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It was basically yesterday that we were talking about millennials as kids and maybe you just found out about Generation Alpha – or if you’re really under a rock, Generation Z – but already there is a new crop of kids set to take over the world.

Starting January 1, 2025, a new era begins as Generation Beta enters the world. Experts predict these kids will be even more immersed in AI and technology, shaping a future we can barely comprehend.

Where one generation ends and another begins is murky, but Generation Beta is supposed to keep being born until around 2039. Before them, Gen Alpha stretched from 2010 to 2024, Gen Z from around 1996 to 2010, and millennials from 1981 to 1996.

Don’t worry, you’re not the only one with severe whiplash.

The upcoming generation “will inherit a world grappling with major societal challenges,” wrote demographer and futurist Mark McCrindle in a blog post, per NBC News.

“With climate change, global population shifts, and rapid urbanisation at the forefront, sustainability will not just be a preference but an expectation.”

Jason Dorsey, generational expert and author of Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business — and What to Do About It, warns that Generation Beta will experience a radically different start to life than their Gen Alpha peers. Born to younger millennials and older Gen Zers, they will enter a world that is entirely post-pandemic. With life expectancy soaring, many of them will live long enough to witness the dawn of the 22nd century.

Though Generation Beta may have avoided the school shutdowns and the social isolation of COVID-19 that defined the youngest of Gen Alpha, they will grow up in families and communities forever altered by the pandemic’s lasting impact.

“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 said.

While history is made faster than you can even say the word, Generation Beta is steeped in all things fururstic. They will be immersed in smart devices and artificial intelligence like no generation before them, with technology not just as a tool, but as a problem-solver in their daily lives, says Dorsey.

Like Gen Alpha, they’ll lean on AI to navigate challenges, but they’ll also inherit a world where climate change is an urgent reality. As they grow, they’ll witness the torch being passed from Gen X and Boomers to millennials and Gen Z, who will lead the charge in addressing these critical issues.

“We will likely have Gen Z as elected officials when Gen Beta is old enough to vote,” Dorsey said. “Climate change will continue to be a really big deal for them.”

As for Gen Alpha’s reputation as ‘iPad kids’ and being chronically online, things might take a turn with the new crop of kids. While older millennial parents are known for seamlessly integrating technology into their Gen Alpha kids’ lives, McCrindle suggests that Gen Z parents may take a different approach when it comes to raising their future Gen Beta children, potentially striking a balance between tech immersion and conscious disconnect.

“Generation Z know more about both the positives and challenges that come with social media use from a young age,” McCrindle wrote. “As the most technologically savvy generation of parents, Gen Z see the benefits of technology and screen time, but equally they see the downsides of it and are pushing back on technology and the age at which their children access and engage with it.”

Things change and move so fast, so how useful are generational tags anyway? Dorsey agrees that categorising a 15-year age range under one label is becoming a challenge in this ever-evolving world, however, he believes generational labels are valuable for pinpointing a group united by a defining moment in history.

For millennials, it was 9/11; for Gen Z, the pandemic. As for Gen Alpha and Gen Beta, it’s still too early to tell what landmark events will shape their worlds.

[source:nbcnews]