New Year, new generation.
Babies born in 2025 will be the first in a new peer group, Generation Beta.
Gen Beta will last until around 2039, following Gen Alpha, which ran from 2010 to 2024.
Before that, there was Gen Z, which lasted from 1996 to 2010, and Gen Y, or millennials, who were born between 1981 and 1996.
The new generation of children “will inherit a world grappling with major societal challenges,” wrote social researcher and futurist Mark McCrindle, who coined the term “Generation Alpha” in a blog post.
“With climate change, global population shifts, and rapid urbanization at the forefront, sustainability will not just be a preference but an expectation,” says McCrindle.
McCrindle also stated that by 2035, Gen Beta will account for 16% of the global population and live in a world powered by artificial intelligence.
“Generation Beta will live in an era where AI and automation are fully embedded in everyday life—from education and workplaces to healthcare and entertainment,” he told me.
McCrindle also predicted that parents of Gen Betas, who are primarily Gen Zers, would approach social media differently than their predecessors.
“While many millennial parents used social media to document their children’s lives, Generation Z know more about both the positives and challenges that come with social media use from a young age,” he told me.
“Gen Z parents are more likely to strongly agree that limiting their child’s screen time is a high priority for them.”
Generational researcher Jason Dorsey stated that Gen Betas will be born into a post-pandemic world, which they will learn about in history class.
“It’ll be something that maybe older siblings went through, certainly something they learn about in history, but not something that is necessarily a contemporary event,” he explained to NBC News.
When Gen Betas reach voting age, Gen X, or those born between 1965 and 1980, will be the dominant demographic, with hot-button issues such as worsening climate change.
“We will likely have Gen Z as elected officials when Gen Beta is old enough to vote,” according to Dorsey. “Climate change will continue to be a really big deal for them.”
