The last of the Gen Alpha cohort was born late last year. They will make their mark on their world and accomplish things that we can only dream of. Most of the jobs that they will work in haven’t even been thought of yet. This generation is at a crossroads and will witness monumental change as the world enters a brave new era–the digital era. So, how will Gen Alphaers turn out? Will they change the world order like their Baby Boomer grandparents did, or will they be more subtle in their ways? It’s time to explore all facets and angles of these questions in this article.

Some Background Information on Gen Alpha

Gen Alpahers were born between 2010 and 2024. There are already 2.2 billion members (globally) in this cohort, and they are the largest generation in recorded human history. They are already extremely digitally literate as well. I am not surprised because my son belongs to Gen Alpha and he’s very good with advanced technologies.

What’s more is that they have unprecedented access to digital technologies and enormous purchasing power because they heavily influence family buying decisions and patterns. About 66% of 8-11-year-olds use smartphones regularly.

The Pandemic Shaped Their Outlook and Lives

The oldest members were still in grade school when the pandemic hit. My son was in preschool. The world may not have shut down for long–a year-and-a-half–but that was enough time to restructure how people lived. Social isolation became more common and accepted. Gen Alpha members learned how to learn and even work remotely. They began to socialize through digital devices. Some of them even play advanced computer and video games at parties with friends.

Gen Alpha is very globally connected and well-educated. They are part of a small but rapidly growing global middle class. In a way, you could say that Gen Alpha mirrors the iconic and world-famous Millennial generation because they share the same values: strong digital literacy, extreme social values, and gentle parenting.

They Are Used to Tailored Education

Both the American and Global education systems underwent a great upheaval. The emphasis shifted away from the standardized systems of memorization with a strong emphasis on homework and tests to personalized systems which valued real learning, analysis, applicaiton, and problem-solving skills. Governments worldwide worked to bring computers and digital technologies into the classroom.

The result was to make Gen Alphaers extremely digitally savvy and enjoy education and learning through fun and engaging computer programs like Boddle and Prodigy. While still used, learning doesn’t heavily rotate around traditional (and boring) textbooks, like it did when I was in school. Gen Alpha members do best when they read shorter but informational and educational articles and videos.

They can adapt to different learning situations and requirements quickly. That makes them a robust and resilient generation collectively. Gen Alphaers don’t blindly accept what is taught to them. They cross reference all facts online before believing in them. Classrooms are increasingly diverse and more empathetic. They value family and peer relationships and want to work in careers that make a positive difference in the world.

They Are Acutely Aware of Mental Health Issues

Gen Alphaers are much more impacted by mental health issues than previous generations. Part of the reason for this is their heavy usage of social media platforms at such a young age. Being kids, they prefer videos and posts that are engaging, short, sweet, and to the point. Most Gen Alphaers (my son included) worship YouTube. The average kid spends about 84 minutes on it daily.

They love TikTok as well, mainly because of its intriguing, short, and engaging videos. According to Academic Pediatrics, 68% of middle schoolers were on TikTok from 2019 to 2021. Not surprisingly, most Gen Alphaers worship content creators and social media influencers even more than Gen Z members do. Gen Alpha is so tuned into social media platforms that they turn to them when doing brand research before making purchases.

Digital devices are good, but Gen Alphaers may be overdoing it at the cost of their physical and, especially, mental health. Over 80% of Gen Alphaers (their parents report) use digital devices for at least 7 to 8 hours daily. That’s a lot of exposure to the (some would say detrimental) blue light from screens. It also means that most young people aren’t going outside nearly enough for much-needed sunshine and physical activity.

Academic Pediatrics studied over 10,000 teens and tweens. Its findings were disturbing–about 25% of them were addicted to digital devices. Gen Alphaers are notorious for having extreme ADHD and autism. While autism is likely not linked to excessive usage of digital devices, their heightened ADHD certainly is.

Being exposed to screens early on may have shaped their developing minds to be receptive to exclusively short form graphic, text, and video-based content. That can pose real problems in the classroom since educators can only make so much class-based content fun and short form.

They still have to have longer lectures and activities. The issue is that Gen Alphaers have short attention spans and struggle to stay focused during these activities and lectures. They may have shorter memories, again because of extreme reliance on digital devices.

Since social media communicates content on another medium, it means that it’s subject to the same forms of abuse as traditional forms of communication. That includes disrupted sleep, anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders, cyberbullying, doing illegal drugs, and drinking too much alcohol. Gen Alphaers who spend too much unmonitored time on digital devices may be more susceptible to these abuses.

Gen Alpha is Diverse

I mentioned that Gen Alpha is more culturally, ethnically, racially, and religiously diverse than previous generations. I am going to elaborate on that more now. Gen Alpha members may be going through puberty much earlier than any other generation in history, but they will find employment, move out, get married, and start families much later than other generations. Two important reasons for that will be that they will spend many more years getting educated, and the price of education, housing, and other necessities will increase exponentially.

Gen Alpha’s Buying Patterns Will Reflect Millennials’ Purchasing Behavior

What that means is that Gen Alpha will continue Millennials’ buying behavior. That includes thoroughly researching how and where brands are made before making a purchase. Like their kids, Millennials research brands they want to purchase on social media platforms. Millennials want to give their kids the best childhood and experiences ever.

That means they heavily and extensively research brands online to make sure that they completely reflect their marketing claims, promises, and brand value propositions. While it’s too early to tell, Gen Alpha may continue with that tradition. Gen Alphaers may be more brand loyal than today’s young adults (Gen Z) who brand hop in an instant.

Millennials are nostalgic for the toys that made their childhoods memorable. Maybe that’s why they are obsessed with giving their kids Legos, Fisher Price, Hot Wheels, Barbie, and other toys that were big in the 1980s.

The Future Workplace Will Be AI-Driven, Automated, and Digital

And that’s a good thing because, as I have already explained, Gen Alpha is very digitally literate. While most of their jobs haven’t even been thought of yet, they will likely involve different combinations of the following elements: AI, climate, and human-manipulated technologies.

Experts predicted the job titles that the oldest Gen Alphaers will study on online job boards a generation from now. I will list them now:

Cybersecurity specialist
UX manager
Drone pilot
Blockchain developer
Data designer
Virtual Reality engineer
Robotics mechanic
Sleep technician
Sustainability officer
Driverless train operator
Wellbeing manager
AI specialist
Life simplify
Urban farmer
Space tourism agent

Many more Gen Alphaers will likely work in the trades and other blue collar occupations than currently. That’s because more young people view college as an expensive scam and want to seek alternative career routes when they graduate from high school.

Since Gen Alpha will live in a very digital and technologically sophisticated world, they will need skill sets that are much different from the ones needed now. Above all, Gen Alphaers will need to be flexible and willing to learn in and adapt to rapidly evolving business environments and professional situations. I will list the skill sets the oldest members will need when they enter the workforce in less than a decade.

Digital fluency–Most jobs, even the traditional ones will have at least some AI integration and automation. So, Gen Alphaers will need to be completely proficient in AI tools and digital technologies. The most lucrative roles in the future will involve AI usage heavily: AI development, cybersecurity, and data analysis are just a few of the many likely roles of the future.

Critical thinking and problem-solving–AI may do more repetitive and routine tasks 10 years from now, but it’s just a machine. These tools won’t be able to solve complex issues without constant human input. Additionally, AI tools are known for hallucinations, and unfortunately, the newer models hallucinate even more than the basic version of ChatGPT (which is wrong 40% of the time)! Humans will need to extensively fact-check AI output. And it will take several hours to do right. I know because I have deep-edited and rewritten low-quality AI articles before.

Emotional intelligence and leadership–Tomorrow’s workplaces will be very diverse and emphasize extreme teamwork. Gen Alphaers who can understand others’ problems and who have empathy will do well. They will need to use those skills to be effective leaders in the future. People with high levels of emotional intelligence work better in teams and fit into most corporate cultures better.

Adaptability and the ability to learn continually–the world, and especially the corporate world, is evolving rapidly. Those Gen Alphaers who can learn new skills quickly will thrive in their careers. Employers value agility and the ability to grow in a career.

Eco-consciousness–Concern over the environment is growing worldwide. So, companies are very concerned (willingly or not) with eco-sustainability. Gen Alphaers who major in renewable energy, environmental management, and sustainable practices will have bright careers.

Communication and collaboration–Gen Alphaers will need to have excellent oral and written communication skills to succeed in tomorrow’s professional world.

Gen Alpha is a Unique Generation

Every generation is different. For example, Baby Boomers were noted for their radical outlook, and the Silent Generation for their resilience. However, Gen Alpha will be truly unique in every aspect. It will be the first generation to be born entirely in the 21st century. So, it will have a different orientation and skill set from other generations. Gen Alpha will face challenges that other generations haven’t.