Generation X in mid-life: A summary from the longitudinal study of American life

Abstract

Building on the thirty-year record of the Longitudinal Study of American Life (LSAL), this article summarizes Generation X's growth over the last three decades-from middle school to the mid-40s. It looks at the attainment of formal education, the development of career plans and pathways, and the assumption of family and community roles. It also looks at the impact of growing up in the Digital Age. In broad terms, the LSAL data and this analysis support a view of Generation X as hardworking, education-oriented, achieving, and family- and community-oriented.