The next generation is coming: meet the Betas
WGSN Insider
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WGSN already tracks the trends of five consumer demographic groups – Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z and Alphas – and is now beginning to monitor the sixth group: the Betas. But who are they?
Children of Generation Z, Betas will be the first natives of the AI era. This generation, born between 2025 and 2040, will live in a hyperconnected world, redefining how they live, learn, play and work, which will create opportunities for brands in the long term.
Born amid one of the most accelerated technological revolutions in recent years, the Beta Generation will face issues related to privacy, what is considered real and the transformation of current professions.
What will be the impact of Betas on the market?
Although still in their early years by 2035, Betas will represent 16% of the global population. As the first generation to grow up in an AI-permeated environment, they will face a dilemma:
In a world where deepfake media means truth is not a fixed concept (90% of all online content could be AI-generated by 2026), will they spend their lives searching for reality?
The reality is that large-scale AI resembles the technological developments that defined past generations, like the Internet or the smartphone, which shaped everything about their coming-of-age and adulthood experiences. Likewise, a world dominated by AI will be the only one Betas will know, influencing their personal and professional lives for decades to come.
However, Gen Z's fascination with lo-fi technology reflects a romanticization of the pre-digital era, when hyperconnectivity was non-existent. This group seeks more tangible and authentic experiences and connections. In the age of artificial intelligence, marked by growing mistrust, this behavior is likely to intensify and be amplified by Betas.
In this context, Betas may also romanticize past experiences – outdoor sports instead of digital escapism, for example – and develop an interest in “past” times and objects, such as traditional cars instead of autonomous vehicles.
What will be the impact of the Betas on society?
AI will not be the only factor defining this generation. Betas could become the smallest demographic group in history, influenced by factors such as the rising cost of education and declining fertility rates. This scenario raises speculative possibilities of a generation characterized as a "micropopulation". The progressive aging of society will bring significant and long-term socioeconomic impacts, affecting everything from public policies to market and consumption dynamics.
Understanding generations and their values is fundamental for long-term strategies. Through WGSN's STEPIC methodology – which analyzes social, technological, environmental, political, industrial and creative changes – we explore the macro factors that will impact Betas and other generations.
Want to know more about Betas? Download a sample of our consumption forecast “Future generations: the Betas” here and explore the macro factors that will shape this new generation