Alpha generation: who are they? Who will they be? Thu. AND

The definition of Alpha generation and its name was developed in 2005 by demographer Mark McCrindle. This is the first generation to operate in a fully digital world from birth — growing up at a time when the first iPad hit the market and the technology became widely available. The time limits defining this generation are not rigid (this applies, moreover, to all generations); their specific determination depends on the methodologies and research perspectives adopted.

Important! In some approaches to the study of generations, not 20-year time cohorts are taken, but shorter — 10-year, and sometimes even smaller ones. This is due to the belief of some researchers that, in the face of dynamic social and technological change, two decades is too long to cover one coherent generation. According to this assumption, some sociologists (although this is not the dominant position on a global scale) recognize that the Alpha generation includes people born after 2000. As a result, some of the representatives of this group have already reached the age of majority and entered the labor market.

Leadersheep Report Generation “Alpha” (2019)

Leadersheep has undertaken research of Generation Alpha, publishing a report in which she analyzed its attitudes in the context of a 20-year time cohort. In it, it is assumed that the Alpha generation begins in 2000, which means that some of its representatives have already entered the labor market. The survey, conducted in 2019, included 3,749 respondents born between 2000 and 2005 (then 15-19 years old). Most of the participants were girls (89%), people raised in a family of three (mother, father, respondent) and residents of large cities. Parents' education was also included in the analysis — most of the respondents came from families where their parents had a master's degree. In this group, it was more often the mothers who had such a diploma.

Free time

Probably no one will be surprised by the fact that the generation, which was born with technology and digitalization in their hands, as the main way of spending their free time chooses to use social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat) - this answer was indicated by almost 68% of respondents.

The second most frequently chosen option was to attend additional classes (8.6%), and the third was watching YouTube (5.1%). The least popular, according to this study, were going out into the fresh air (0.6%) and spending time in shopping malls (0.1%).

However, it can be assumed that outdoor activity falls partly into the category of “spending time with friends” (4.8%), and purchases are made mainly in the Internet space. It is also worth remembering that in this generation many interpersonal relationships are based on online interactions — social media has long become a kind of “backyard” and an extension of meetings in the real world.

education

When examining the ratio of Alpha generation to learning, the median was used as a measure of the mean value of the answers given (M=6). The average response to the question of whether respondents like to learn was 5.59, indicating that, overall, students have a rather neutral approach to learning. However, when asked about the purpose of the study and their motivation, the respondents were the least likely to indicate the answer “because I like” (4.9%). The most frequently chosen reasons were “I want to have a good job in the future” (44.9%) and “I want to go to a good university” (17.2%). Moreover, as many as 77.5% of respondents declare their desire to continue their education after graduation!

Potential career path

Determining the exact career path at a young age is difficult, so most of the respondents did not indicate any specific profession that they would like to pursue in the future (25.6%). He was in second place medical profession (13.8%), whereas lawyer/lawyer — though usually seen as prestigious — would only choose 5,3% Respondents.

Among the other options indicated, there were also more contemporary professions related to the media and the Internet, such as blogger or youtuber (13.1%), as well as the liberal arts profession (8.5%). It is worth noting that the latter is increasingly developing thanks to social media. The artist's profession itself has also undergone a transformation — in the age of the Internet, this definition has expanded. Today, you can become an artist not only by obtaining a diploma from the Academy of Fine Arts or gaining recognition in renowned art galleries, but also through creative activity in the digital space.

Earnings

The survey asked young people to determine their future place of work. Based on these results, a hierarchy can be made with the types of places where representatives of this generation would like to work someday:

1. The company of my dreams is corporation with a recognizable brand, you can earn a lot in it and quickly advance. The possibility of development, training, upgrading of qualifications is important, but also the working atmosphere. (46%)
2. The company of my dreams is mine own company. (26,2%)
3. The company of my dreams It doesn't have to be big, well-known and recognizable, works in a relaxed atmosphere and cares about the interests and talents of employees. Important values for the company are leisure, family and social affairs. The company offers many additional elements — cards for taxis, food or massage. Earnings are not the most important thing. (21,2%)

In the first and third cases, as The key values are personal development and the atmosphere at work, as well as employment in a corporation or large company. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the majority of respondents live in large cities, where this type of work is more accessible and the trend of hiring in large companies is more marked.

Corporations and large enterprises can provide relative financial security and guarantee higher earnings, especially in the case of multinational companies. The desire to start your own business is also very popular, which can be associated with both potential revenues and the value of freedom and independence valued in this generation.

Work in public institutions was the least frequently chosen option (2.0%), which may indicate their current condition and low level of confidence in the sector. Does this mean that the future of the youth labour market lies mainly in large, international companies and their own businesses? If so, are public institutions facing the necessary reform that could make young people more willing to choose employment in this sector?

Back to the issue of prestige: although in the survey respondents rarely chose a profession lawyer/lawyer as the one they would like to do, in the question of the most prestigious professions, he ranked first. The second position was taken by the profession of a doctor/doctor, and the third - a blogger/blogger or youtuber/youtuber, which differs significantly from the others, if only in that it does not require graduation.

Earnings

According to the study, the Alpha generation wants to earn from 5 to 7 thousand PLN “per hand” (27.7%), which slightly exceeds the current national average (PLN 4666). Interestingly, the authors of the study claim:

“In the context of wages on the Polish market, the amounts of earnings indicated by young people seem rather dreamy expectations or indicate a lack of knowledge about economic realities.”

This observation seems quite surprising given the high cost of living, problems in the housing market (high rental prices and mortgage margins) and the limited availability of employment contracts. If we look at the situation of young people from the perspective of potential employees rather than employers, the term “lack of knowledge of economic realities” can take on a completely different meaning.

Perhaps the hypothesis put forward by the researchers is partly explained by the fact that in the second place in terms of expected earnings was the salary in the range of PLN 10 to 11 thousand “per hand”.

What should be the employer?

The biggest advantage with the employer is for the studied Alpha generation Openness to employees (62.5%), being fair (17.6%) and nice (11.4%)

Non-work context

Famiglia: young people, in addition to professional goals, also set family goals for themselves. Most often they want to enter into marriage at the age of 20—25 years (45.2%) or 26—30 years (39.3%), whereas 7,3% plans to live in an informal relationship, and 3,9%declares a desire to remain single.

Children: Most of the young people (68,3%) declares the desire to have children, 8,6% They don't plan parenting, and 23,1% has not made a decision yet.

Relationships: The appearance of the partner is evaluated at 6/10 (average response), with girls assigning more importance to it than boys. However, excessive focus on appearance can lead to problems with self-esteem and complexes. Foreign research

To better understand the Alpha generation, it is worth referring to foreign research based on the classical division of generations, in which the Alpha generation spans the years 2010–2025. As he gives Springtide Research Institute A study of 13-year-olds in the United States Thirteen: A First Look at Gen Alpha:

1. Identity: 13-year-olds believe that among factors such as: age, race, gender or family status, it is Age is the most important factor in one's identity.
2. Smartphones: Almost all 13-year-olds own smartphones, and almost half of them agree that they are “addicted” to them.
3. Climate: Six out of ten 13-year-olds are at least occasionally worried about the effects of climate change. The vast majority view action to reduce the negative effects of climate change as beneficial to society.
4. AY: Almost all young teenagers have heard or read about artificial intelligence (AI), and a little less than half used it.

summary

The Alpha generation is the first generation to grow up in a fully digital world, whose career aspirations, values and approach to education are shaped by new technologies and global social change. Young people show high expectations of employers and earnings, and at the same time strive for independence, both in the context of career and private life.

Sources

1. https://leadersheep.com.pl/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Raport-pokolenie-Alfa.pdf
2. https://springtideresearch.org/gen-alpha