generation created. But somehow we get painted with that brush because we’re not “officially” Gen X (or rather kicked out of it by the gatekeepers).
Let me say this loud and clear: we don’t need to fit into those stereotypes. We don’t need to fight each other over who owns the 80s or who had it worse!
Sure, I might relate to some millennials — after all, we all survived dial-up internet. And sure, I also relate to Gen X (especially)— because I was there, in the early 80s and 90s, hitting record on the VCR and going to roller rinks under spinning disco balls. ✨
That’s the beauty of being a Xennial: We live comfortably in between, cruising a neon-soaked highway where everyone’s playlist can mash up Duran Duran and Ace of Base without missing a beat.
At the end of the day, gatekeeping the 80s is as silly as rewinding a tape with a pencil and pretending that makes you superior. No generation is better — and no amount of neon glow will change that. So, why can't we all just hit play, enjoy the tunes, and appreciate the culture that shaped us all? 🎶💜
🌓 It’s Not Always “This or That” — Life Is a Spectrum. 🌈✨
People love their tidy little labels. ((“You’re either Gen X or you’re a Millennial,”)) They say — as if life were some switch that can only flip this way or that way.
But guess what? The world isn’t black and white.
The world doesn’t fit into neat categories that everyone agrees on. Some of us live in the glowing gradient in between — full of nuance, color, and contradictions that make us who we are. #XennialsUnite
Then we got memes like this! 👇🏻 They love posting these.
So my response would be: "I'm too old to blame boomers, but too young to be called Gen X. Only VHS-raised and dial-up-scarred. Not eating Tide Pods, not blaming capitalism - just vibing with Gen X while saying "Talk to the hand" while not fitting in with the Millennial stereotype since 1983."
And in the next breath, they'll ask you:
(("Who said anything about blaming another generation?"))
Well... the meme basically implies it. While Gen X pushes back against those of us who don't fit into their stereotypes and tells us: (("No gray areas allowed!"))
Sorry, we Xennials don't live by your rules. And we sure aren't your stereotypes. Sorry but not sorry.
Not fitting in completely with either generation, especially the negative stereotypes, is what sets our generation apart. If the shoe doesn't fit, why wear it? That’s exactly what it means to be a Xennial. We are the in-betweeners, the generational rebels who don't need to pick one box to define our identity or to stay there. We can appreciate analog and digital, cartoons and YouTube, mixtapes and streaming playlists — all at once.
And that’s the beauty of it, isn't it? Our experiences can’t be reduced to someone else’s labels. We’re as complex as a synthwave sunset, shifting from one hue to the next, and refusing to fit into anyone’s tired old binary. 🌆💜
🏆 The Ultimate Irony: “Participation Trophies”… for Gatekeeping? 😂🏁
And here’s my favorite part: every time someone says, ((“Xennials is just a made-up term by Millennials who want a participation trophy,”)) I can’t help but laugh.
Spoiler alert: All the dates for these generations are made up. That’s right —
Some professor or sociologist decided on a year range one day, and boom, there you go. Congratulations, you’ve all been handed an invisible trophy too. 🏆
The irony is chef’s kiss perfect. You’re telling me my micro-generation is a “special snowflakes” vibe for having a word to describe our weird, in-between experience — while you cling to your own generational labels like they were handed down from the neon gods? That’s some next-level irony right there. ✨💿
So next time someone tells me, ((“Stop making up terms,”)) I’ll just smile and say, “Hey, don’t worry — you can keep your trophy. You earned it by gatekeeping.” 😉🎮
🎸 We’re Not Gen X “Wannabes” — Just Nostalgic Superfans! 📼💖
And let’s clear this up once and for all: We’re not pretending to be Gen X just because we love the 80s. We’re simply celebrating what we actually grew up with — cartoons, mixtapes, hair bands, and neon-soaked cartoons that shaped our childhoods.
It’s like accusing someone of being a “wannabe” because they still enjoy their favorite cereal. Sorry, pal — my Rainbow Brite lunchbox and I were there, thank you very much. 🍿✨
When we drop an “80s vibes forever!” in a comment, we’re not trying to sneak into the Gen X clubhouse — we’re just enjoying the cultural playground we spent half our childhood on. And yes, we did technically grow up more in the 90s, too — so let’s call it what it is: multi-era nostalgia with zero gatekeeping required. 😎
So next time someone says we’re ((“wannabes,”)) I’ll reply: “Hey, I’m just rocking my fanny pack and cassettes like it’s 1991. Chill.” 😂🎧
We’ll be over here, rewinding our Rainbow Brite VHS, rocking Walkmans, and not asking for your permission to exist in the 80s.
🏆 Participation Trophies? Pretty Sure That Wasn’t Us! 🤷♀️✨
And let’s talk about this whole ((“Xennials just want participation trophies” )) thing for a sec — because the irony is off the charts.
Spoiler alert: We didn’t invent them. Boomers and Gen X parents did. You know — the very people who handed them out to make sure nobody felt left out at soccer practice. 😂⚽
Meanwhile, most of us Xennials were just kids rolling up to our games hoping to score one good goal, never even hearing the word “participation trophy” until we were adults.
So to all the gatekeepers telling us we’re just looking for a medal? Keep your trophies — we never wanted them in the first place!
We were too busy making mixtapes and hoping the radio wouldn’t cut off our favorite song halfway through. 📻🎶
🔍 Why Don’t Gatekeeping Gen Xers Want to Be Lumped in With Us? 🤔✨
Maybe the real question you should be asking is: Why don't Xennials want to be lumped in with the crybaby, SJW, cancel culture, avocado toast cliche? I bet they never thought about that, or maybe never cared to. But we sure aren't the stereotypes they want to slap on us.
And, you would think some of them would be smart enough to figure that out by now. But no! Some have, though. So this begs the question: If they know we don't fit those negative stereotypes, why are they so militant against the "Xennial" label? With the 'X' in it?
When you see Gen Xers pushing back hard against being grouped with Xennials, it’s tempting to assume they’re just bristling at the tired stereotypes — the cancel culture stuff, the avocado toast jokes, the “crybaby” clichés. But honestly? That probably isn’t the real reason at all.
More likely, it’s that they fought to craft their own identity, separate from both Boomers and Millennials, and they’re fiercely protective of it. Gen X came of age in a very particular time — rebellious, analog, a little cynical — and they’re proud of it.
But to them, the idea that someone born just a few years later could share that cultural DNA feels like a threat to that uniqueness.
They built their image on being independent, anti-establishment, “never sell out” types — and they don’t want that blurred. In their minds, if you didn’t grow up fully steeped in the Gen X scene (the music, movies, politics, and attitude), then you can’t possibly understand what it meant to them. And yeah, that’s less about cancel culture and more about legacy and self-definition.
Of course, what they overlook is that Xennials do remember all those same moments — we just experienced them as kids instead of teens. And there’s plenty of room for all of us to appreciate what was awesome about those years without drawing harsh lines in the sand. But for some gatekeeping Gen Xers, protecting that boundary is like protecting their favorite vinyl record — fragile, personal, and just a bit sacred. 🎧🖤
This is one of the many reasons I am rejecting this whole getekeeping and generational pride concept. We all have unique experiences that helped shape us. And if the younger people want to embrace the 80s, who are we to tell them that they're not allowed to?
This brings us to the next point.
📺 Generational Wars on an 80s page? Let’s Just Change the Channel. 😂✨
And then there are the Gen X gatekeepers who seem to think they’re empowering everyone by fanning generational flames. You know the ones — they’ll post a Brady Bunch meme with all the characters labeled like,
Boomers: “I’m popular.”
Millennials: “I’m cute.”
Gen X: “I hate this family.”
And apparently,
Gen Z: Cousin Oliver — unwanted, misunderstood, and left on the sidelines.
When I stated under “80s Rewind” posts and said we should probably stop this generational wars thing — and maybe learn to appreciate the innovators of every generation?🤷🏻♀️
And boom! Admin popped up telling me to ((“get a life, Francis”)) and they even called me Cousin Oliver too. 😂
Imagine gatekeeping the 80s this hard. 😂As if enjoying the 80s and 90s somehow requires a secret Gen X handshake. 🤷♀️
Spoiler alert: Xennials — a.k.a. "elder millennials" (as you would call us) — were right there alongside them. We wore the neon, rewound the VHS tapes, survived dial-up internet, and loved every weird, glorious moment. 📼💜
But, when we point that out, they want to throw a fit over it.
And again, why? We’re all here for the same thing — the music, the movies, the memories. Why gatekeep it? Because I'm seeing some analog gatekeepers getting frustrated in the comments over elder millennials who share in it. Who's cryin'? 'Cause I ain't complaining. ✌️🚀 Oh, and here is the funny part: ((How about if we stop taking everything so seriously... It's a fn joke!"))
-Tracy
🤔It’s just a joke… apparently, only when they’re telling it. 😏
Remember, they just jokingly left us out of their 80s nostalgia club — then decided we were all basement-dwelling, avocado-toast-slinging snowflakes? 😂
And when we say, “Hey, that’s not us,” they’re like, ((“Chill, it’s just a joke, crybaby.”))
Who’s crying, Tracy? Pretty sure it’s not the elder Millennials — we’re too busy living our best neon-soaked lives. It’s those analog gatekeepers melting down the moment they realize we were right there too, sharing the same 80s memories they thought were theirs alone.
And yeah, we know how much they love cracking jokes about the ((“GenY whiners”)) while having a full-blown meltdown the second elder Millennials dared to step into their precious 80s nostalgia party. 😂📼
🎛️ You know you're an analog gatekeeper when... You say “Only real ‘80s kids remember this” about things that came out in 1990... when you were already 17.
Now, let’s make funny jokes about the analog gatekeepers, shall we? Because we can dish it out, too!
💜 Analog gatekeepers be like: (("Elder Millennials weren’t REALLY there for the 80s!"))
Meanwhile, they’re still busy rewinding their VHS tape, hoping nobody notices we rented the same movies at Blockbuster. 📼🍿✨
💜 Gen X gatekeepers: ((“Our generation is truly special.”))
Also, Gen X gatekeepers: ((Xennials? That doesn't exist! Stop making up names in order to feel special.))
💜 Gen X gatekeepers: ((“Back in my day we didn’t care what people thought.”))
Also, Gen X gatekeepers: start a three-week-long Facebook fight if you suggest Prince is overrated.
🕶️ Analog gatekeepers be like: ((“You weren’t really there!”))
Meanwhile, we’re like: “Dude, we were there, glued to the same Saturday morning cartoons and neon hair spray.” Duh! ✨
🎮 Analog gatekeepers: ((“Don't you put Millennials with Gen X ever again!”))
...All the while putting us with people 12 years younger than us and blaming us for cancel culture. Yeah. Get real, Brenda! You can’t gatekeep our childhood and miscategorize us in the same breath. We’re not Gen Z. We’re not avocado-toast Millennials. We’re not even full Gen X. We’re the glitch. We’re Xennials. And we were there, too. 💾✨
So, Chill, gatekeeper — we were right there next to you with our scrunchies and slap bracelets in the 80s. Maybe it’s time you rewound that tape. 🔄💜
((And yet you went on to demand "safe spaces" like the wimps you are!))
Safe spaces? I'm pretty sure that wasn't us.
Brenda, you’re only nine years older than me — yet somehow you lump me in with people twelve years younger and blame me for safe spaces, man buns, and TikTok dances. Make it make sense, Captain Gatekeeper.
As a Xennial hybrid, you can’t claim I'm ‘too young’ for 80s culture and then assign me someone else’s.
Analog Gatekeeper math: 9 years older = a different era. But 12 years younger? Somehow my problem. Cool logic, bro.
🧠🌀 We Xennials had trauma repression and Blockbuster late fees. We found peace in Jesus first, then arcades, roller rinks, and the rare afternoon when no one yelled at us.
Got bullied? Walk it off.
Teacher yelled? Don’t tell your parents, they’ll just take the teacher’s side.
Emotionally scarred from a Goosebumps episode? Too bad, new one airs Friday.
💥 So when someone says:
((“You crazies all demanded safe spaces like the wimps you are”))…they’re throwing shade at younger Millennials and Gen Z, but lumping in everyone born after 1980 like we were all born with social media therapy sessions. 🧐
📼 Get real, Brenda! Growing up in the '80s/'90s felt more like "figure it out or deal with it." Meanwhile, the analog gatekeepers got their legwarmers in a wad over Xennials sharing the '80s and '90s experience in 2025? When they were the ones handing it down to us as kids? Got to love 'em.
Analog Gatekeepers: ((“You crybabies demand your little safe spaces!”))
Also Analog Gatekeepers: ((“This is MY childhood! Get out of my timeline! It’s sacred! Don’t TOUCH my Thundercats, I’m serious!!”))
This sounds like something the cultural appropriation police would say.
🎭 (("Hands off my culture!"))
— says Todd, the Nostalgia Appropriation Police,
... Because apparently, watching The Thunder Cats as a kid doesn't count unless you were also going through puberty or applying for a mortgage payment at the same time.🙄
Dude... You’re literally gatekeeping memories like it’s a Cold War bunker full of Teddy Ruxpins. We early 80s babies survived lead paint, nuclear panic drills, and secondhand smoke from every adult we knew.
The only safe space we had was hiding behind the couch during Unsolved Mysteries. We got our feelings hurt by dodgeballs, not TikToks.
We know you can handle it. You're the tough generation, after all. That's why we won't hold back. And I've got more if you like! And tons more comments to make memes out of! 😉
🎭 The Irony of Protecting What’s ‘Special’ to Them while trashing our micro-generation!😂
And here’s the real kicker — these analog gatekeeping Gen Xers will go to epic lengths to protect what they see as “special” to them. That could mean their favorite 80 movies, the sacred status of their mixtape collections, analog tech, or their generational label itself. And hey, fair enough — we all treasure the things that shaped us.
But then they’ll turn around and tell Xennials we’re just Millennials trying to feel “special.” The irony is almost cinematic. 🍿✨
The term 'Xennial' is not just for elder Millennials, you know. But I digress.
It’s like someone guarding their prized Atari games and telling you you’re silly for caring about your own memories, too.
((“You can’t have a special name for your in-between experience — only our special names count.”)) 🤷♀️
Gatekeeping is what matters to them? Totally fine. Xennials carving out a label for what matters to us?
Suddenly, we’re the ones looking for a gold star. 🏅
Spoiler: If there was a participation trophy for nostalgic contradictions, they’d be the first ones in line for it. 🏆😉
Who is special now? But remember, it's just a joke. Lighten up! #AnalogGatekeepers 😂
🚀 Gatekeeping Gen Xers: Stop Gaslighting Us Already!.🔥
((“You’re a millennial… and you don’t really remember most of the 80. Be honest.”))
-Peter
Meanwhile, the Gen X gatekeepers just keep on gaslighting us don't they?— calling Xennials “crybabies,” lumping us in with the cancel culture crowd, and acting like we’re trying to crash their party just for showing up on an 80s nostalgia page. And in turn telling us that we were too young to remember anything about the 80s. Just know these are pretexts they use to justify their exclusion of the OG crew born in the early 80s.
Spoiler alert: We’re not looking for an invite to the Gen X table. 😎
Just because we don’t fit 100% into their mold doesn’t mean we’re secretly trying to steal their Walkman.
We’re not their labels. We’re not their tired stereotypes. And we sure as heck don’t need their approval to appreciate the neon-tinted world we grew up in. 📼⚡
To my fellow Xennials who follow 80s pages that constantly post about generational wars, put-downs, and gatekeeping: If it isn’t lifting you up — unfollow, block, mute, do what you gotta do. ✂️Your nostalgia should feel like a favorite mixtape, not someone telling you that you’re “not allowed” to dance to the songs you grew up with.
And if someone still doesn’t like our micro-generation? That’s cool too — they can hop in their DeLorean and drive 88 miles per hour straight down the road while we sing: 🕶️Hit the road, Jack! And don’t you come back no more. ✌️💜
🌟 Xennials: Our Experience, Our Vibe — Even If Nobody Else Gets It! 💜
Not everyone will understand what it’s like to be a Xennial — and honestly? That’s okay. Our story is a little bit Gen X and a little bit Millennial, with its own weird, wonderful flavor that doesn’t fully match up with either one.
We grew up in a world that was analog and digital — flipping between Atari and Nintendo, cassette tapes and CDs, handwritten notes and instant messaging. 📼💻And that shaped us into a bridge between generations, balancing the easygoing grit of Gen X and the tech-forward energy of Millennials.
So when people try to put us into a tidy box — or when they can’t quite “get” who we are — it’s fine. We don’t need them to.
Our experiences speak for themselves, and we wear them like a favorite vintage tee. Heck, even Boomers scratch their heads at our mix of nostalgia and adaptability — and that’s all part of the charm. 😄✨
We may not always fit their labels, but we’re happy to be in that in-between space. That’s where the real magic is. 🌈
Final thoughts:
At the end of the day, these generational wars are nothing but foolish distractions.
Every one of us — whether we grew up spinning vinyl records or texting emojis — carries unique experiences and stories that deserve to be celebrated. But none of those differences are more important than the bonds we can build when we look past them.
Let’s focus on what truly matters: the memories we share, the music that moves us, the lessons we pass along, and the simple joy of shared nostalgia. We don’t need to tear one another down to feel seen — we can uplift each other instead.
When we choose unity over division and compassion over pride, we’ll find there’s a lot more that brings us together than anything that could ever tear us apart. That’s the kind of legacy worth leaving. 💜
Catch you on the flip side, legends. ✌️💜
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter — you’ll score 2 FREE 80s-inspired tracks straight to your inbox. Let’s keep those retro vibes rollin’! 🎶📼
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