Why 2001-2003 is the cusp between Millennials and New Adaptives

[RELFantastic]

Here are the traits that would make these years cuspers:

• being born around the major politcal shift between 2001-2003, such as 9/11, the Patriot Act, the start of the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, and the establishment of Homeland Security.
  
  
• Would have never reached Piagat’s concrete operational stage (7-12) before the Great Recession, but would have gained at least some vivid memories beforehand being 4-6 in 2007.
  
  
• Are the main “2000s/2010s” kid hybrids that many tend to bring up. The 2010s was a decade that began fairly quickly and the difference in technology between the 2000s and 2010s can seem stark at times.
  
  
• Would have turned 10-11, the age where many tend start puberty and start to stray away from childhood and become more adolescent, at some point between 2011-2014, which were the years many would argue when smartphones surpassed feature phones in sales.
  
  
• Spent the bulk of their teen years at some point between Trump getting elected and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (2017-2019), or the era known as the Mumble Rap era.
  
  
• If the 2021-22 school year is a full return to normalcy, then that would make it the first full conventional college year for 2001-2003 borns, as 2001 never spent a full year of college pre-COVID-19, 2002 were never in college before the pandemic, and 2003 will be upcoming freshmen this year. However, if restrictions shall continue for 2021-22 with the Delta variant, then that could make it where 2001-2003 will experience both college during COVID in 2021-22 and college after COVID in 2022-23.
  
  
• Finally, this would make 2002 the 50/50 cusp year. There are many reasons to support 2002 being a 50/50 year.
  

Why 2002 makes sense as the 50/50 year:

• They were born after 9/11 and Afghanistan War but before the establishment of Homeland security and the Iraq War.
  
  
• They were the first to reach concrete operational stage during the Obama administration, but the last to reach it during the Great Recession.
  
  
• Going by the 3-12 childhood definition, their childhood would have been from 2005-2014. Half of childhood in the 2000s and other half in the 2010s.
  
  
• Would have been 10-11 between 2012 and 2013, the two years many seem to argue when smartphones surpassed feature phones in sales.
  
  
• Would have been in high school between Obama adminstration (Millennial trait) and the COVID-19 pandemic (Zoomer trait), the only year who can truly make this claim.
  
  
• Finally, they would have been the first to come of age during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the last to come of age under the Trump administration.
  

Why 2001 leans Millennial:

• They were born before 9/11 and the Afghanistan War.
  
  
• They were the last to reach concrete operational stage during the Bush administration.
  
  
• Going by 3-12 childhood definition, their childhood would have been from 2004-2013, so they would definitely lean 2000s kid.
  
  
• Would have been 10-11 between 2011 and 2012, the two years many would argue are the end of the “Electropop era”
  
  
• Would have spent a full year of high school during the Obama administration and spend most of their teens pre-Parkland.
  
  
• Finally, they were the last to come of age in the 2010s as well as before the COVID-19 pandemic.
  

Why 2003 leans Z:

• They were born after the establishment of Homeland security and the Iraq War, hence the term "Homelander".
  
  
• They were the first to reach concrete operational stage after the Great Recession ended and during the 2010s.
  
  
• Going by the 3-12 childhood definition, their childhood would have been from 2006-2015, so they would definitely lean 2010s kid.
  
  
• Would have been 10-11 in 2013 and 2014, the two years many would argue are the start of the “Vine/EDM era”
  
  
• Would have spent a full year of high school during COVID-19 pandemic and spend most of their teens after the TikTok release in the US.
  
  
• Finally, they are the first to come of age under the Biden administration, as well as after the Capitol Storming.
  

With all these strong leaning traits mentioned for 2001 and 2003 mentioned, how can they be cusp?
Why 2001 can still be cusp

• They are the first to be fully born within the new millennium, hence the term “post-millennial”.
  
  
• They are the first to reach concrete operational stage after the Great Recession began.
  
  
• Going by 3-12 childhood defintion, they are the first to have spent a significant amount of childhood in both the 2000s and the 2010s.
  
  
• Would have still been 10-11 in 2011 and 2012, the earliest years with reports saying that smartphones surpassed feature phones in sales.
  
  
• Would have spent most of high school during the Trump administration as well as during the “mumble rap era”
  
  
• Finally, they would have been the first to come of age after TikTok was released in the US, which is likely the first sign of the 2020s culture.
  

Why 2003 can still be cusp

• They are the last to be born before the first major social media platform, MySpace, as Gen Z is usually defined as being born in a world of social media.
  
  
• They are the last to have reached concrete operational stage a full year before smartphones started becoming widespread.
  
  
• Going by 3-12 childhood defintion, they are the last to have spent a significant amount of childhood in both the 2000s and the 2010s.
  
  
• Would have still been 10-11 in 2013 and 2014, the latest years with reports saying that smartphones surpassed feature phones in sales.
  
  
• Would have spent most of high school during the 2010s and during the “mumble rap era“ as well as before COVID-19 started.
  
  
• Finally, they are the last to come of age before the Afghanistan War ends, as well as potentially before the COVID-19 pandemic ends in the US.