Millennial Has Warning for Anyone From Gen Z ‘Picking a Fight’ With Gen X

A man has clapped back at those who think Generation X are the worst generation, warning people not to underestimate them.

In a now viral video, Instagram user Professor Chesko (@thespeechprof) responded to a video by a Generation Z content creator that claimed “Gen X is the worst generation.” Chesko certainly doesn’t agree with this perspective, offering multiple reasons why, in his view, Gen Xers are in fact dangerous and even brave.

In the video, Chesko explains that the Gen X stereotype is that they simply don’t care about what’s going on or what people think of them. They were raised by baby boomers, so he jokes that the Gen Xers who made it through are “the ones that survived” and they “fear nothing.”

They also grew up before the age of technology came to fruition, meaning there’s no digital records to come back and haunt them.

The Pew Research Center defines Gen X as those born between 1965 and 1980, and Gen Z were born between the years of 1997 and 2012. While Chesko is a millennial (those born between 1981 and 1996), he refers to himself as a “cusp millennial” as he’s one of the oldest in his generation. This in turn provided him with plenty of exposure to the Gen Xers who came before him, leaving him with many observations.

After warning anyone against “picking a fight” with Gen X, Chesko’s Instagram video went viral with more than 5.8 million views and 229,800 likes at the time of writing.

Newsweek has contacted Chesko via email for comment.

When it comes to the Gen X experience, many of them grew up during a changing world order and witnessed some difficult economic times. They came of age during the AIDS epidemic in the 80s, they lived through the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, they saw the first successful space shuttle flight, and they felt the effects of a recession when they joined the workforce.

According to Britannica, Gen X are often dubbed the “middle child” generation as they’re a much smaller group compared to boomers and millennials.

Gen Xers often get described as cynical as a result of the tumultuous times they experienced in their formative years. However, they do also have many positive stereotypes, as Britannica suggests that they’re resourceful, independent and good at maintaining a work-life balance.

While it’s helpful to define people of different ages by their generations, The Pew Research Center suggests this can also lead to oversimplification. It’s easy to focus on the differences between the different generations, but there are also many shared experiences that shouldn’t be ignored.

Social Media Response

Chesko’s video left internet users in stitches, leading to more than 17,500 comments. Chesko joked that his perspective is purely “out of deep respect,” but also partly out of “deep fear” too.

One comment reads: “Agree, Gen X is the last generation that can use all of the current tech and still survive with no power, paper maps, and perhaps fix some machinery.”

Another Instagram user wrote: “I think we can all agree, Gen X just has to turn off the wi-fi and we have already won.”

“As a proud Gen Xer, I refuse to be intimidated by a generation that can not read or write in cursive,” joked one commenter.

While another social media user added: “As a Gen X, this is hilariously correct.”

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