Why 11 year-olds already rule the worldđź‘«

Mike Berland
3 min readNov 17, 2021

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Think Gen Z is the most disruptive generation ever? Just wait. Alpha Kids are hot on their heels and Apple already knows how transformative this generation will be. It’s time you do too.

Here’s a starter:

WHAT’S UP:

Generation Alpha is already gaining momentum… even though many of its members aren’t even born yet.

They’re the children of millennials and the first generation born entirely in the 21st century. Here’s why Alpha Kids will be the most transformative generation ever:

  • Strength in Numbers: By 2025, they’ll be nearly 2 billion members strong — the largest generation to date
  • Educated & Aware: They’re on-trend to be more racially and ethnically diverse than Gen Z, more likely to go to college and to be raised among college-educated adults
  • Digitally Hardwired: Technology “is not something separate from themselves but an extension of their own consciousness and identity.” They’ll transform everything from policing (hello drone surveillance?) to health, fertility and even longevity (think neural interfaces, cyborg-style augmentation and gene editing). This is the generation that will understand autonomous vehicles, NFT’s, smart everything… it won’t be the future, it will be their reality.

WHAT’S DOWN:

Marketers betting all their money on Gen Z. Gen Alpha is poised to do some serious consumption.

WHAT’S NEXT:

Gen Alpha’s sheer size will give them huge spending power — and they already influence their parent’s purchasing decisions more than any group before. Their digital influence has begun reshaping consumer trends and creating new markets.

Here’s how companies can gain momentum by future-proofing:

  1. Innovation: They’ll be the first generation to truly grow up immersed in the metaverse — to reach Gen Alpha, brands will need to reach their avatars.
  2. Disruption: Zoom school and virtual identities are normal to Gen Alpha… they’ll transcend the boundaries that define our lives today like time zones, nation-states, and physical limitations, creating a world of infinite possibilities.

3. Polarization: They’re still kids — many feel marketing to children is cringey & brands need to be careful not to appear exploitative or cross ethical lines (as Mark Zuckerberg’s learned with his failure to get Instagram for Kids off the ground).

4. Social Impact: As the offspring of millennials, Alpha Kids have been called “millenials on steroids.” This group will care even more about social impact than their historically do-gooder parents — they will only follow brands that are truly inclusive and make our planet a better place.

5. Stickiness: Experiencing a global pandemic in their formative years, Generation COVID will inevitably be shaped by it. Online education, virtual socialization, mandated distancing and mask-wearing will have lasting impacts. Fortunately, so too will the de-stigmatization of mental health.

Best Days Ahead,
Mike

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Mike Berland

Momentum Maker, Author of Maximum Momentum, Founder & CEO of Decode_M