Generation alpha: what makes these people different and why you should take a closer look at them now

Who is the alpha generation

According toGen Z and Gen Alpha Infographic Update 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 - zetas, or centetials, - the Greek alphabet ended and Krindl suggestedMeet Alpha: The Next ‘Next Generation’ Meet Alpha: The Next ‘Next Generation’ just start with the first letter.

What makes the alpha generation different

1. They look at the world through a screen

90% of modern children already know how toThe iPad really IS child’s play: More than half of toddlers can use Apple’s tablet when they are just ONE, researchers say use the tablet. They come to social networks even before they goSocial Media, Television And Children to school, and learn to type letters on the keyboardWhat’s Lost as Handwriting Fades earlier than writing by hand. In Western countries, virtual reality glasses are used

Virtual & Augmented Reality in Pre-school Education as an educational tool already from kindergarten. And the likelihood that a child will start communicating 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 field for self-expression, but an integral part of their reality. After all, they simply did not see 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 social media account 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.

Alphas from the cradle are used to being in front of cameras and are much easier to privacy than previous generations.

11% of the surveyed children under the age of seven recorded at least oneSocial Media, Television And Children own video and uploaded it to YouTube. 6% post photos on Instagram. Most of these budding bloggers have only a few family and friends following. But there are those who earn a year10 children who are making hundreds of thousands of dollars - and possibly millions - through YouTube on their channels from $ 10 million (not without the help of parents, of course).

Moreover, such children do not just increase family well-being. In their 3-5 years they are already becoming influencers for millions of peers. And the content they produce is the object of research by sociologists, educators and marketers.

3. They become active consumers very early.

Parents from large Russian cities issueWhat do children spend their pocket money on pocket money for children from the age of four. Those who have not yet started school receive an average of 178 rubles a week (that is, up to 10,000 rubles a year) and can spend it on toys or sweets. Moreover, 26% of children buy what they see in advertising - on the Internet, on TV or in public places.

For the USA and Western Europe, these numbers will be higherThe Kids Allowance Report. And even leaving pocket money aside, alphas actively influence their parents when shopping. And finally, some representatives of the generation earn themselves even at a very young age: they blog, make to order slimes.

So if you produce or sell something, then a child from the generation of alpha can easily become your client, a buyer right now.

4. They will study according to individual programs

Alphas are used toGaidar Forum experts told how universities will change in the 2020s 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: the share of online education is already growingResearch of the Russian market of online education and educational technologies 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 familiesPortrait of a Russian family. How it has changed in 20 yearswhere alphas are born, as a rule, 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 spendThe Relentlessness of Modern Parenting with children three times more time than half a century ago, and choose liberal models of upbringing, strive to be friends and mentors for children.

In addition, today's children and their parents (mostly matured and first-generation millennials) have many common interests.Media Usages of 5–8 Year-olds: Children Take Control of Their Autonomy. 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 in RussiaDriver, seller and loader: who will be left without work and in the worldArtificial Intelligence Will Obliterate These Jobs By 2030 many professions will disappear. Basically, we are talking about working specialties, drivers, cashiers, administrative personnel. These areas will be automated. According to some reportsRobot automation will ‘take 800 million jobs by 2030’ - report, more than 800 million people worldwide will be unemployed.

This is bad news. But there is also a good one: there will be100 professions of the future new jobs and new professions. 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 have to live in a changing world and changeEducating generation alpha: What are the demands of the 21st century workforce? the scope of activity about five times in a lifetime. For them, not only salary will be important, but also valuesHow Generation Alpha Will Impact the Future of Work the company they work for. Many alphas will prefer telecommuting or freelancing, because they are already working remotelyHow many freelancers do we have and where do they work: survey results a third of working people.

7. They may have trouble concentrating.

Back in 2014, researchers calculatedWhat You Think You Know About the Web Is Wrongthat the average person, while reading, keeps attention for 15 seconds. It is not yet clear how this indicator will change, but there is every reason to believe that alphas have the ability to concentration will decrease and they will be interested in something (lesson, advertising, important information) more difficult.

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 as confidently as possible fake news from the real ones. 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 that 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 eldest of whom are barely 10. And yet, many adults are already eager to learn more about alphas. And that's why.

• By 2030, Russia will haveDemography - Rosstat about 21-25 million children from generation alpha, they will account for 1/7 of the total population. All over the world, according toGen Z and Gen Alpha Infographic Update McCrindle, 2.5 million such 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 spentKids advertising spending worldwide $ 4.4 billion in advertising for children.
• They actively absorbSocial Media, Television And Children content, shape it and even create it themselves.
• Parents and teachers are already interacting with alphas.