Alphas or Coronials: ‘Gen AA’ Rises

How “Generation Alpha” will carry on social progress…long after Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z have all retired

Americans often struggle with telling one generation apart from the others. How many people confuse members of Generations X, Y, or Z? Aren’t we sick of hearing folks from the “Lost,” “Greatest,” and “Silent” Generations categorically referred to as “boomers”? (including the indignity of spelling “Boomer” in all lowercase)

I’ve already outlined a handy guide for distinguishing the eight main documented generations in the United States:

Additionally, I’ve provided a summary of “microgenerations” that fall on the cusp between any two larger generational cohorts:

As we look toward our collective global future, much of the discussion centers on what will be the roles of Gen X (Xers), Gen Y (Millennials), and Gen Z (Zoomers).

But some people have been asking the question: who comes after Gen Z?

Indeed, in the cold open of an episode entitled “The Sweet Spot” from last season on the new Fox single-cam mockumentary comedy Welcome to Flatch, the two main protagonists — small town Zoomer cousins Kelly (Chelsea Holmes) and Shrub (Sam Straley) — opine about this supposed mystery:

Shrub: “Whoever started this whole generation-thing with ‘X’ was a total idiot.”

Kelly: “Yeah, I mean, like, we’re already at ‘Z.’ So what happens after us? Do they go to ‘AA’?”

And I wanted to scream at the TV…

YES, Kelly! That’s EXACTLY what happens!!!

Who is ‘Gen AA’…?

Following Generation Z will be the next group of youngsters, tentatively dubbed “Generation Alpha” (or “Gen AA,” for short — yep, just like a “Double-A” battery).

Australian futurist Mark McCrindle originally coined the “Gen Alpha” moniker. McCrindle defines members of the Alpha generation as the children of Millennials (and younger Xers) and the younger siblings of Zoomers.

The oldest Gen AA kids were born in 2010 and 2011. Between the years of 2025 and 2026, their youngest members will be born into our world. By that point, McCrindle projects that they will number more than 2 billion — making them the most populous generation alive, at that future point in time.

McCrindle believes that Alphas will possess an even savvier grasp of technology than Millennials and Zoomers presently do. They will conceivably adopt the purchasing power and brand loyalty of their predominantly-Millennial parents. On top of that, higher numbers of them will be living at home, with intergenerational arrangements (deal with it, Sunny Hostin!).

Of course, as of the date of this writing (September 2022), Gen AA’s oldest members are only twelve years old. Inevitably, this means we’ll be learning a lot more about them as the rest of this decade unfolds.

But, by looking at the behaviors of the oldest Alphas so far, we can probably get somewhat of a sense as to what their generation has in store for the rest of us.

Why Are They “Alphas”…?

Zoomers (also referred to as “Centennials” or “iGens”) have definitely pioneered groundbreaking utilization of technology and social media to advance important causes. They’ve created dynamic conditions for the generation directly following them to take those innovations and fly!

The Student Beans website christens Alphas as “digital natives,” since they will be the first generation entirely born within a culture where Zoomers and Millennials have led the way for the Internet to radically alter how our society operates.

While most parents to Alphas will be proper Millennials, some members of the “Xennial” (on the cusp of Gen X and Gen Y) or “Zillennial” (on the cusp of Gen Y and Gen Z) microgenerations will also parent both the oldest and the youngest members of Gen AA.

Student Beans foresees Alphas becoming the most racially- and ethnically-diverse generation yet, especially due to their population surging out of countries such as India, China, and Indonesia. As a globally-interconnected age cohort, Alphas will have the COVID-19 pandemic to thank for forcing their digital literacy.

The coronavirus has had a noticeable impact on chunks of Alpha kids’ K-12 schooling, courtesy of the temporary necessity of remote learning. Since Millennials (the common parents of Alphas) frequently relocate, their Alpha children may adopt a more pancultural view of the world than even Zoomers have.

Gen AA might be desensitized to screen dependency — or they may struggle even more, because of it. They’ll undoubtedly have been affected by COVID-19 lockdowns…in much the same way The Great Recession had an impact on Zoomers, and 9/11 caused trauma for Millennials.

Already, many experts are predicting that Gen AA will alternately be nicknamed “Coronials,” in the long run. The oldest Alphas, who were born between approximately 2009 and 2013, are likewise “cuspers” straddling the gray area between Gen Z and Gen AA. For this reason, I dub their microgeneration as “Alphacentennials” or “Coronazooms.”

What Kinds of Consumers Will They Be?

Author and entrepreneur Neil Patel believes Alphas will increasingly choose the study of skills over formalized degrees. Their high levels of interactions with robotics, in the coming decades, may fuel this shift.

Patel predicts Gen AA will be “materially endowed” and “globally informed” to a greater degree than all previous generations. Because of their Gen Y and Gen Z influences, Gen AA will have a better understanding of data. Among their anticipated capabilities:

• They’ll seek out health care and mental health support systems more readily.
• Their media literacy will enable them to skillfully reject fake news or conspiracy theories.
• When shopping, they’ll give their business to companies with socially-conscious values.
• For communication, Alphas could more readily explore venues such as gaming and podcasting. These avenues would boost this generation’s likely desire for personalization and “live” experiences.

In Patel’s opinion, Gen AA could fuse together the best of both worlds from the two generations that have preceded them: they’ll mirror Gen Y by having a desire for independence and self-agency, but they’ll mirror Gen Z by trying to change the world for the better via wielding the power of platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

Rejuvenation Meets Education

Writing for Shopify, Dayna Winter points to predictions made by Ashley Fell, who co-authored the 2021 book Generation Alpha alongside of McCrindle.

Fell thinks that Alphas will end up placing more emphasis on their familial connections, seizing opportunities to work from home. She points to research with current Alphas who demonstrate a proclivity for admiring “everyday superheroes.”

Winter also cites Canadian educator Lindsey Barr’s “Upstander Academy,” whose Coronial students “learn about social justice and ask tough questions of regular guests that include politicians, entrepreneurs, and activists.” Although these Coronials will have endured more social isolation than their predecessors from the Centennial and Millennial generations, the earliest members of Gen Alpha appear to be more hopeful about the future due to their technological proficiency.

One major factor fueling this hope, wagers Winter, would be the Alphas’ exposure to video games from such a young age. That habit gives them a keen eye for solutions. She name-drops Ryan Kaji, a popular YouTuber who is only ten years old. Kaji could prove to become a template for Gen AA iconism — much the same way Greta Thunberg is for Gen Z, LeBron James is for Gen Y, Celine Dion is for Gen X, or Oprah Winfrey is for Baby Boomers.

Another example Winter spotlights as a popular type of Gen AA product would be the Johnny footwear brand. She describes these sustainable shoes as “biodegradable footwear with embedded appleseeds that grow trees once the shoe breaks down.”

A stylish commodity with a proactive, forward-thinking purpose.

To that end, Winter urges advertisers and entrepreneurs to engage Alphas with the following dynamics in mind:

Gen Alpha has a deep understanding of the lifecycle of products around them, exposed to conversations at the dinner table about food ingredients and participating in sorting the compost from the recycling…Your brand story should incorporate what you stand for, the impact you’re making (good and bad), and how you’re participating in solutions.

In other words, she stresses: treat these consumers-of-tomorrow like true stakeholders in the products you want them to buy.

Alphas, Coronials, or Something Else?

While interviewed by Jewel Topsfield of The Sydney Morning Herald, McCrindle has said he doesn’t think the nickname “Coronials” will have staying power. He makes this assumption based on a rationale that COVID-19 “will be a footnote in their lives” by the time the next century arrives.

I disagree.

I truly believe this coronavirus of the present decade will have transformed our historical landscape so drastically that history won’t be able to escape its reach.

If predictions about the Alphas’ ethical dilemmas over A.I. come to pass, how they reconcile those options will have largely been shaped by how they responded to the COVID-19 pandemic during their childhood.

Australian sociology professor Dan Woodman expresses to Topsfield that the reason why we’re talking about Gen AA already is because we’re currently worrying so much about them.

And with good reason. For those of us who grew up without SmartPhones at our fingertips, the notion of a world filled with sentient computers is downright scary!

If Ryan Kaji’s trajectory is any sign of the potential for members of Generation Alpha, we could see an entire industry chock full of “kidfluencers” before the next decade arrives.

As we speak, the Alphas/Coronials are still being born. That means we have many years ahead of us where we will observe and learn more about how their generational culture unfolds.

I, for one, am excited to see what they teach us.

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