One might think that five years would be enough time for the media to conclusively say everything about the subject and that the hype could be focused on something else. Luckily for those of us who don’t love repetition, the hype about Generation X has died down a little bit. At least Time and Newsweek quit doing cover stories on the issue.

Sadly enough, however, the media still attempt to define a group of more than 36.5 million Americans (defining an Xer as a person in their twenties) with a few pages of broad stereotypes:Members of Generation X are apathetic, cynical, spoiled, politically inert, without aspirations, etc.

We hope SIUC students do not let themselves be defined by these stereotypes.

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Sure, there may be lots of young adults who have traits that mirror the Generation X cliches, but there are just as many who do not.

It’s true that voter turnout among young people has been low during the 1990s, but we believe it is not fair to classify millions of people as politically ignorant just because some of them don’t exercise their right to vote.

Buying into the conventions of Generalization X is the same as believing that all young people in the 1960s gobbled LSD like popcorn and practiced free love. It is the same as believing all people who were coming of age during the 1980s were greedy and selfish.

The reason pundits are still struggling to define Generation X after five years is because it cannot be done. It is impossible to stereotype 36.5 million people and get it right especially in the United States, which is made up of people from a myriad of cultural backgrounds.

The stereotypes of Generation X have even produced a mild backlash from some people in their twenties. A 26-year-old New York University graduate formed a group called the National Association of Twentysomethings. The group provides access to things such as health insurance and financial planning, but its founder says members are mainly trying to disprove the Generation X conventions of apathy and a disregard for the future.

We believe it’s a sad state of affairs when people feel compelled to join organizations so they can disprove the stereotypes that have been placed upon them because they happened to be born between 20 and 29 years ago.

The solution to shattering the myths of Generation X is simple. Recognize these generational analyses for what they really are an attempt to pigeonhole millions of people into a homogenized mold. Don’t become a slacker just because a national news magazine reports that young people are becoming slackers.

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