Meet Generation Beta, starting to be born in 2025

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The newest generation — Beta — will see its youngest members be born roughly from 2025 through 2039.

The big picture: Many within the generation will live to the 22nd century. Even more than their nearest predecessors, this cohort's experience will be defined by unpredictable technological advancements and climate crises.

It'll be the second generation besides Alpha — whose births span from about 2010 through 2024 — born entirely in the 21st century.

State of play: Projected to reach about 2.1 billion people, Beta would be the second largest cohort following Alpha's 2 billion, per Mark McCrindle, a social researcher and demographer who coined "Generation Alpha" and determined its bounds.

By 2035, the age group will make up 16% of the global population, according to McCrindle, who founded Australia-based McCrindle Research.

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The intrigue: Generative AI is defining the moment the Betas enter the world. Ultimately, their lived experience will be determined by what sticks and how.

The tech that shapes social relationships ends up having the biggest impact on an age group, Twenge said. With Gen Z, that was social media, and for Gen Alpha, it's "virtual worlds" like Minecraft or Roblox.

If generative AI becomes so ingrained that young people with "AI friends and AI boyfriends and girlfriends" becomes widespread, "that could have an enormous impact on social development," she said.

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