It's funny how the narrative changes when a group can actually fight back. Most of the Gen-Xers I know in tech aren't going back to the office, not because they are ultrawealthy but because they are getting old, are virtually irreplaceable, and are prioritizing life over work after having survived the pandemic.
Also, sure Millenials and Gen-Z are "choosing" to go back. They aren't compelled in any way. Right.
My company is full of Gen X (I myself am just on the X/Millennial cusp) and they are honestly some of the best allies that Millenials and Z aren't tapping into. Gen X pull weight and equally don't give a fuck, due to the latchkey-COWABUNGA-go-play-in-the-streets timeframe they grew up in.
I'm rooting for y'all. I consider myself to be a decently successful person, and behind my success at multiple pivotal moments, was an influential Gen X person supporting and/or vouching for me.
We had to learn altruism to survive the neglect, so our parents accidentally trained us not to pull up the ladder like the Boomers. Lord of the Flies debunked.
To be honest the neglect was better than when they did pay attention, for all we complain about it. No parenting was better than shitty parenting.
I found star trek TNG as a role model but also Beavis and butthead trained me. I mean we lived when ypu could pick up a phone daily random digits and prank a stranger, we were invisible when we wanted to be.
Maybe some. But some of us got in on 401k and ira and stuff. I know some didn't though. I worry about millennials and especially gen z, though. Us progressives and those even further left gotta start running for office and fix this shit.
Because we (GenX here). Are bookended by the two largest generations ever and we are the smallest one. So here we are both paying for our parents retirement and paying for our kids who don't have careers yet.
We are totally fucked. I don't plan on ever retiring. I'm too important to too many people that matter immensely to me.
This Gen Xer is planning to die relatively young. Retirement definitely is not in the cards. I have a permanent chronic health condition. My wife has already fought cancer once. Healthcare is impoverishing. I will probably die at my desk. I hope I doesn't demoralize my younger coworker friends.
I guess I could easily slave another 25 years. Mostly I hope to live long enough to pay off my house, so my kid can actually own one. I feel like I should have bought him one ten years ago, but I couldn't afford to.
The boomers have been really successfull in simultaneously punching down across the generations and making us punch down on each other at the same time.