Member-only story

Gen-X Blues: When Did Life Become Less Exciting?

Ain’t it lonesome tonight, these days?

Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD
4 min readJan 24, 2025
Photo courtesy of author

I used to think it was just me.

Getting older, spinning records from the ’80s, staring at old Polaroids, reading comic books, and watching grainy reruns of movies from my childhood. These activities make me smile — sure — but there’s this gnawing itch, like I lost something amidst all the hyper-connectivity and endless opportunity of the modern world.

Back then, life was filled with simplicity.

Trends blazed fiercely but vanished just as fast — literally, a “pop” culture.

MTV’s music videos brought a generation together like nothing else.

Every Saturday night, we unleashed our energy, jumping from ska in the 80s to headbanging to Grunge in the 90s.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” wasn’t merely a song; it embodied rebellion.

We dismissed everything else around us, fully embracing the exhilarating feeling of being alive. We thrived on the thrill of losing ourselves and playing pretend.

These days, I find my head wandering back to those times, only to remind myself: Stop romanticizing. Look ahead.

“You should better think about your future,” the little voice in my mind keeps…

--

--

Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD
Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD

Written by Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD

Where Gen X memories meet today’s struggles.

No responses yet