Madison Burgess
Millennials and Gen Zs are only just getting used to Gen Alpha being a thing - and now, there's two more future generations to contend with.
For those who need a quick recap on the lingo, you fall into the millennial category if you were born between 1981 and 1996, making you between 44 and 29 years old as of right now.
They're known as the selfie and Instagram-loving generation, as well as being fans of 'wellness' (stereotypically avocado on toast) and having bragging rights to being the first generation to grow up with the internet.
As for Gen Zs, also known as Zoomers, they were born roughly between 1996 and 2010 and are thought to be quite different from millennials, although there is some overlap.
Advert
Gen Zers have pretty much never known a life without tech and are much more savvy on social media platforms such as TikTok.
And as per GWI, they're pragmatic about work and big on saving and investing, as well as being keen to travel but more prone to anxiety - sound about right?
Now, as if that isn't already enough to wrap your head around, Gen Alpha have also come into play, who were born between 2010 and 2025.
They're the first generation to experience remote classrooms, streaming services, and portable digital devices from early childhood, as per Britannica.
It's hard to know exactly what kind of people they are yet, speaking generally of course, since they're still children.
You'll notice though that Generation Alpha ended in 2025 - that's because anyone born from now will be part of a whole new cohort, and people have been wondering what it will be called.
One social media user took to Reddit to theorise: "Is it gonna be gen charlie next?" while a second guessed: "Pretty sure it’s Gen Gamma after Beta."
While a third pointed out: "If the next one was Charlie, the current one would be Bravo, not Beta."
A fourth quipped: "I was thinking gamma bc that's next in the Greek alphabet I think."
And a fifth chimed in with: "Watch 20% of the guys get named Charlie. Also they would be gen Alpha's kids."
This is all getting quite confusing, so to put it simply, the next generation after Gen Alpha, will actually be called Generation Beta, which is defined as those born between 2025 and 2039.
As per the BBC, it's estimated that by the year 2035, Generation Beta will make up 16% of the worldwide population and many of this group are expected to live to see the 22nd century.
Gen Beta are predicted to grow up during a period where artificial intelligence is everywhere and experts also reportedly believe that self-driving cars and virtual immersive experiences will be part of their everyday lives.
Both Generation Beta and Generation Alpha were named by Australian research firm McCrindle, who moved to the Greek alphabet, following on from Gen X, Y and Z, to 'signify how these different generations will be raised in a new world of technological integration'.
After Generation Beta, if your brain can think that far ahead, will reportedly be Generation Gamma, born between the early 2040s to the mid-2050s.
Any guesses for what the world will be like by then? I guess we'll have to wait and see...