Generational Cohorts Generation X - Known as the "Baby Bust", due to a sharp decline in birth rate, individuals born between the twenty year time-span from 1960 to 1980 are characterized as being "apathetic, cynical, disaffected, streetwise loners and slackers". However, they also hold popularity as being the most entrepreneurial laden, technologically-innovative group in America .
Following the Baby-boomers yet preceding Generation Y, Gen X-ers have experienced their fair share of heartache and triumph. Their birth marked the end of the cold war as well as the Regan administration. They witnessed the collapse of the USSR and the Berlin Wall. Also notable were the very loose gender roles that defined women and the rigid gender identification of men, the fierce boom of women in the male-dominated workforce, the decline of marriage and the lack of mainstream religion. Most importantly they saw the rise of America as the superpower it is today. This action single-handedly influenced what events took place, what trends were seen, and what type of adults Gen X-ers grew up to be. As consumers Gen X-ers compose almost one-fifth of the US population while consistently spending $125 billion each year. They have a great "affinity for technology, fast spending, and more impressed by personal style than designer price tags." Categorized into three groups: college and graduate students, young professionals, and married couples. Business ownership is prominent within Gen X-ers, while others within the group float from career to career with ease. Their life is defined by coffee shops, intense sports, and explorative vacations. Retailers such as The Gap dominate clothing purchases made by Gen X-ers.