As the world braces for a rapidly evolving future, a new generation is set to emerge Generation Beta. Born between 2025 and 2039, this cohort is poised to experience an era defined by unpredictable technological advancements, climate crises, and sweeping societal changes. Generation Beta, the second generation of the 21st century following Generation Alpha (2010-2024), will be the children of Gen Z and younger millennials, who themselves have faced economic and environmental challenges.
According to researcher Mark Mccrindle, who coined the term “Generation Alpha,” an estimated 2.1 billion babies will be born into Generation Beta. By 2035, they will account for approximately 16% of the global population, following closely behind Generation Alpha’s projected 2 billion. This generation will likely live well into the 22nd century, and its defining features will be shaped by technology, climate change, and a global shift towards sustainability.
𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆: 𝗔 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲-𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗮
For Generation Beta, technology will be both a blessing and a curse. The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI, will impact their lives from birth. While the long-term effects of this technology remain uncertain, it promises to revolutionize everything from education and healthcare to entertainment and the job market. However, with this progress comes a need for regulation to manage the unintended consequences of AI.
The European Union has already introduced tighter tech regulations, and the United States is considering new laws like the Kids Online Safety Act. The future of social media platforms like TikTok is also uncertain, with the possibility of a ban in the U.S. These developments will shape how Generation Beta interacts with technology and how they view privacy, security, and online freedom.
𝗔 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱: 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀
Beyond technology, Generation Beta will face significant environmental and climate-related challenges. With rising global temperatures, severe weather events, and environmental degradation, this generation will need to focus on sustainability, resilience, and conservation. The World Economic Forum has identified climate change as one of the major global risks in the coming decades, alongside the threat of misinformation and the negative impacts of AI.
Falling fertility rates and increasing life expectancy will also bring demographic shifts, forcing society to rethink its approach to population sustainability. Concerns about overpopulation will give way to a more balanced approach, focusing on sustainable growth and resource management.
𝗔 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
The parents of Generation Beta—largely Gen Z and younger millennials—will pass on the values of financial and environmental sustainability. Having navigated their own economic hardships, they will raise children with a focus on resilience, grit, and adaptability in an increasingly uncertain world. McCrindle notes that Generation Beta will likely grow up with a “conservative outlook,” prioritizing saving, reusing, and focusing on sustainability rather than unchecked growth and accumulation.
As they come of age, Generation Beta will witness sweeping changes in governance, media, business, and global politics. These shifts will further shape their worldviews and prepare them to navigate a world vastly different from the one their parents experienced.
𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱: 𝗔 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝗿𝗮
Generation Beta will be born into a world that is both exciting and fraught with challenges. With the ever-looming specter of climate change, technological innovation, and global political shifts, this generation will be tasked with confronting some of the most pressing issues of the 21st century. How they rise to meet these challenges could ultimately determine the trajectory of the future.
