Can You Pass This Gen X Trivia Quiz?

By: Heather Cahill
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Can You Pass This Gen X Trivia Quiz?
Image: shutterstock

About This Quiz

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Are you a Gen X trivia guru or just want to test your knowledge? Dive into this fun quiz that will challenge your memory of the iconic Generation X era! From popular artists and movies to the toys they played with, see if you can ace this quiz and prove your expertise.

Get ready to reminisce about the unique time when Generation Xers grew up, surrounded by world events and technology that shaped their views and values. Do you know the nicknames and social media platforms that define this generation? Test yourself on fun facts and traits that make Generation X stand out from the rest.

Whether you're a Gen Xer yourself or just curious about this influential generation, this quiz is the perfect way to put your knowledge to the test. Challenge yourself to see how well you know the movies, stars, and icons that defined the Generation X era. Take the quiz now and see if you can pass with flying colors!

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Which word has been used as a synonym for the generation?
new generation
worker generation
great generation
latchkey generation
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Generation X is often referred to as the latchkey generation. The name comes from the idea that many kids in this generation were home alone, while their parents were working.

Why were Generation Xers sometimes called the "MTV Generation"?
Many worked for the channel.
MTV was created by a Gen Xer.
It was the only channel they watched.
They grew up during the rise of the channel.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

They got the name the "MTV Generation" because the channel was rising at the time that the generation was growing up. They saw the first music videos and the channel's influence in the music world.

Who created the term Generation X?
Will Smith
Jennifer Aniston
Douglas Coupland
Gwen Stefani
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Douglas Coupland, a Canadian writer, created the term. He wrote a book about the generation which made the term famous.

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What generation comes right after Generation X?
Baby Boomers
Generation Z
Silent Generation
Millennials
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

First came the baby boomers, then Generation X, and next came the millennials. Millennials were born just after the Gen Xers, in the late '80s to early 2000s.

Is it true or false that Gen Xers are the smallest generation in 2018?
True
False
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is true. Gen Xers are the smallest generation between Millennials and Baby Boomers. According to Pew Research, there are 65 million Gen Xers, compared to about 10 or 15 million more boomers and millennials.

Which of the following are Generation Xers known for?
laziness
anger
entrepreneurial spirit
their love for movies
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Generation Xers are known for their entrepreneurial spirit. Out of the many small businesses that have been launched, the majority have been started by Gen Xers.

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Which generation are the parents of Generation X?
Millennials
Baby boomers
Generation Z
G.I. Generation
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Parents of Generation Xers are mostly baby boomers. The boomers were born between the '40s and early '60s, and they had a hands-off parenting style with their children.

What was introduced that led to declining birth rates among the generation?
sexual education
religious views
birth control
nothing
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Birth control pills became widely available in the 1960s. With the new contraception options readily available, birth rates declined as Gen X grew up.

Which music genre was growing popular while Generation Xers were growing up?
grunge
country
orchestra
bluegrass
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Grunge became very popular with Gen Xers. Nirvana was one band that was huge and popular with the generation.

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Is it true or false that Generation Xers like to lead a unbalanced life?
True
False
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is false. In fact, Generation Xers like the exact opposite, especially when it comes to work and play. They prefer a good balance of both, which was influenced by their youth.

If you're part of Generation X, during what years were you born?
1910s - 1920s
1880s - 1900s
1960s - 1980s
1860s - 1870s
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Generation X members were born between the '60s and the '80s. Generation X follows the baby boomer generation.

Which of the following traits is attributed to Gen Xers?
caring
selfish
mean
independent
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gen Xers are often thought of as independent. They get this trait from the way they were brought up, as their parents had a high divorce rate.

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What type of film was popular when Gen Xers were growing up?
indie
comedy
drama
horror
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Indie films were very popular when Gen Xers were growing up. Some of the most popular indie films that Gen Xers loved were "Clerks" and "Trainspotting."

Which of the following is a nickname for Generation X?
X-Men
Example Generation
X-Factors
Gen Xers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Gen Xers" is a nickname for the generation. The generation has many different names that come from their traits, likes and dislikes.

Is it true or false that Gen Xers are big spenders?
True
False
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is true. Gen Xers have a little more disposable income than millennials. Gen Xers are even known as bigger spenders than the boomers.

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Which of the following actresses was popular when Gen Xers were growing up?
Molly Ringwald
Spencer Tracy
Miley Cyrus
Shia LaBeouf
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Molly Ringwald was a popular actress with Gen Xers. She was in all of the best high school movies, including "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club."

Which game was popular when Gen Xers were growing up?
"Final Fantasy"
"The Sims"
"Pokemon"
"Pac-Man"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When Gen Xers were growing up, video games were just getting their start. Pac-Man was released in 1980 and became very popular among the growing generation.

Which device was used by Gen Xers?
pager
DVD
laptop
iPod
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pagers were the way that Gen Xers first communicated. Cell phones were also around at the time, but they could be expensive and a bit difficult to carry around!

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As kids, Gen Xers didn't see much of what?
world events
entertainment
conflict
their parents
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While their parents were there for them when they needed them, Gen Xers often looked after themselves once they were old enough. Their parents typically held jobs and weren't home or constantly supervising them.

Is it true or false that Gen Xers were the first to grow up with computers?
True
False
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is true. Computers became accessible to consumers as Gen Xers were growing up. They were the first generation to grow up with computers in their homes.

Generation X was also a name for what?
a television show
a celebrity
a rock band
a drug
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There was a band called Generation X which featured Billy Idol. The band was active in the late '70s and early '80s and later shortened the name to Gen X.

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Which of the following companies was founded by a Gen Xer?
Ford
Amazon
Dell
both Amazon and Dell
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dell was started by a Gen Xer, Michael Dell. He was born at the very beginning of the generation in 1965, and he founded Dell in 1984. (Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder, was born in 1964, right on the edge of the boomer generation.)

How were Generation Xers often labeled by older generations?
caring
self-deprecating
sad
slackers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Older generations thought of Gen Xers as slackers. The generation proved them wrong by becoming hard workers and even starting their own businesses.

What disease was quite prominent while Gen Xers were growing up?
cancer
the flu
AIDS
asthma
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

AIDS was spreading rapidly while Gen Xers were growing up. In order to combat the disease, sexual education became more prominent in schools.

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Is it true or false that a Gen Xer has been president, as of 2018?
True
False
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is false. No Gen Xers have ever become the president of the United States. However, it will probably happen in the future.

What term is often used to describe Generation Xers as parents?
independent parents
easy parents
helicopter parents
wanted parents
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Generation Xers are often thought of as being helicopter parents. This is in contrast to what their parents were like, as they left their kids to watch themselves most of the time.

Which of these events happened as Gen Xers were growing up?
World War I
Boer War
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Great Depression
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The fall of the Berlin Wall took place in 1989, at a time when most Gen Xers were kids. The fall of the Berlin Wall marked a new beginning for the country of Germany.

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Which of the following people was an icon when most Generation Xers were young?
Elon Musk
Groucho Marx
Princess Diana
Gretta Garbo
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Princess Diana was a huge icon while Gen Xers were growing up. As they saw her go through some good times, they also witnessed the tragic end of her life.

What was the first music video to be played on MTV?
"Video Killed the Radio Star"
"Don't You Want Me"
"Billie Jean"
"Another One Bites the Dust"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles was the first music video to be played on the channel. Gen Xers might have witnessed this historic moment in 1981.

Which social media platform do Gen Xers use most?
Twitter
Snapchat
Instagram
Facebook
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Facebook is the most popular social media platform among Gen Xers. It's been said that they may even use social media more than millennials.

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What movie is the phrase "You know what the real tragedy is? I'm not even supposed to be here today!" from?
"The Terminator"
"Pretty In Pink"
"Top Gun"
"Clerks"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This phrase is from the movie "Clerks," a popular indie movie from Gen Xers' youth. The film was released in 1994.

Who did Gen Xers know as the King of Pop?
Michael Jackson
Elvis Presley
Prince
Elton John
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Michael Jackson was known as the King of Pop. He rose to fame during the time when Gen Xers were growing up. He contributed to the MTV era and became a global icon.

What "child" is the Gen X generation usually called?
first born
middle
youngest
smallest
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gen Xers are commonly compared to the middle child, due to how they feel about their generation. They come between two very different but larger generations that can make them feel a little less loved or noticed at times.

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What is the name for a subsection of the generation, born closer to the millennials?
late xers
end xers
gen millennial
Xennials
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Xennials is the term used to describe this group. It often refers to kids born in the late '70s or early '80s who feel a bit misplaced and stuck between both generations.

Which toy was popular with Gen Xers?
toy trains
Tamagotchi
fidget spinner
Rubik's Cube
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Rubik's Cube was a popular toy when Gen Xers were growing up. The Rubik's Cube was first sold in 1974, right in the middle of the Gen X era.

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