Each generation is unique and while the individuals within a given generation are all different, the generation as a whole tends to share some easily distinguishable traits. Of course, defining what exactly a generation consists of is not an exact science, but it becomes generally agreed upon over time.

Mark McCrindle is a social researcher and futurist. He is the one who coined the term Generation Alpha for those born between 2010 and 2024). He has now dubbed the next generation “Generation Beta,” which will begin with babies born in 2025.

In his blog post, he said:

“They [Generation Beta] will likely be the first generation to experience autonomous transportation at scale, wearable health technologies, and immersive virtual environments as standard aspects of daily life. Their formative years will be marked by a greater emphasis on personalisation – AI algorithms will tailor their learning, shopping, and social interactions in ways we can only begin to imagine today.”

Their world will be completely immersed not just in technology but in ‘smart’ technology. Whether it is powered by AI or traditional computing, they will be able to interact with the technical world around them in ways that were previously not possible.

Being born to parents who were either Millennials or Gen Z, they will be the first full generation that is raised by parents who had advanced technology throughout their lives. This means that their parents will have experienced both the positive and the negative aspects of those technologies.

McCrindle commented that this may mean that Generation Beta is actually raised with more restrictions on their use of technology than their parents, which will be the first time this has happened. He explained:

“Gen Z parents are more likely to strongly agree that limiting their child’s screen time is a high priority for them (36 percent Gen Z parents compared to 30 percent older Millennial parents). 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.”

Of course, how this affects their development will need to be studied closely. Virtually everyone agrees that unrestricted access to technology, and especially social media, has some harmful effects on children and teens, so hopefully, this new generation will be able to avoid some of those downsides to the digital world.

Only time will tell.

Hopefully, the world they inherit will be a good one.

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