Is it possible? Not entirely, not always. Today, certain trends and events can be foreseen with great certainty (bar some unexpected turns of events), but it’s precisely those things that seem to be looming on the horizon that make predicting other things almost impossible. So, which aspects of Generation Alpha’s future can be tentatively envisioned?

Ecological disaster, scientists tell us, unless we do something about it and do it now. Even if we do, we’ll leave the Alphas with the legacy of a destroyed environment that will take no‑one‑knows‑how‑long to regenerate. The older generations might work on it a bit, but Alphas will be the ones doing a lot of that work, focusing their interests, lifestyle choices, and technological solutions on being eco‑friendly. Another thing that seems unavoidable is technological development, which is changing our world at a more and more rapid pace. But where will it take us? AI that does most of our work for us or just the opposite – takes over the world? Again, difficult to tell. Yet these two phenomena seem to define a lot about the Alphas’ future.

According to sociologists, at home with their parents and much longer than the previous generations. Why? Studies estimate that half of them will graduate from university, but their education will take longer and they won’t be moving out until they’re done. Most likely, they won’t have started their own family until then either. Once they do, the keyword will most likely be global mobility. They will likely perceive the whole world as a potential place to live. As a result, in contrast to the generations of their grandparents, they won’t be investing in real estate, since their lives will focus on moving around and a house would just tie them down. They’ll “think of accommodation as service,” says one study.

From screens. Screens have featured prominently in their lives almost since birth, which leads some to call them the Glass Generation. However, with technological development, it’s likely that these screens will not be made of glass, at least not glass as we know it. By the same token, the job market will be nothing like the one today. It will result in a need for lifelong education. Yes, a moment will come when a young Alpha will obtain his or her university degree, but that will by no means be the end of their education. Alphas have to come to grips with the fact that every few years they will have to learn something new, and universities will have to be able to provide that service for them. Whether it’s going to be online or on‑site (likely both), doesn’t matter.

Skills. The old‑school education (pun intended) was all about memorising information and closed‑book exams. Yet with any desired information at their fingertips, Alphas will have no use for such schools. Knowledge will be out there, available to anyone who’s curious and able to find it. It’s the ability to do research, vet, critically assess the findings, and then effectively use them that will matter. These, as well as social skills, are what Alphas will be learning. They will also need to be able to apply the new skills to new content every few years, and constantly adapt to the changing job market.

Alphas’ great‑grandparents were proud to work for one company their entire lives. They identified with it and built their whole lives around it. Alphas are expected to hold, on average, 18 jobs throughout their careers. And if that’s not enough, these jobs will span 5 maybe 6 different careers. Not only that, half of these jobs cannot even be named today, because they don’t exist yet. The development of technology will constantly erase old ones and create new jobs that Alphas will have to learn throughout their entire adult lives.

Gen Alpha will prioritise skills over degrees and on‑the‑job training over traditional educational institutions. This generation's early adoption of artificial intelligence, voice search, and machine learning means that they will learn faster while applying that knowledge in a variety of ways. Because they have grown up immersed in virtual experiences, virtual learning will play a huge role in their lives, especially game‑based learning. Decentralised organisations offer a better environment for skills‑based learning as there are more opportunities to energise roles that develop skills and experience.

Growing up with social media, representatives of the Alpha generation are likely to be the most competitive generation, with the highest expectations. They are likely to expect the same direct feedback and interaction in their work that they receive from social media. To achieve this, organisations will need to implement peer feedback systems, which are an integral part of any decentralised organisation.

Those in the Alpha generation have had access to technology since birth and expect workplaces to be technologically advanced. This means personalised work experiences and the use of technology to make work more efficient so that they can focus on high‑impact, value‑added work. Being digital‑first, Gen Alpha will primarily collaborate and communicate using technology tools. They will not work for companies that do not offer them seamless integration of their online and offline work.

So, are you ready to answer the questions about the future the Alphas are heading for? Will they do without the glass screen and keep one job for a lifetime? Can they afford a break from education? Study the mindmap to revise what you’ve learnt from the presentation.

How important is social acceptance to you? Do you feel as strong about social issues as your parents do? How strong do you feel about ecology? Make your guess about various generations regarding these issues, study the graph and do the task.