4 Proven Methods for Discovering Your Generation
If your age doesn’t seem to reflect the generation that you relate to, try alternative methods such as analyzing your historical memory records, lifestyle and fashion choices, preferred sense of humor, and linguistic behaviors.
Here’s a guide on how to do that.
Date of Birth (Obviously)
The quickest way to find your respective generation is by comparing your birth year with others. The following table helps you tackle that:
| Generation | Birth Years |
| Gen X | 1965 – 1980 |
| Millennials | 1981 – 1996 |
| Gen Z | 1997 – 2012 |
| Gen Alpha | 2013 – onwards |
Historical Event
An alternative method for learning more about your generation is to analyze the historical events that you remember. Here’s a table of each generation’s most significant events. Try to figure out which one is your earliest memory.
| Generation | Historical Event |
| Gen X | Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) |
| Millennials | September 11th terrorist attacks (2001) |
| Gen Z | Election of Barack Obama (2008) |
| Gen Alpha | COVID-19 pandemic (2020) |
Lifestyle
Each generation comes with unwritten fashion and lifestyle rules that often lurk deep in people’s lives from that era. If you want to know whether you’re a Gen Zer or a Millennial, for example, you can take a look at your lifestyle—because date of birth may not be the best clue in this scenario.
| Generation | Iconic Lifestyle Choice |
| Gen X | Grunge fashion and indie music |
| Millennials | Social media and activism |
| Gen Z | Self-expression and TikTok |
| Gen Alpha | Overuse of technology and the internet |
Sense of Humor
One surprising distinguisher between different generations is their sense of humor. The subtle difference in what you laugh at or find unfunny can determine if you belong to an older generation or if you are a part of the younger group.
| Generation | Sense of Humor |
| Gen X | Dry, sarcastic, with a hint of wit and irony |
| Millennials | Eclectic and absurd |
| Gen Z | Playful, irreverent, meme-inspired |
| Gen Alpha | Lighthearted, silly, and whimsical |
Language
From a linguistics point of view, generations also differ in the slang they use. Below is a table of the most common terms that only people from specific eras would remember—or know the meaning of.
| Generation | Slang Terms |
| Gen X | Rad, Bodacious, Groovy |
| Millennials | Lit, FOMO, Slay |
| Gen Z | Simp, Sksksk, Yeet |
| Gen Alpha | Vibe check, Glow up, No cap |
Don’t Have Time For All This? Take the Quiz
Sometimes, you may not relate to the generation you’re assigned to by your date of birth. For example, most people who were born between 1995 and 1997 can’t relate to either Millennials or Gen Zers—hence the title: Zillennials. What should you do if that’s the case?
Take the Generation Identifier Quiz. We employ more clues than just your birthdate to determine your age group. Trust us; you are likelier to relate to an older or younger generation than to meet all the stereotypes of your own era.
Give it a try. It’ll be super fun. Primrose.
