The name of new generation born from January 1 revealed - many of whom will live to see the 22nd Century
A new crop of kids are set to make their debut come the new year, as Generation Alpha is being phased out, making room for the new Generation Beta.
Generation Beta will start arriving in 2025 and will include all those born up until 2039, according to a blog post by Mark McCrindle, who was credited with helping define the past two generational labels.
The entrance of Generation Beta marks the end of the previous generation, Generation Alpha, which is comprised of those born between 2010 and 2024.
Generation Beta will make up 16 percent of the global population by 2035 many of which are expected to live to see the 22nd century, according to McCrindle.
As the next generation gears up to enter and eventually make their mark on the world, others anticipate Gen Beta will be extremely technologically integrated.
'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 said.
Gen Beta will see the increasing advancements of technology and evolving societal factors and will be faced with major issues such as climate change and fluctuating social norms.
Generation Beta will start arriving in 2025 and will include all those born up until 2039, according to a blog post by Mark McCrindle, who has been credited with helping define the past two generational labels (stock image)
As the next generation gears up to enter and eventually make their mark on the world, others anticipate Gen Beta will be extremely technologically integrated (stock image)
However, as generational labels continue to define different age groups, it is important to note that a key research center has discontinued its use of the labels.
In mid-2022, the Pew Research Center announced that it will no longer use the 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.'
Now, the labels will only be used when historical data allows the comparison of generations at similar stages of life.
Generational labels gained prominence in the mid-20th century with the 'Baby Boom' - attributed to the significant post-war birth spike - generation being the first to receive a widely accepted label.
'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 said
The practice later gained momentum through the work of researchers like Neil Howe and William Strauss, who identified and named different generations based on historical events and cultural trends.
The term 'Generation X' was popularized by author Douglas Coupland through his novel of the same name, highlighting the experiences of a specific cohort born after the Baby Boomers.
However, the concept of identifying generations through labels is attributed to Gertrude Stein, who coined the term 'Lost Generation' to describe those who experienced World War I.
Generations that have come before the newest installment include: 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.
