Sphere is a cultural research tool that studies online data and applies machine learning models for deeper, more empathetic insights. This time, it finds out what the next generation holds.
What comes after Gen Z? The highly anticipated Generation Alpha, who are shaping up to be pretty transformative successors.
Being the first generation born entirely in the 21st century, Gen Alpha have been immersed in digital communication and instant information since birth. They include anyone born in or after 2010 — the year the first iPad was released — #ipadbabies!
Growing up in a highly connected and globalized environment has given them greater appreciation for different cultures and ideas. They are considered the most diverse and open-minded generation thus far. They’re also expected to be the largest generation in history, with over 2 billion members by 2025.
We applied Sphere’s predictive AI models on TikTok posts about #genalpha and got an understanding of their impact on the world. Seeing this new generation through the eyes of their family and teachers gave us an idea of who they are and what they value.
The semiotics of Gen Alpha
Sphere’s text semiotics analytics uses a multilingual model to capture nuance for over 50 languages and understand the semantic meanings behind text data like TikTok captions.
It then organizes data points by contextual and tonal similarity and color-codes them. This lets you identify the main themes in broad datasets quickly and conveniently.
In this case, we saw these conversations emerging from over 800 TikTok posts:
1. Screen savants
Amazement over Generation Alpha’s natural tech savvy — effortlessly navigating apps, devices, and online platforms from an early age.
2. Conscious caregiving
Millennial parents share their experiences raising families with mindfulness — drawing boundaries, seeking self care, and maintaining mental health.
3. Staying woke
Little moments of Gen Alpha enlightenment, from them calling out gender stereotypes to their incredulity over racist microaggressions.
Emoting over Gen Alpha
Posts with top emojis
And like why are they soo smart ???😭 or maybe it’s just my cousin 😂 #genalpha #generationalpha #babysitting
Literally got schooled by my son 😂 I did not expect that take over at all 😂😂 CHILLLLL generation Alpha mama got back. 😂😂 I honestly couldn’t even swallow cause I was like “what the” lol 😅 #relatable #generationalphaontiktok #generationAlpha #millennialsoftiktok #millennialparents
Our children will be the most healed generation yet. No childhood is perfect, but they will be much more compassionate and enlightened than the generations before them. ❤️ #generationalpha #babies #traumahealing #emotionalhealing #childrenareourfuture #millennialparents #genzparents
Hashtagging Gen Alpha
#ipadbaby
Gen Alpha is the first generation to be born into a world with touchscreen devices and technology available from birth. Device gestures like swiping, scrolling and tapping are like second nature to these digital natives.
#millennialparents
Millennials are the most digitally connected parents yet. They embrace technology and raise their Gen Alpha kids with open communication and the freedom to explore their own interests. They’re likely to teach them about empathy, social justice and global awareness.
Getting on Gen Alpha’s level
Marketers are keen to tap into this generation’s potential for innovation and creativity, and understand how to connect with them in order to create meaningful products and services. Gen Alpha have the ability to be the ultimate power users, and transform the world in big ways.
Born entirely into a world of social media, smart tech and globalism, they’re digitally fluent and socially conscious. This makes them more likely to respect genuine, humanized messaging. They can read the fine print and will have instant information at their fingertips, making them an intelligently astute audience who will value transparency, personalization and consent.
Request a demo to see how Sphere can radically transform the way your company gets online insights and does qualitative research.