There are currently seven generations: The Greatest Generation, The Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and Generation Alpha. As of today, there are eight. January 1st, 2025, marks the beginning of a new generation, Generation Beta!
I always wondered if there is a Ministry of Generations that tracks and initiates when a generation starts and ends. Well, I looked, and there is no official entity that handles this. It is more of a consensus between demographers, researchers, and, of course, the media, that moves the needle on these issues. I wondered because there was no set date in years when a generation starts and ends. But that issue is beginning to level off.
The Greatest Generation spanned 26 years, 1901-1927. The Silent Generation, 17 years, 1928-1945. Baby Boomers, 18 years, 1946-1964. It has leveled off now at 14 years for each generation afterward. My thinking is that in the older generations, significant change took a lot more time.
The evolution of new products and technology took a lot more time to develop. When it did, funding was harder to get people to invest in new products and technology. But when it got rolling, things started to change exponentially. Leveling off at 14 years gives a generation enough time to grow and make an impact on society.
Generation Beta (or Gen Beta) will include all those born between 2025 and 2039 (14 years). At 12:14 a.m., the first baby of this generation in the US was a girl named Leah James Lombardi, born to Jessica and Michael Lombardi of Saugus at Mass General in Boston. She will lead the way for a generation living well into the 22nd century (they’ll be 76 years old).
Of course, technology will be a cornerstone of this generation. What else can we expect Gen Beta to deal with as they grow up? I see overpopulation as an issue this generation may concern itself with. With more people, we’ll need more resources. Can this planet sustain the ever-increasing numbers for growth’s sake?
Gen Z’s already worried about it, but climate change may continue to be an issue. Of course, there are two camps on this subject. The younger generations are more concerned about it because they want to make sure they do all they can to continue to make this a liveable planet.
The good thing is they will inherit a wealth of technology that will help them find solutions to these problems. But each generation makes a name for themselves based on the issues of their time and how they choose to deal with it. Will they be able to collaborate with their generational counterparts and work together?
The way to do that is to Bridge the Gap between generations and that is what I speak and train about. I help unlock the power of collaboration between the generations so businesses and associations can be more successful. If you are experiencing generational divides in your organization, give me a shout, and let’s collaborate.
