GENERATION ALPHA

Generation Alpha includes members born between the year 2010 and until the year 2025. By the time they have all been born (in 2025) there will be almost 2 billion members making this generation the largest in history, according to Mark McCrindle, the Australian social analyst who coined the term “Generation Alpha. As the oldest members are only just aged between 11 and 12 it’s down to researchers to characterise the new generation of consumers. We can predict that they will be a more culturally diverse generation, socioeconomics (slightly wealthier), will have smaller family sizes and will have longer life expectancies (Carter, 2021).

Although we don’t know a great amount about this generation yet we can predict a few things about them by analysing the demographics. However, we do know that they are linked to their millennial parents. Due to this generation alpha members are often referred to as “mini millennials”. Generation alpha are seen to be influenced by millennials and their brand loyalties, however they also have their own goals and values. Generation alpha will develop similar preferences as their millennial parents as it’s all they know from an early age. It is expected that generation alpha will have brand loyalties, passed down from their parent’s beloved brands. Generation alphas already stand out from Gen Z in their worldliness, brand awareness and influence over household spending. Brands will need to understand generation alpha’s lifestyles, values and self concepts. Generation will be confident, savvy and curious. “They can send a trending hashtag, they can start a social media campaign and bring about change,” says McCrindle, who published a book on Generation Alpha this year. “They’ve seen that in their own experience, in #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter.”

Generation Alpha are also referred to as the ‘Glass Generation’ as their glass-fronted devices will be their main source of communication starting from a young age. Generation Alpha are being born into a digital driven world, technologies will shape how they interact and navigate themselves through life. Due to new technologies, Generation Alpha will learn, interact and build relations in a completely new way to any other generation. As generation alpha will be more reliant on technology they will have less physical interactions with peers which society has been used to with previous generations. Due to their reliance on technology and having answers in the click of a button, generation alpha may be impatient and have a shorter attention span.

According to the Understanding Generation Alpha study produced by Wired Consulting, “as technology develops, artificial intelligence or voice will become increasingly common methods of communication between humans and machines, as keyboards and screens give way to gesture-based interfaces and conversations between devices and humans”. This study shows how important it is for the fashion industry to cater for this generation in the right way as they will demand connectivity and interactivity through digital platforms.

Technology is already shaping generation alpha’s early lives. Technologies such as mobile devices, virtual assistants and gaming toys and accessories are already prevalent among the members of generation alpha. According to a study by Ofcom, the number of children owning one of these devices is rapidly growing among younger children. The rise of virtual assistants such as Alexa or Siri will mean new forms of communication and an increase in a need for interactivity.