Generation Alpha may be young, but they’re already shaping how families live, spend, learn and choose care.
Generation Alpha includes every child born between 2010 and 2024, which means if you’re a parent right now, chances are you’re raising one. Or two. Or three. And while they might still need help tying their shoes, these kids are already shaping the future in ways that are impossible to ignore.
By 2025, Generation Alpha is expected to hit 2.2 billion people worldwide, officially making them the largest generation to ever exist. Casual.
Researchers at McCrindle have been tracking what makes this generation different, and the results explain a lot about why parenting today feels… louder, faster and more complicated than ever.
Why they’re called Generation Alpha
After Generation X, Y and Z, researchers decided it was time to stop recycling letters and start fresh. Enter Generation Alpha, named after the first letter of the Greek alphabet to reflect something big: this is the first generation born entirely in the 21st century.
They’re also known as Generation Glass (because screens are basically an extension of their hands), Upagers (because they mature earlier), and Global Gen (a clue to just how connected their world already is).
Where Generation Alpha fits in
Generation Alpha are mostly the children of Millennials and the younger siblings of Gen Z. They’ll eventually grow up to raise Generation Gamma, while Generation Beta will follow close behind.
What’s interesting is where they’re growing fastest. Countries like India, China and Indonesia are seeing the biggest population increases, and by the time the youngest Alphas are adults, Asia will be home to the world’s largest middle class.
In other words: this generation won’t just change families: they’ll reshape the global economy.
The kids who’ve never known life without a screen
Generation Alpha started being born in 2010, the same year Instagram launched and the first iPad hit shelves. They didn’t adapt to technology; they arrived into it.
Smartphones, tablets, streaming services, smart speakers and gaming consoles are simply… normal. And they adopt new tech at a speed that makes previous generations dizzy.
To put it into perspective, radio took 38 years to reach 50 million users. Television took 13. The internet took three. Facebook took one. Pokémon Go took 19 days.
Researchers predict Generation Alpha may never:
- Use a physical wallet
- Sit a handwritten exam
- Set an analogue alarm clock
- Listen to the radio as a device
Wild? Yes. Surprising? Not really.
How Generation Alpha thinks differently (and why that matters)
While every generation adapts to the world it’s born into, Generation Alpha is growing up in a reality that looks fundamentally different from anything before it. According to researchers at McCrindle, the biggest shift is how they engage with life, learning and work altogether.
Where older generations were shaped by exams, outcomes and credentials, Generation Alpha is being raised to prioritise skills, adaptability and collaboration. It’s a subtle shift, but one that’s already influencing how parents think about education, technology and early learning environments.
Here’s how Generation Alpha stacks up against the generations on either side of them:
| Generation Z | Generation Alpha | Generation Beta | |
| At school, this generation is focused on: | Exam results | Learning skills | Life skills |
| Their education makes them: | Employable | Adaptable | Entrepreneurial |
| Their work style is: | Participative | Collaborative | Co-creators |
| Their favoured payment method is: | By credit card | Digital | Digital |
| Their technology is driven by: | Touchscreen | Voice-recognition | Gesture control |
| Consumer trends are: | Customised | Personalised | Predictive |
What’s especially telling is how early these differences show up. Even in childhood, Generation Alpha is being encouraged to problem-solve, collaborate and adapt, rather than simply memorise and perform.
Over time, these shifts will influence how families make decisions, what they value in education, and what they expect from the systems supporting their children.
And that’s where their influence really begins.
Growing up sooner, but for longer
Generation Alpha is often described as upaging. Physical adolescence is starting earlier, and social and psychological awareness is accelerating too. At the same time, adolescence itself is expected to last longer.
That means:
- More years in education
- More time living at home
- Later entry into full-time work
- Longer working lives (think 60s and 70s)
They’re also predicted to be more culturally diverse, globally mobile and career-fluid than any generation before them, with an average of 18 jobs across six different careers. Many of which don’t even exist yet.
What this means for learning and play
Despite being digitally fluent, there’s growing awareness that Generation Alpha needs more opportunities to develop practical, real-world skills: things like risk assessment, problem solving and independence.
That’s why parents and educators are increasingly drawn to play-based learning and experiences that build creativity, social skills, coordination, confidence and curiosity, and not just academic achievement.
Interestingly, more than half of today’s parents already believe their children are digitally skilled, adaptable and creative. The challenge is finding the balance between screen time and hands-on growth.
Choosing childcare in a Generation Alpha world
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to raising Generation Alpha, and the same goes for childcare. Access to clear, impartial information helps parents weigh up what matters most to them, from educational philosophy to location and flexibility.
Care for Kids makes it easy to find and compare childcare services near you, giving families a straightforward way to explore their options and choose care that suits their child, now and into the future.
