It seems only yesterday that the world was making a fuss about the birth of Gen Alphas, babies born between 2010 to 2024.
These children not only grew up in a wholly digital era, but were the first to experience childhood in the age of the world’s worst pandemic.
From January this year to December 2040, we’ll see the rise of a new generation: Gen Beta.
Here’s what you should know about them.
Meet Some of the World’s First Gen Beta Babies
In Malaysia alone, there’s at least 55 babies born on the first day of 2025 so far.
There’s 20 babies from Negeri Sembilan, 19 from Pahang, 6 from Putrajaya, 6 from Perlis and 4 from Melaka.
And there’s no doubt that more babies will born in this month and more soon to come.
If you’re also expecting a Beta Baby, here’s what you should maybe take note of.
Interesting Facts About Generation Beta
The first thing to note is that Generation Beta will most likely to be born to younger millennials and older Gen Z’s.
They are also the first generation who will most likely live to see the dawn of the 22nd century.
Gen Betas are also born in the era of artificial intelligence and will most likely will influenced by its progress and advancement.
They may also be the first generation to part of Earth’s first space exploration programme.
By the year 2035, they will make up almost 16% of the human population.
Unfortunately, Gen Beta is also born in the era of massive social, political and economic upheavals.
These children will also live through the worst climate crises the world has ever seen.
Because of all the flaws and injustices that they grew up seeing, Gen Beta will also be the forerunners in massive global changes.
These include issues like gender equality, human rights, affordable healthcare, freedom of speech and many others
While these sound like ‘predictions’, they are more like expectations. Hopes and dreams that we the previous generations have for the future descendants in helping build a better world.
What Gen Beta Will Be Like
While its far too soon to predict what this new generation of children will be like, experts like Mark McCrindle, who coined the term Gen Alpha (and wrote a book about it), can’t help but weigh in.
The social researcher and futurist is saying that despite all this fuss, Gen Beta probably won’t be that much different from Gen Alpha.
However, key things will shape their upbringing in more drastic years depending on how the world will look like in a few decades.
The first is that Gen Beta will be exposed to much more technology than any generation has ever been before.
Electronic devices, AI and virtual reality will be a part of their daily lives, from education to healthcare to socialising.
This means that they will most likely be in front of a screen throughout most of their lives. This will make parenting that much harder for millennials and Gen Zs who are already using devices 24/7.
But that’s not all.
With the rise of neurodiversity in the world, you can expect a significant portion of Gen Beta to be on the autism spectrum or be born with ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Even now, many adults are finding out that they have some form of undiagnosed neurodiversity after going for a screening (which means these statistics are even more inaccurate).
There are apparently many people with neurodiversity that have flown under the radar.
It’s important to remember that neurodiversity is not a ‘mental illness’.
It is also rarely considered a disability or a disease.
It is simply a different way of looking at the world (and something that future parents of Gen Beta need to take note of).
Parenting Gen Beta
If you’ve ever seen or read about Mindy, the future of humanity, you’ll see a glimpse of what awaits us as technology continues to be integrated into our lives year after year.
From claw-like hands and hunched backs, to the aptly named ‘Tech Neck’, our use of laptops and smart devices are taking a toll on our bodies.
As we are already experiencing with Gen Alphas, who are glued to their phones all the time, the reality will be twice as worst if the pattern repeats.
While your kids may not be able to avoid technology for school, it’s important that parents reserve plenty of time for outdoor activities.
It is now more important than ever to adhere to a strict limited or no screen time – to ensure that our little ones continue to be healthy.
If your child does is neurodivergent, then it’s important to accommodate their needs and learn as much as you can about their condition before labelling certain actions as ‘bad behaviour’ or ‘being naughty’.
Gen Beta: A New Generation
While it is much too soon to predict the other challenges that await Generation Beta, let’s deal with those that we can change.
We cannot wholly expect the new generation to pick up on our slack and fix a world that previous generations ruined.
So, let’s make the planet a better place for our children to live in for the next foreseeable future while they are still young.
Fight climate change and avoid overconsumption.
Practice compassion and kindness to your fellow man.
Be a good example.
With any luck, this new generation will leave the world a little better than they found it, which is what any of us could ever hope for.
Congratulations to all the parents or parents-to-be of Gen Beta babies!
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