I think a large part of what signals the end of GenX and the start of Xennial/Millennial is the spread of the Internet IMO - GenXers we're already set on their path to adulthood when it went mainstream and because they were older they didn't get the same innate tools and immunities as Xennials and younger who adopted it during their childhoods.
Xennials jumped into the Internet with two feet - GenX initially saw it as a nerdy fad and a lot of them pointedly tried to stay away from it. I can remember my eldest brother (born in 1976) telling me (1982) around 2000 when I was starting to make money from websites that he saw no use for email outside of work and he'd never own a personal cellphone.
Now he's got a 5G router because he moved to the middle of nowhere and can't live without fast Internet.
In the end nobody stayed off the Internet because it consumed everything, and GenX and Boomers were left WAY easier to con with fake news and social media algorithms because they were too old when they did finally adopt it... not to say everyone younger IS immune, but there's a big skew.

damn yall trying to make us sound like some old farts.
I think yall are confusing Gen X with Boomers which is hilarious to me.
We grew up with the internet. Dont forget Gen. X were majority of the dot.com founders, first Internet adopters in mass, first internet forum users, first to pirate music etc.
Maybe you mean our adoption to Social Media lagged behind Millenilas?
Gen X becoming more conservative is expected as people tend to become more conservative as they get older.