'Generation Alpha' Will Be More Open-Minded, Climate-Focused Than Their Parents: Study

The next generation of kids will be more opinionated, more diverse and more focused on fairness and inclusion than any generation before them, according to a new study.

The study, commissioned by American communications agency Hotwire, came out of conversations with more than 1,000 members of “Generation Alpha,” a fast-growing demographic of kids born after 2010. (By 2025, there will be two billion of them.)

The U.S. study found that these kids, who come from more diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds than ever before, care deeply about social issues — more than their millennial parents or Baby Boomer grandparents did.

“Generation Alpha’s upbringing in a diverse world has led them to be a much more varied group,” the study said. “Their myriad views are being driven by Generation Alpha having more choice than ever before – from ice cream flavours to future occupations.

“But, this increased choice actually seems to be breaking down differences with Generation Alpha no longer conforming to clear lines between demographic groups of gender, ethnicity or religion.”

Climate change, something Alpha kids have inherited, will be a big focus of theirs: 95 per cent said they feel strongly about protecting the planet. The other important issues to members of this generation are keeping children safe at school, making sure everyone has enough food to eat, and the equal treatment of boys and girls, according to the study.

Watch: In Italy, all public schools will have to teach about climate change. Story continues after video.

Their approach to gender equality will be different than previous generations’ as well. There’s traditionally been a significant difference in how men and women view the importance of gender equality: more than 80 per cent of female millennials and boomers say it’s very important for boys and girls to be treated fairly, but just 66 per cent of men in those demographics agree.

But according to the study, the gap between those numbers is narrowing quite a bit for Generation Alpha: 86 per cent of girls and 79 per cent of boys say they consider gender fairness to be very important.

Also significant: young boys are talking about wanting to grow up to be dads, something the study says didn’t happen in previous generations.

These kids are likely to hold strong opinions, and likely varied opinions: more than four out of five millennials and boomers think that Generation Alpha will have a more diverse set of opinions than their generation.

Based on past studies, we also know that globally, Alphas will be wealthier and better-educated than previous generations, and will have older parents, smaller families, and longer life expectancies.

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