The Alpha generation deciphered from Z to A

What do we think of Gen A?

Still little-known yet on everyone’s lips, the Alpha generation is often mocked or disparaged. Sometimes judged as disrespectful, over-connected, lazy, not very smart, even downright fucked-up, the main people concerned probably suffer from a lack of knowledge and empathy on the part of their elders…

Identity card for a new generation

So let’s get to know them in 4 key points:

Named after the first letter of the Greek alphabet, the Alpha generation is the first to be born entirely in the 21st century, between 2010 and 2024, so they symbolize renewal and the start of a cycle.

As their parents, the millenials or Generation Y, are the children of the boomers, they seek to apply an education model that is the complete opposite of the one they experienced as children. Say goodbye to being put in a corner and deprived of dessert, and hello to positive education!

Children of technology, they were born at the same time as Instagram and its influencers, the iPad and apps. They’re the first true digital natives.

Every week, over 2.8 million Alphas are born worldwide. One person in seven is therefore a member of Generation Alpha, and by 2025 there will be more than 2.2 billion of them…

Alpha Generation in everyday life

Tech pros, really?

Autonomous but not dependent, Generation Alpha shows us its ambivalence and contradictions when it comes to the use of technology.

Contrary to popular belief, technological innovation has actually slowed down over the lifetimes of generations Z and Alpha. Indeed, by way of comparison, millennials witnessed the beginnings of the cell phone, and fought to get the first iPhone, started playing video games on the Nintendo 64, and now compete on the Switch. Younger generations are therefore not as accustomed to changing and adapting to new technologies as their elders.

And since they were born with it, they tend to be more mature with regard to these technologies, and therefore able to do without them more easily, once the novelty effect has worn off…

“Today’s young people don’t want to work anymore”.

Spoiler alert: in fact they’re just like everyone else, they don’t have much choice. But that doesn’t mean they won’t work differently!

As we explained earlier, millennials are generally very caring parents, which means that their Alpha children will most likely seek the same kindness later on in all aspects of their lives, including their professional lives. This means that mental health and work-life balance will be crucial for the Alpha generation.

What’s more, technology has given the Alpha generation access to more sources of information and knowledge than any generation before it. If they’re looking for an answer to a question, they have all the tools at their fingertips to find it. This also contributes to the emergence of an entrepreneurial spirit in younger people: thanks to this ease of access, they learn to solve problems on their own and show initiative much earlier than their elders.

Finally, flexible working will be essential: they will thrive in working environments that adapt to their preferences and lifestyles. HR managers will need to consider remote working options, flexible schedules and à la carte projects to keep them enthusiastic and productive.

Generation Alpha and social networks

Generation Alpha will be the most “private” generation on social networks: they’ve seen their elders vlog and show off everything on the networks, and they don’t know the Internet without influencers and content creators.

Some even have parents who are very, or even too, present on these platforms.
In fact, according to a Security study, 92% of children aged two and under have an online presence. This presence is obviously imposed by their parents, and can sometimes be frightening:

– Over 75% of parents have shared messages from their children on social media, and 80% use their children’s real names.
– Even worse: 8 out of 10 parents have “friends” or followers on social networks whom they have never met in real life… A trend towards “sharenting” (contraction of share + parenting) now pointed out by this young generation, which will lead them to lead a more private, out-of-sight life on the networks.

So this time, we really can’t say anything?

Once they’ve grown up, members of the Alpha generation will be very different from the others when it comes to values. If they can tolerate a man wearing earrings, they can’t stand you throwing your chewing gum on the floor. Tolerance of diversity, sensitivity to the animal cause, ecological awareness – these are all subjects that we hope will never be debated again!