(WJET/WFXP) — As we head into the new year, we'll also be meeting a new generation: Generation Beta.
You're likely familiar with the generations that have come before this: the Greatest Generation (roughly 1900-1924), the Silent Generation (1925-1945), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1979), Millennials (1980-1994), Generation Z (1995-2012), and Generation Alpha.
The start of 2025 will mark the end of Generation Alpha (generally said to have started in the early 2010s) and the beginning of a new generation.
According to a blog post by Mark McCrindle, the author and demographer credited with helping define the past two generational labels, Generation Beta will include those born between 2025 and 2039. McCrindle claims Generation Beta will make up 16% of the global population by 2035, with many of them expected to live to see the 22nd century.
As we've seen with Millennials, then Gen Z and now Gen Alpha, technology has played a big part in defining each group. Millennials experienced the early growth of the Internet, which expanded further as Gen Z was growing up. Gen Alpha has been surrounded by technology — research shows most already have a smartphone, and many spent years learning online during the COVID pandemic. They are now also seeing artificial intelligence bleed into the classroom.
For Generation Beta, it is anticipated this generation will be extremely technologically integrated and also very curious.
"Gen 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," McCrindle wrote.
Jason Dorsey, a generational researcher and the author of “Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business — and What to Do About It," previously explained to NBC News that Gen Beta will likely depend on technology to help them solve problems. They'll also be more enveloped in it than previous generations — even Gen Alpha, a group which has widely been dubbed as "iPad kids."
In addition to technological advancements, those born in the coming years will also have to grapple with major issues like climate change and evolving social norms. Dorsey said Gen Beta are more likely to view climate change as a dire situation with more direct impacts on their lives, and will see Millennials and Gen Z become leaders having to deal with this problem.
As fun as it can be to find out what generation you or your kids fall into, generational labels aren't always that useful. One major research center has even stopped using them.
The Pew Research Center previously announced that it discontinued the use of these generational labels as part of its research projects. Pew said that "the field has been flooded with content that’s often sold as research but is more like clickbait or marketing mythology." As such, these labels will only be used when historical data allows the comparison of generations at similar stages of life.
“Generational labels are helpful as long as you understand their limitations,” Dorsey told NBC. “We think they’re really helpful to get a head start, to create more of a shared understanding. … We’re all still individuals.”
