The millennial generation encompasses people born between 1981 and 1996, according to The Pew Research Center. But for Stephanie Estes, there is a stark divide between those born in the 1980s and 90s, and she thinks they should be split into separate categories.
Estes was born in 1982 and remembers being lumped in with Generation X for much of her youth, and then being considered Gen Y. She remembers often mocking those “strange creatures called millennials” because they seemed so different to her—only to learn that she was one of them, too.
Of course, Estes, of Nashville, Tennessee, told Newsweek that there is nothing wrong with millennials, but she “did not have the same childhood” as her younger counterparts.
“Suddenly one day, after I graduated college, I learned that we had been moved to millennial status,” Estes, 43, said. “But I feel like true millennialism doesn’t start until the late 80s or 90s. I certainly wouldn’t go earlier than 1986.”
Indeed, Estes is one of four siblings, and she said that her younger two siblings, who were born in 1986 and 1990, are quite different from the older two, born in 1980 and 1982.
For that reason, Estes said that people born between 1981 and 1989 should be given their own generation. While some people have touted the concept of Xennials (a crossover between elder millennials and younger Gen Xers), Estes has a much better idea.
She said she much prefers to call this “micro generation” the millennium falcons instead.
Estes added: “I honestly think we’re the most-adaptable generation, able to live both analogue and digital. We absolutely know how to unplug when we want to, and live in a pre-internet world. For us, typing games were the most-exciting thing on a computer until [educational strategy video game] The Oregon Trail came around.
“Then came Trogdor and the realization that the internet could be more than just email and chats, and we watched as Google and YouTube began changing the world. If you ever meet someone who has just their name as their gmail address, they’re probably in the geriatric millennial bracket,” Estes continued.
She added that socioeconomic status is a big factor, which was pivotal in deciding when a person or a family was able to access technology. It wasn’t as commonplace during its infancy, so those who waited a long time will also have a different memory of their adolescence.
“Nonetheless, there’s a clear and strong micro generation that are small but mighty,” Estes said.
She shared her thoughts on Instagram (@stephthexillennial / Instagram) in a video that said people born between 1981 and 1989 deserve their own generation because “we’re not millennials.” The clip went viral with over 2.3 million views and more than 67,300 likes on Instagram at the time of writing.
The online response is beyond anything Estes anticipated as it has generated a whole range of reactions, from people wholeheartedly agreeing, to those suggesting that was really millennial of her to suggest.
This has led to more than 4,000 comments on Instagram, as one person replied: “Xennials unite.”
Another Instagram user wrote: “This is what I always say!”
A third commenter posted: “Not wanting to be millennial is so millennial.”
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