When I wrote Meet Generation Z, it was at just the right time to have some definitive things to know about understanding and reaching that generation. Though I am not planning on writing Meet Generation Alpha, I will say that a few things are beginning to come into focus about understanding and reaching them.
Axios brought many of those things together in a recent article about the only generation born fully in the 21st century. Here’s a précis:
Who Makes up Generation Alpha?
The oldest is around 13, and the youngest will be born in the coming year, so those born between 2010 and 2024.
Is There a Defining Mark?
They are the first entirely online generational cohort. Some have dubbed them “iPad kids.” Related to this is the rise of platforms such as TikTok, which has shaped (is shaping) their lives. This is distinct from how Facebook shaped Millennials. Facebook was pre-algorithm and largely exposed you to networks of friends and family. A post-algorithm platform such as TikTok exposes users to anyone and everyone.
Have They Faced Any Defining Crises?
They have already been marked by a climate crisis and a pandemic. COVID cemented online interaction as a norm for kids. Not only have they attended virtual school, but also a larger share of their parents now work from home as a byproduct. They are behind earlier generations when it comes to having experience with making friends and being exposed to new environments.
How Large Is This Generation?
They are expected to become the largest in history at more than 2 billion people.
Who Are Their Parents?
They are mostly the children of Millennials, but the generation directly preceding them is known as Generation Z.
How Early Are They Online?
Millennial parents are giving kids their first smartphones at about nine years old. Seventy-nine percent of their parents say their kids are currently on social media. forty-four percent say their kids watch video content on a smartphone at least weekly. Like earlier generations, they are experiencing a media-centric childhood but interacting with a very different kind of media and from a very young age.
How Does A.I. Play Into This Generation?
It’s too early to know the answer to that question, but we can note that Siri and Alexa have been in their parent’s homes for most of their lives, and ChatGPT is being used in schools as a learning tool. It goes without saying that Generation Alpha will be the first generation to have only known a world where the line between AI and the human has been permanently blurred.
Who Influences Generation Alpha?
That’s easy—influencers. And largely coming to them on social media such as TikTok and YouTube.
