The Oregon Trail Generation, also known as Generation Xennial and Generation Catalano (a reference to Jared Leto's character Jordan Catalano in My So-Called Life), is a term referring to those born during the Generation X/Millennials cusp years, typically late 1970s to early 1980s. It is named after the video game Oregon Trail, the Apple II version of which was played in school by many individuals of this cohort.
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Terminology
The term Oregon Trail Generation was used by Anna Garvey in her article The Oregon Trail Generation: Life Before And After Mainstream Tech, published in Social Media Week. Other terms, such as Generation Catalano, Xennials, and The Lucky Ones were already coined and are referenced in her article. Due to Garvey's article receiving broader coverage, including republications in Huffington Post and PopSugar, Oregon Trail Generation is the term most often used. The name is a reference to the Oregon Trail game that members of this generation became familiar with as children learning new technology.
Slate defines Generation Catalano as being born from 1977 to 1981, essentially Jimmy Carter's presidency.
Characteristics and traits
Cassie McClure, writing for Las Cruces Sun-News, describes those in the Oregon Trail Generation as having "both a healthy portion of Gen X grunge cynicism, and a dash of the unbridled optimism of Millennials," and discusses their relationship with both analog and digital technology, saying members of this group entered their teens as Grunge peaked in the United States and Britpop emerged in the UK, and as such are sometimes thought of as the archetypal "1990s teenager." Many listened to records - and even used a typewriters - as children. Sheknows.com describes Individuals born in the late 1970s and early 1980s as sharing traits with both Generation X and Millennials.
Anna Garvey describes U.S members of this group as having had an "AOL adolescence" and as being from "the last gasp of a time before sexting, Facebook shaming, and constant communication".
The Dickinson Press describes those born in the early 1980s as having early adulthoods which were impacted by the events of the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War.
Many who identify with Generation Catalano, Oregon Trail Generation etc do so because they don't feel that the typical definitions of Generation X and Millennials are the correct fit for their place in the world.