When the clock strikes 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2025, it will not only indicate the arrival of a new year, but also the emergence of a new generation. 2025 marks the end of Generation Alpha and the start of Generation Beta, the seventh generation since generations started being named in 1901.
Generations are typically defined as groups of people within a specific time period who share common cultural, social and historical experiences.
– Generation Beta consists of those born between 2025 and 2039, and is anticipated to be a generation characterized by significant technological integration and a strong appreciation for diversity, according to futurist Mark McCrindle.
– Gen Alpha refers to those born between 2010 and 2024. They are primarily the children of millennials and are growing up in a highly digital, tech-driven world. Gen Alpha is expected to become the largest generation in history, with a projected population of over 2 billion by the time all members are born.
– Gen Z is generally defined as those who were born between 1997 and 2009. Gen Zers grew up in a time when information and technology played a central role in their lives.
– Anyone born between 1981 and 1996, currently ranging from their late 20s to late 30s and early 40s, is considered part of the millennial generation, according to the Pew Research Center, which notes that the cohort is the nation’s largest living adult generation.
– Generation X refers to those who were born between 1965 and 1980 and is mostly made up of the children of the Silent Generation and early baby boomers.
– Baby boomers are individuals born between 1946 and 1964, during a period known as the “baby boom,” which saw a significant increase in birth rates following World War II.
– The term Greatest Generation was used as a tribute to the resilience and patriotic spirit of that generation living through such significant historical challenges as the Great Depression and World War II, according to journalist Tom Brokaw‘s book of the same name.