What you need to know about the generation that has been living on social media since birth

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Representatives of the alpha generation are still children, but they are already changing the world around them.

Who is the alpha generation

According to sociologist Mark McCrindle, these are people born after 2010. Moreover, the youngest representatives of the alpha generation will be born only by 2025.

This name was chosen for them because in the previous generation - the zetas, or centenials - the Greek alphabet ended and Krindl suggested simply starting with the first letter.

What makes the alpha generation different

1. They look at the world through the screen

90% of today's children already know how to use a tablet by the age of two. They come to social networks even before they go to school, and they learn to type letters on the keyboard before writing by hand. In Western countries, virtual reality glasses are used as an educational tool already from kindergarten. And the likelihood that a child will begin to communicate with a smart speaker earlier than with peers is growing every year.

For children of the alpha generation, technologies and social networks are no longer just a tool or a field for self-expression, but an integral part of their reality. After all, they simply have not seen the world without iPad, Instagram and YouTube. Alphas easily master new gadgets and services and easily jump from the real world to the virtual one.

2. They create content as soon as they are born

A baby may have his own account on social networks before he starts holding his head. And by the time such a child begins to use social networks consciously, he will already have an impressive digital footprint left by his parents: tens and hundreds of photos, videos, posts.

4. They will study according to individual programs

Alphas are used to personalization. Feeds in social networks, videos on streaming services, advertising - everything is specially selected for them, taking into account their tastes and preferences. They will expect the same not only from entertainment, but also from education.

Schools already understand this and are trying to figure out how to make teaching approaches more fun, individual and person-centered. Traditional forms of education will lose popularity: already now, the share of online education is growing by 5-15% annually, and this trend will continue. In general, alphas will take longer to learn than previous generations, and will devote a lot of time to self-education.

5. They spend more time with their parents

In families where alphas are born, as a rule, there are no more than two children. Their parents are under 30 or more, that is, for the most part they have already got on their feet and are approaching childbirth more or less consciously. This is partly why modern parents spend three times more time with their children than half a century ago, and choose liberal models of upbringing, strive to be friends and mentors for their children.

In addition, today's children and their parents (mostly matured and home-grown millennials) have many common interests. For example, they watch movies together, play computer games.

If the trend continues, alphas may be able to avoid generational conflict.

6. There is no work for them yet

By 2030, many professions will disappear in Russia and in the world. Basically, we are talking about working specialties, drivers, cashiers, administrative personnel. These areas will be automated. According to some estimates, more than 800 million people worldwide will be unemployed.

This is bad news. But there is also a good one: new jobs and new professions will appear. However, it is not always easy to predict which of them will be relevant in 15–20 years. That is, alphas may master professions that do not yet exist.

They will have to live in a changeable world and change their field of activity about five times in a lifetime. For them, not only salary will be important, but also the values of the company for which they work. Many alphas will prefer telecommuting or freelancing, as a third of working people are already working remotely.

7. They may have trouble concentrating

Back in 2014, researchers calculated that the average person holds attention for 15 seconds while reading. It is not yet clear how this indicator will change, but there is every reason to believe that alphas' ability to concentrate will decrease and it will be even more difficult to interest them in something (a lesson, advertising, important information).

There are also positive aspects to this. Alphas will have to learn how to quickly isolate the main thing from a large amount of information and distinguish fake news from real news as confidently as possible. Adults - parents and teachers - are already trying to help alphas in this.

8. They will be the longest living generation

According to UN forecasts, life expectancy will rise to 77 years by 2030. This dynamic will continue, so alphas will live longer than the zetas and millennials.

9. They will be more tolerant of those who are different from them

The principles of diversity in matters of nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation and religion are already followed by large international companies like Google. The same trend is observed in the cinema and gaming industry. We can assume that alphas will grow up with the knowledge that the people around them do not always look like them, but this is nothing special.

Why is it worth taking a closer look at alphas now

It would seem that we are talking about children, the oldest of whom are barely 10. And nevertheless, many adults are already striving to learn more about alphas. And that's why.

• By 2030, Russia will have about 21-25 million children from the alpha generation, they will make up 1/7 of the total population. Globally, according to McCrindle, 2.5 million of these babies are born every week.
• In the same 2030, alphas will occupy 11% of jobs and will be our colleagues.
• They are already becoming active consumers of goods and services. In 2020, brands spent $ 4.4 billion on advertising for children.
• They actively absorb content, shape it and even create it themselves.
• Parents and educators are already interacting with alphas.