ALPHAS: The Next Generation to Have in Mind
Some forecasters are already attempting to define the essence of this generation beyond Z or Centennials.
Mark McCrindle, a generational researcher and corporate consultant in Australia, has been trying to get a sociocultural read on the post-Generation Z tidal wave of consumers, known as Generation Alpha, so far.
Who will they be?
Mc Crindle assures that for 2025 the whole generation has been born. From then on, they will be the most formally educated generation ever, the most technology supplied generation ever, and globally the wealthiest generation ever.
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Would it be really rushed to make forecasts about a generation that is still in diapers or is not yet born? According to the researcher, there are some key areas to analyze when you need to make predictions about a generation that young.
How will they be?
You need to base on some attributes of the previous generation (current or to-be parents of the Alphas).
That will give you a sense of how they will be raised.
In that sense, you can assume that alphas will be raised in technologically supplied environments by frequently career-changing parents in small size families.
Being technologically supplied gives you hints that screens will be placed in front of them from the youngest age as pacifiers, entertainers and educational aids. Some studies are talking about them “Screenagers” and “Generation Glass”. They will hardly consider technology as something separate from themselves, their own consciousness and their identity.
The omnipresence of technology in formative years will increase digital literacy and gamification of learning, rise in creativity, education and self-care.
As they grow up, they will be spending more time exploring their passion, prioritizing mental wellness, seeking education and planning careers as a simple joy of learning and working.
From a wider perspective, It also implies that the next generation will display unprecedented diversity in most of the dimensions that are important for brands, like ethnicity, nativity, income, family arrangements, etc.
On the other hand, they could deal with issues like shorter attention spans and impaired social formation, long periods of unemployment and other uncertainties.