How Much Do You Know About Generation X?

By: Heather Cahill
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
How Much Do You Know About Generation X?
Image: AJR

About This Quiz

Generation X is filled with unique individuals that were unlike any generation before or after them. They were the generation in between the Baby Boomers and Millennials. Just like any other generations, they have their own stereotypes and generalizations. They grew up with different ideas and feelings than their parents and felt the same way when they had their own children.

Do you know what a short form term for the generation is? What about how the generation felt towards the topics of work, play, and the world? Do you know what they were like throughout their childhood, adolescence and now in their adulthood? Although it is hard to describe them as individuals, as a collective group they do have certain traits, values, and feelings. 

Do you know how most Generation Xers evaluate their success in life? How about their buying habits or how they handle their finances? Can you name what they love, what worries them and what they hate? Generation X has a valuable and unique perspective on life that no other generation really shares.

The world would be ordinary if there were just one group of individuals who thought and acted the same way. As time goes by, generations experience different times and situations that make them different. Generation X was no exception. If you think you truly know and understand them, test yourself with this quiz!

Which generation did Generation X come after?
Millenials
Generation Z
Generation Y
Baby Boomers
The Baby Boomers came before Generation X. It is often said that the Gen Xers share the traits of both Baby Boomers and Millennials.

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Can you fill in the blank? "Gen X is __________ than the Baby Boomer generation."
larger
happier
richer
smaller
Gen X is smaller than the Baby Boomer generation. The Baby Boomer generation gets its name from the large number of individuals from the time. Gen X doesn't even come close in numbers compared to the size of its predecessor.

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Which of the following is most important to Gen Xers?
freedom
Gen Xers value their freedom. They grew up with freedom and in turn, don't take well to being told what to do or any form of leadership.
riches
social status
marriage

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Is it true or false that Gen Xers typically had less money than their parents?
True
This is true. Gen Xers found themselves supporting two generations, the one before them and the one after them. Their aging parents and their own children are now being supported by Gen X.
False

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What movie is a Gen X classic?
"Star Wars"
"Funny Face"
"The Lord of the Rings"
"Sixteen Candles"
"Sixteen Candles" is a Gen Xer classic. It was a coming of age movie that was released right at the time that much of the generation was coming of age.

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What is another name Generation X is known by?
Lazy Generation
Courageous Generation
Stormy Generation
MTV Generation
Generation X was also referred to as the "MTV Generation" because they were teens when the channel came about. The channel did, in fact, impact the generation and culture.

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Which of the following people is considered to be Generation X?
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal is part of Generation X since he was born in 1972. Other famous people who are considered to be part of Gen X include Winona Ryder, Mariah Carey and Peyton Manning.
Beyonce
Clark Gable
Kate Middleton

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Which of the following is a Gen Xer more likely to do?
text
email
Generation X is more likely to send an email over the other options. Email was something they grew up with and something they are comfortable using.
instant message
send mail

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Can you fill in the blank? "Gen Xers have a higher level of _________ than Baby Boomers."
wealth
happiness
marriage
education
Generation X has a higher level of education than Baby Boomers did. More Gen Xers have a higher education than even Millennials do, and they have a higher employment rate than millennials.

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What was a stereotype of Gen Xers?
they're mean
they're happy
they're rich
they're slackers
One stereotype Generation X faced was that they were slackers. They were often labeled this way because of their way of life as teens.

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Is it true or false that most Gen Xers are working in the field they had hoped to work in?
True
False
This is false. According to a study done by Met Life, less than half of Gen Xer's say that they are working in the field they had hoped to work in.

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Which word describes Gen Xers?
dreamers
entrepreneurial
Gen X is made up of many entrepreneurs. This generation values its time and freedom and many have created startups. One good example is Jeff Bezos of Amazon.
unhealthy
disrespectful

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What kind of buying habits do Gen Xers have?
They want it, they buy it.
Gen Xers will typically see something they want and buy it right away with no hesitation. Despite the financial burdens they often face, they still treat themselves.
They want it, they save up for it.
They look, but don't buy.
They look, and make a decision to buy later.

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As Gen Xers were coming of age, what was on the rise?
AIDS
As Gen Xers were coming of age, AIDS was on the rise. The disease had a large impact on the generation and how Gen Xers grew up. It still affects many people today.
wealth
crime
creative jobs

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Is it true or false that Gen Xers are helicopter parents?
True
False
This is false. The parents of Gen Xers were far from helicopter parents, often out working rather than being at home. Gen Xers were alone while their parents were at work.

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What do many Gen Xers have?
debt
Many Gen Xers are in debt. This is because of the many financial responsibilities the generation has to its parents, children, mortgage, retirement and other reasons.
a solid retirement plan
more than six children
monthly vacations

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What is important to Gen Xers?
creativity
expression
work/life balance
Gen Xers really value the time they have with their families, but they also recognize the importance of work. They look to make a healthy balance between these two factors.
social obligations

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Which of the following genres of music was popular with Gen X?
Alt-rock
Alt-rock was popular with Gen X as they were watching MTV which played this genre. Hip-hop was also a popular genre for this generation.
Bluegrass
Classical
Jazz

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How many people are considered to be part of Generation X?
65 million
Only 65 million are thought to be part of Generation X, according to Pew Research. This number is an estimate based on the undefined years of the generation.
2 million
29 million
19 million

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Is it true or false that Gen Xers are concerned about health?
True
This is true. Gen Xers always looks for information on health, but their skeptical nature hinders their decision making. Healthcare is a big concern for them nonetheless.
False

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How do Gen Xers assess their success?
by wealth
Gen Xers will typically assess their success by the amount of money they have. Many spend their lives working to achieve a certain amount of wealth they consider to be successful.
by house size
by job title
by family life

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What is the short form of Generation X?
Gen X
The short form for Generation X is Gen X or it can also be Generation Xers. Both terms refer to the entire generation from the time period.
X kids
Exes
X People

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Which of the following television shows was on during the time of Gen X adolescence?
Leave it to Beaver
Rawhide
Beverly Hills, 90210
"Beverly Hills, 90210" was on in the 1990s, the time of Gen Xers' adolescence or young adulthood. Other shows of this time included "Friends" and "Saved By The Bell."
My Three Sons

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Who wrote the novel titled, "Generation X"?
Mark Twain
Agatha Christie
Harper Lee
Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland wrote this novel in 1991. The story was told in three parts and referenced the frustrations of the generation through the stories told in the book.

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Is it true or false that Gen Xers were more accepting than previous generations?
True
This is true. Gen Xers were the first generation to be more involved in diversity and culture from birth. They were more accepting to new ideas than the generations before them had ever been.
False

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Which social network do Gen Xers use most?
Twitter
Snapchat
Facebook
Gen Xers choose Facebook as their social media of choice. YouTube and Instagram are also popular with the generation, although they are nowhere near the caliber of Facebook.
Instagram

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Can you fill in the blank? "Gen Xers are loyal to ________ that they like."
people
places
politicians
brands
Gen Xers are loyal to brands that they like. When they find a brand that speaks to them and that they have had great experiences with, they likely won't choose a different brand to go to.

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What song is a Gen X classic?
"Hot Stuff"
"How You Remind Me"
"We Belong Together"
"Creep"
"Creep" by Radiohead is a classic Gen X song that describes the generation very well. The song came out in 1992 at the time when most Gen Xers were adults or teenagers.

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When Generation Xers were children, what was on the rise?
debt
births
deaths
divorce rates
The divorce rate among Generation X's parents was on the rise at the time of their childhood. This affected the way that Gen Xers saw marriage and divorce in the future.

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Is it true or false that Gen X prefers to play games on a PC?
True
This is true. Pew Research found that Gen Xers play more video games on the PC. This generation grew up with video games on consoles such as the Atari 2600.
False

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Most Gen Xers were what?
bullies
empathetic
latchkey children
Most Gen Xers were latchkey children, meaning that they were on their own for periods of time during the day. This gave them freedom and leeway to do what they wanted.
adventurers

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Which of the following people is considered to be Gen X?
Elon Musk
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, is part of Generation X. He proves the generation's fierce entrepreneurial spirit and drive.
Chris Pratt
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Fidel Castro

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Other than their kids, who are Gen Xers supporting?
their neighborhoods
their nieces and nephews
their siblings
their parents
Gen Xers not only find themselves supporting their own children, but their parents as well. This puts a financial burden on the people of this generation.

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Can you fill in the blank? "Gen Xers don't feel that they have enough money to __________."
go on vacation
support their children
buy what they want
retire
Gen Xers feel they don't have enough money to retire and live comfortably. With the financial weight of their children and parents, many don't believe that they will be able to fully retire.

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Which of the following do Gen Xers appreciate?
anger
their jobs
traveling
genuineness
Gen Xers value genuineness and respond better to someone authentic and genuine. This is also important when trying to advertise to the people of this generation in order to resonate with them.

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