A Beta world: A peek into the future of the next generation
A majority of Gen Beta will live into the 22nd century. They'll be the first to grow up with AI, says Mark McCrindle, who coined the terms Gen Alpha and Beta.
The next generation of humans, Gen Beta, begin their lives this year.
Where did the idea of viewing society in such slabs come from?
We can trace it to 1863 and the French lexicographer Emile Littre, who reportedly defined a generation as “all men living more or less in the same time”. Before that, the term had been used to signify biological family relationships, typically between fathers and sons.
The American writer Gertrude Stein coined the first Gen name. She described those born between 1880 and 1900 as The Lost Generation, because they had lived a life largely lost to World War 1.
After World War 2, sociologists and demographers began to look backward, and the series of labels emerged: The Greatest Generation (b. 1901-24), for the youngsters who emerged from the Great Depression only to find themselves fighting an unthinkable war. The Silent Generation (b. 1925-45), named for its cohort of cautious post-war conformists. The Baby Boomers (b. 1946-64), representing a massive post-war jump in population, which would lead to a great demographic dividend across much of the developed world.
Gen X (b. 1965-80), also variously called the MTV, Slacker and Latchkey Generations (because children were starting to be glued to TV screens; both parents were working outside the house, and “latchkey” indicated a child who returned to an empty home).
Millennials (b. 1981-94), also known as Gen Y, were the last generation with an analog-only childhood. Gen Z (b. 1995-2009) were also The Zoomers, because they moved so fast through a rapidly changing world (the opposite of the Boomers, who were now in their 40s and 50s, and struggling somewhat to adjust to a digital-first world).
One man has been naming the generations since Gen Z. Mark McCrindle, 52, is a generational researcher, demographer and futurist from Australia, and founder and head of McCrindle Research. Reports released by his company have so far guided the world on what to call the new batches of kids.
McCrindle has spent 20 years conducting research on the attitudes, sentiments and behaviours of communities and populations. In a 2008 report published by McCrindle Research, he began a new classification with Gen Alpha (b. 2010 to 2024), the first generation to be born wholly in the 21st century.
He has switched from the Roman alphabet to a line of Greek letters, he says, because these generations mark the start of something dramatically new.
But the tags are just that, he adds. “These generations have yet to add to their meaning.” What name might Alpha and Beta makes for themselves? Excerpts from an interview.
* How exactly does this kind of classification by generation help with sociological study?
Generational models help researchers understand communities and societies, even peek into the future and where things are going, as we observe social change.
This kind of study accounts for the ethos, events, shared experiences and political climate that shape us as young people.
For Generation Y, the September 11 attacks and what followed shaped a global outlook. Gen Z (aged 10 to 24 when the pandemic began) has been shaped in the Covid era.
By 2035, we know that Generation Beta (b. 2025-39) will make up 16% of the global population. Understanding them will give us a sense of who the young adults will be as we hit the middle century.
Each generation’s spending data and earning capacity shapes economies. Their priorities shape our urban infrastructure and politics.
So, in our research, we study a range of data, from migration patterns to phone use and the average amount spent on a house or car.
* How much do we know about what the world of Gen Beta will be like?
This will be a generation that grows up with AI. They will be a visual generation, truly global in terms of consumption, buying through social media apps and using digital currency. Algorithms will shape almost everything they encounter on their devices.
* What will that kind of individualism do to society – to the need, for instance, to address pressing issues as a community or even as a species?
I think in the context of climate change, sustainability for Gen Beta will not just be a preference but an expectation. They are being raised in a period of great volatility. This could make them more community-focused and collaborative than the tech-led generations that came before.
* In terms of work and future careers, what kinds of skills will likely be in demand in this world?
The most valuable traits will be the instinctively human ones: Nuanced communication skills, conflict resolution skills, leadership skills, because these cannot be outsourced to technology.
Healthy scepticism is also going to be very important too, in a world shaped by misinformation. The ability to question sources and see through agendas will be vital.
* It seems like they will have quite the journey…
They will be a superlative generation in many ways. They will live far longer than any previous generation. They will also be the most formally educated generation in history. The access they will have to information will be phenomenal.
A majority of Gen Beta will not only live into the 22nd century, but they will be working towards great contributions around that time. It will be a time of emerging global challenges and also new opportunities.
