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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MNblockhead" data-source="post: 9694019" data-attributes="member: 6796661">Yeah, that was how I thought about it, but before making my post I looked it up. "In the U.S., the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank, delineates a Generation X period of 1965–1980 which has gradually gained acceptance in academic circles." and "Writing for Pew's Trend magazine in 2018, psychologist Jean Twenge observed that the "birth year boundaries of Gen X are debated but settle somewhere around 1965–1980".[1] According to this definition, as of 2025 the oldest members of Generation X are 60 and the youngest are 44." <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X" target="_blank">Generation X - Wikipedia</a>45 seems young to be considered Generation X to me, but that's what the "experts" say. I personally find the concept of generational cut-offs to be somewhat suspect. They may be useful shorthand for broad generational trends but are prone to over generalization. I just note that the younger you go the more acceptance of TTRPGs and other "geeky" activities and interests you find. But it can vary greatly based on professional field and other factors. As an aside, I've often wondered about this in the context of computer science. I'm old enough to remember when being interested in computers was considered nerdy and reason enough to get picked on. A very high percentage of people I know who went into that field in the 80s and early 90s were into TTRPGs, comics, sci fi, etc. One could easily stereotype people in that field as being nerds in general. Over the decades that seems to have greatly changed. You really can't assume that a software designer or computer engineer today is going to be into geeky hobbies, where I submit it was a much safer assumption in the 80s and 90s.That's an interesting observation. Of course observations of "extended adolescence" have been made since the 80s. The trends of pushing adult milestones back, such as leaving home, financial independence, marriage, and having children are hard to deny. But I've always felt that it was a bit of stretch to apply that to hobbies. Most adults of all generations have continued to engage in play and fandoms built in childhood: sports, model railroading and other model building, board games, puzzle solving, etc.  And many have been criticized for it and the hobbies had to grow to be accepted.  Sociologist Brian Sutton-Smith wrote about the "ambiguity of play," noting how cultures often marginalize adult play unless it’s productive, family-oriented (games with kids), or disguised as work.  And I've noted a trend that parents who never played TTRPGs and are not interested in any traditional "geek" culture, were eager for their kids to join D&D games (often organized by a parent who was in the hobby), because they saw value in their kids socializing and being involved in a hobby that involves group teamwork, reading, and imagination. I feel the modern childhood of too much screen time, increased isolation, etc. have made TTRPGs seem valuable. When I go into the hobby most of us played in the face of adult ambivalence or opposition. Few of us were encourage to play TTRPGs. When your parents and other adults accept, value, and encourage your interests it can make it easier to take them into adulthood.</blockquote>

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