One author revolutionized social media by categorizing people under 45 as “geriatric.”
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May
18, 2021
4 min read
If you are close to 40 years old, you are no longer a kid . Now the buzzword is “geriatric millennial .”
This term, which has sparked controversy on social media, defines millennials who were born in the first half of the 1980s and who are comfortable with both analog and digital communications.
The term emerged in an article published in April on Medium by Erica Dhawan where she spoke of the importance of harnessing older millennials to smooth the return to coexistence between generations in the New Normal.
We understand some are having * feelings * about this title.
Taking votes for a new one:
– Medium (@Medium) May 14, 2021
“Geriatric millennials are a special microgeneration born in the early 1980s who are comfortable with analog and digital forms of communication,” the article says.
Technically, millennials or Generation Y are all those people who were born between 1980 and 1996. That is, it is a generation that today comprises people between 24 and 41 years old. However, Dhawan’s text stated that the microgeneration of those born between 1980 and 1985 comprised a subgroup that she called “geriatric millennials.”
Of course, such categorization shook social media because, well, the people who were born in that period of time are barely 40 years old. For example, your servant was born in 1985 and at 36 years old I don’t feel very “geriatric” (yet).
Naturally, I am not the only one who feels “attacked” by such categorization, since it has no relation to the state of health or conditions where age has more relevance such as pregnancy.
I miss the old days (yesterday) when I wasn’t known as a “geriatric” millennial
– the trevor (@the_trevor) May 14, 2021
“I miss those days (yesterday) when I was not known as a ‘geriatric millennial’, reads the tweet in English.
When did we decide to replace “elder millennial” with “geriatric millennial” who agreed to this
– stacy-marie ishmael (@s_m_i) May 14, 2021
“When did we decide to change the term ‘older millennial’ to that of ‘geriatric millennial? Who agreed to this?”, Reads this message.
For many, the division was unnecessary since there is another term to define the first wave of millennials that came to the world: Xennials , that is, those people who are technically millennials but share many characteristics with Generation X.
The definition is not official and is nothing more than a nice comment on the vision of society on age and youth. Twitter users even responded with humor and memes to the new name.
Learned this morning I am called a geriatric millennial I think they meant a vibrant THRIVING skeleton
– Henry Zebrowski (@HenryLovesYou) May 14, 2021
“I discovered that I am a ‘geriatric millennial’. I think they wanted to call me a vibrant and THRIVING skeleton,” the tweet reads.
Blessed and honored to be considered a Geriatric Millennial. pic.twitter.com/WLOePHCysw
– Polis (@PolisLoizou) May 14, 2021
“Blessed and honored to be considered a ‘geriatric millennial’,” says the tweet that shares an image that reads “Imagine: Sicily in 1985.”
as a geriatric millennial i would like to get a discount at the movies
– rachel syme (@rachsyme) May 14, 2021
“How ‘geriatric millennial’ would like a discount in the cinema”, reads this message.
What generation are you?
- 1925-1945: The Silent Generation
- 1946-1964: Baby Boomers
- 1965-1980: Generation X
- 1977-1983: Xennials
- 1981-1996: Millennials (also known as Generation Y)
- 1993-1998: Zennials
- 1997-2012: Generation Z or Centennials
- 2013-present: Generation Alpha