20 Things That Prove Xennials Had the Most Confusing Childhood

A xennial is someone who was born between the years of 1977 and 1984. These people have been labeled as generation x, but also fall under the millennial category. In other words, if you were born within these years, you don’t have a definite generation to call your own. That is why the people born between these years have created their own generational name. People born in this time share the love of the same movies, shows, and even toys. Here are 20 photos for the generation that wasn’t given their own name, the xennials. If this list gets you going, check out this big lot of photos that totally sum up the 1940s.

1. Kids nowadays will never know the struggle of having to rewind a VHS tape.

Text post by Kris P. Bacon reads: "kids today are missing out of the pre-streaming era, where your childhood was at least partially defined by some semi-obscure movie your family just happened to own on tape and you watched several dozen times.
u/thesleepydeer/via reddit

2. You guys have really been through the ringer.

A tweet by @IndecisiveJones humorously lists various labels for people born between 1980 to 1985, including Gen X, Gen Y, Xennial, and "geriatric millennial.
u/hurt2039/via reddit

3. These jeans were diabolical.

A collage of three images showing wet and frayed bottoms of baggy jeans, typical of teenage fashion in 1999. The jeans are darkened by water from rain-soaked ground. The caption reads, "When you're a teenager on a wet day in 1999.
u/bronzemat/via reddit

4. Any trailer park children in attendance?

Children walking in a line outside portable classrooms, often used in the 80s and 90s. The text humorously comments on the use of these temporary buildings for schooling in trailer parks. The setting is outdoors with a clear sky.
via reddit

5. What’s wrong with some Stephen King?

A tweet from user "Amy" reads: "my theory is every gen X person read a stephen king book way too young and that’s why they are the way they are." It's shared by the stephenking community on Reddit.
via reddit

6. If this doesn’t speak to the xennials out there, nothing will.

A meme with text about Gen Z not knowing the impact of Bryan Adams and the 1991 Robin Hood soundtrack. Below, an image from the Robin Hood movie shows a man aiming a bow and arrow, with a woman and crowd in the background.
u/unlucky-pomegranate3/via reddit

7. If accurate was a photo, this would be it.

Top image shows a brightly decorated, colorful room with 80s-themed decor. Bottom image shows a wood-paneled hallway with framed pictures. Text: "Wow! You grew up during the 80s? No. I grew up during the 80s.
u/el_guapo_supreme/via reddit

8. Basically every time we go to respond to a post.

Text on a dark background reads: "As a Gen Xer, how many times have you started to respond to a post and in the middle realize that you just don't care enough to finish responding?
u/nowhammystop/via reddit

9. Core memory, unlocked.

A Sony Walkman CD player with attached earbuds is shown. Text above reads, "The year is 2001, what album are you playing on this?
u/blueskyeahead/via reddit

Come on now. This really should count as one of those old pieces of technology that’ll never go out of style.

10. All that money from the past, wasted.

A man wearing a cap and glasses is looking thoughtfully into the distance. Above him is a text explaining Gen X's frustration with evolving music formats from records to tapes, CDs, MP3s, and now subscriptions.
via reddit

11. On this hill, we take our stand.

Cartoon scene of a man at a computer business center counter, holding a paper, expressing frustration about saving files. Caption reads: "I do not want to save to onedrive. I want to save to the documents folder... On my computer... That I own... In my house.
u/holiday_document4592/via reddit

12. We thought you could start babysitting siblings at 12.

A newspaper headline reads, "Single Mom Charged For Letting Her 14-Year-Old Babysit Siblings So She Could Work." Below, there's an image of a person in handcuffs.
via reddit

13. 2020s Al Bundy would live under a bridge.

Split image: Top half shows a man lounging on a patterned couch, wearing casual clothes. Bottom half displays a suburban two-story house with a front porch, trees, and a bicycle near the entrance. Text mentions Al Bundy being considered "fat and poor" in the 80s/90s.
u/scuczu2/via reddit

14. Xennial kids were jacks of all trades.

A tweet exchange where one user asks, "How many of y'all 'burn a CD' old?" and another replies, "I'm 'record songs played on the radio onto a cassette tape in a boombox' old.
u/kelsot7/via reddit

15. We can’t be the only ones who tore through these books.

Cover of "The Boxcar Children" by Gertrude Chandler Warner. Four children are playing near a red boxcar, with one pushing the door open and the others watching eagerly. The background shows grass and trees.
u/dakaf/via reddit

16. Why do we somehow lose all of our athletic ability after 8th grade?

A group of young children sit on the floor in a gymnasium, watching two children climb ropes attached to the ceiling. A teacher or instructor stands to the side observing. A basketball hoop and wall padding are visible in the background.
u/echofrost46/via reddit

17. They weren’t lying, tricks are for kids.

A meme with three panels. Top left: bowl of colorful cereal shapes with text "I remember when Trix used to be shapes." Top right: bowl of circular cereal with text "Now they're just circles." Bottom: confused person with text "What if we can't see the shapes anymore because Trix are for kids?
u/reagannite1981/via reddit

18. The bonus song was always one of the best.

A cartoon scene of an elderly man sitting on a tree stump, animatedly talking to a group of children seated on the grass, with a caption about secret songs at the end of CDs.
u/superb_courage_4229/via reddit

19. When the teacher rolled this out, you knew it was going to be a good day.

A vintage black TV cart with a large CRT television on top, a VHS player on the middle shelf, and an empty bottom shelf. The cart has four wheels for mobility.
u/frequent_course5399/via reddit

20. The big ring after a dramatic phone slam completed us.

A vintage black rotary dial telephone is shown. The top text humorously notes the satisfaction of slamming down the receiver to end a call, emphasizing the tactile experience of using older phones.
u/verbull710/via reddit