What happens when Gen X is trending on Twitter?
Well, you see, it’s complicated.
Of course Gen X is trending at 2:15 in the morning.
— Micah The Seeker (@Micah_McGurk) February 8, 2022
Micah The Seeker @Micah_McGurk: Of course Gen X is trending at 2:15 in the morning.
The invisible generation
Generation X is often overlooked, sandwiched as it is between the slightly larger Baby Boomer and Millennial generations.
We Gen Xers comment frequently on our invisibility, but we also — ostensibly — don’t really care about it.
Gen X was trending for 3 minutes. Now everyone will forget about us again for another 30 years, until we’re actually dying off. Whatever. #GenX
— SupaFud 🐾 (@SupaFud) February 7, 2022
SupaFud @SupaFud: Gen X was trending for 3 minutes. Now everyone will forget about us again for another 30 years, until we’re actually dying off. Whatever. #GenX
Why is Gen X trending? Did we die?
— Sarah Watson (@SarahWatson42) February 7, 2022
Sarah Watson @SarahWatson42: Why is Gen X trending? Did we die?
Gen X doesn’t give a crap (?)
I don’t know, for all the bravado, it also seems like, as a generation, we expend an awful lot of energy talking about how bored we are with it all. But, like, are we really bored?
(Personally, I’m not — I’m fascinated by the entire generation concept, particularly the dynamic of my own gen!)
It just comes off like a feigned nonchalance, because if we truly didn’t care, would we be posting about it all the time? 🤔
I have no idea why Gen X is trending and because I am one I don’t care. pic.twitter.com/RHUlihb4xz
— Riff Randell (@chasingsunny16) February 7, 2022
Riff Randell @chasingsunny16: I have no idea why Gen X is trending and because I am one I don’t care.
Gen X inception
So what’s going on??
I’m asking this because every time you see someone asking, “Why is Gen X is trending?” when you go to see WHY Gen X is trending for yourself, what you mostly see are other Gen Xers wondering why #GenX is trending.
It’s as if the wondering about the trending (almost exclusively by Gen Xers) is causing the trending.
If your head is spinning right now, I’m sorry — and I get it. This is so weird and inception-y, it’s almost hard to explain!
It’s also possibly the most boring and self-indulgent reason for #genx to trend.
It’s also somewhat depressing, because — in spite of Gen Xer excitement that “Hey, we’re trending; people are finally noticing us!” — the only people actually noticing Gen X here are Gen Xers themselves. 😐
Literally, it’s the most Generation X thing EVER!
Hey Gen X is trending!!! did someone finally notice we exist? pic.twitter.com/OE4CozRwYJ
— JasonoftheDead 🧟🎬 (@jasonofthedead) February 7, 2022
JasonoftheDead @jasonofthedead: Hey Gen X is trending!!! did someone finally notice we exist?
So why is Gen X trending?
I have a hypothesis about it — at least in this specific instance. I could be off base, but it’s solidly in the realm of likely.
What I think happened here is that the Gen X trend actually took off last week when Lisa Lucas asked why on earth we were all allowed to read Flowers in the Attic when we were mere babies??
How in the world was a whole ass generation of 9-12 year olds allowed to read Flowers in the Attic? 😭
— Lisa Lucas (@likaluca) February 2, 2022
Lisa Lucas @likaluca: How in the world was a whole ass generation of 9-12 year olds allowed to read Flowers in the Attic? 😭
Oh, we had a conversation
In response to that epic tweet, Gen X (and elder Millennial) women especially all had a lot to say about our feral childhoods and what we got away with! That hilarious and relatable conversation went so viral it crossed over to Facebook:
Around and around
As that discussion lingered into this week, it evolved into people making random observations or posting memes about Gen X.
And so lingered the hashtag, and in chimed those who weren’t paying attention last week who now have started wondering out loud why #genx is trending this week.
And so the hashtag ramped back up, but this time it’s mostly just people wondering what’s going on — or posting random observations and memes about Gen X. 😆
(Speaking of memes, I admit this one made me snicker.)
Gen X is trending and it’s giving life tonight. https://t.co/2F0yFZ0v3z
— Daniella (@dgibber123) February 8, 2022
The more things change…
But all the same, it’s still, ironically, just Gen X talking about Gen X. I guess even if no one else cares about us, at least we care!
Anyway, that’s my take on this weird “Gen X is trending” phenomenon. What do you think?
