New year, new generation.
Babies born in 2025 will be the first of a new peer group — Generation Beta.
Gen Beta, which will last until around 2039, follows Gen Alpha, which spanned from 2010 to 2024.
Before that it was Gen Z, which ran from 1996 to 2010, and Gen Y, or millennials, who were born from 1981 through 1996.
The new generation of kids “will inherit a world grappling with major societal challenges,” social researcher and futurist Mark McCrindle — who coined the term “Generation Alpha” — wrote 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,” McCrindle wrote.
McCrindle also said that by 2035, Gen Beta will make up 16% of the world’s 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 explained.
McCrindle also predicted that parents of Gen Betas — who are mainly Gen Zers — may take a different approach to social media use 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 said.
“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 pointed out that Gen Betas will be born in 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 told NBC News.
When Gen Betas are old enough to vote, Gen X, or those born from 1965 to 1980, will be the demographic in power and hot-button issues will be topics such as worsening climate change.
“We will likely have Gen Z as elected officials when Gen Beta is old enough to vote,” Dorsey added. “Climate change will continue to be a really big deal for them.”
