In June, we ran a Better Why Peer Connection with insights leaders across industries to better understand how to build strong relationships and engage with the youngest generation, Gen Alpha. Here are key generational insights coming out of that session, and what they mean for brands and insights professionals…
Welcome to Gen Alpha’s insightful world
1. Their parents went to college (no) therapy
(…and probably also college.)
Mental illness stigmas and demands for “grit” are out.
Compassion, mindfulness, and vulnerability are in.
Valuing EQ over IQ, Millennial parents raised their Gen Alpha kids
with a rich emotional vocabulary and a well-equipped emotional toolbox, making them better able than previous generations at naming and managing their feelings.
2. Cynicism. Fear. Dependence. Empathy. Action. Citizenship.
Their world is falling apart, but Alphas aren’t giving in.
Unwilling to let the world’s intractable problems break their spirit or turn them cynical, Alphas are facing them with inclusiveness and empathy.
Inspired by Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai, and the Parkland Survivors, they’re taking up the role of citizen-activists early—even if doing it feels scary.
3. Digital natives. Digital co-creators.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are natives to radically different digital worlds.
Born into the social media age, Alphas have fostered rich, obsessive micro-communities and fandoms on apps like TikTok and Discord.
Fandom isn’t the only thing they’re co-creating. These communities are also spaces for sharing hacks, mods and anything else that lets Alphas remake their favorite digital experiences.
What Gen Alpha is up to
1. Conforming to others (no). Performing themselves.
“You do you!”
Alphas want friends as much as any other generation. But making friends these days is less about jumping on the right bandwagon and more about having the bravery to be themselves.
While Jordans will always be cool, Alphas are less and less likely to see having the “right” brands as their ticket to popularity. Instead, brands are tools for their own creative self-expression.
2. DEI. Duh.
Their world is plural. So are the people in it.
Seeing diversity doesn’t shock Alphas—it reflects how the world is and how Alphas think it should be. This matters to kids across the board: race, gender/expression, sexuality, and disability.
3. Screen time is a privilege necessity
Screens aren’t just for gobbling up content and playing video games; they are how Alphas live.
Where screen fears were once top of mind for parents, Alpha’s lives are increasingly built around screens. They’re where they play, where they study, where they socialize, where they explore, where they shop, and how they navigate their lives.
4. Screen-free time is a necessity luxury
With their lives built around screens, unplugging is a luxury. Younger Gen Z’s are seeing what’s lost when their lives are increasingly digital. Some have even ditched social media and smartphones for facetime and dumbphones.
While most Alphas won’t be burning their devices any time soon, there’s a growing awareness that getting perspective (and peace) means less touching screens and more touching grass.
