eCommerce: Shopper Demographics

Gen Alpha – The New Consumer: Key Insights

• Turning 14: Most analysts place the starting point of Gen Alpha around 2010.

• Instagram and TikTok Most Popular: Although many platforms are used, clear winners in usage rate are Instagram and TikTok.

• Know What They Like: Gen Alpha kids have an impact on their parents' product choice. Social media is used for entertainment and finding products to buy.

• Unboxing Trends: Children are impacted by what they see and start to emulate, such as makeup trends and gaming. The hashtag #sephorakids is an example of what happens when social media trends take over retail stores.

Few things remind us of our own aging more than seeing new generations arrive: Move along, Gen Z, attention shifts to Gen Alpha as the new focus of brands and publications. 

The boundaries between Gen Z and Gen Alpha have not been clearly defined so far, but most researchers place the starting point of Generation Alpha around 2010. The oldest Gen Alpha members turn 14 this year. According to Instagram’s and TikTok’s user guidelines, Gen Alpha is officially old enough to use social media now (the age requirements start at 13 years and up), although it is clear that many younger children are online at an earlier age.

Why is behavioral analysis of this cohort so interesting now? Aside from the fact that Gen Alpha is tomorrow's consumer, they are influencing their parents' purchasing decisions today.

Gen Alpha: The iPad Generation Is Most Digitally Connected

Gen Alpha, also known as the “iPad Generation”, were born around the time that the iPad and Instagram were first released. As a result, they have never known a non-digitally connected world, and it is not uncommon for digital devices to have been used as a pacifier at an early age by their mostly millennial parents.

Please note that GWI uses a broader definition of Gen Alpha, starting with respondents born in 2007, which is older than the cohort defined in most publications.

According to a report by Razorfish, 43% of Gen Alpha kids own a tablet before the age of 6. Similarly, 58% of them own a smartphone by the age of 10.

Many of them are online before the official age at which young children are allowed on platforms like Instagram or TikTok. These are also the two most popular platforms for Gen Alpha users, according to GWI data:

74% of Gen Alpha children between the ages of 13 and 15 use Instagram, while 70% use TikTok. Facebook comes in third, with 62% of respondents having used it in the past week. Also in the top five are Facebook Messenger (54%) and WhatsApp (49%). 

This is followed by Snapchat (42%) and Twitter/X (32%). The rest is less commonly used among Gen Alpha, including Zoom (28%), Pinterest (23%) and iMessage (22%).

Gen Alpha: A Huge Potential for Social Commerce Growth

What do young children like to do when they use social media? The most common response is finding funny posts, cited by 49% of Gen Alpha users. Similarly, looking at memes is another popular activity at 43%.

Other top 5 social media activities include listening to new music (40%), seeing what is trending or being talked about (38%), and finding out about TV shows or movies (34%). 

Nearly a third of Gen Alpha users say they talk to people on social media sites (32%) or follow influencer accounts (29%). The same percentage, 28%, likes seeing posts from their favorite brands or watching live streams. Another 23% of Gen Alpha respondents read the news or find new things they want to buy. 

While most social media activity among young users tends to revolve around entertainment and keeping up with the latest trends, there is a significant number of users who are already participating in the online economy. This suggests the immense potential of social commerce for Gen Alpha, who are already watching livestreams for fun and looking for items to purchase.

Consumption for Fun: Livestreaming, Unboxing, and Make-Up

Livestreams are also among the top 3 types of content Gen Alpha likes to watch on social media, with 38% agreeing. Gaming videos come first (51%), followed by comedy videos or memes and viral videos (49%).

As per the 2022 GWI Kids study, 36% of Gen Alpha users have watched a vlog or influencer video in the past week, while just over a fifth of users have watched a challenge video (22%). Directly related to their role as consumers, 18% have watched an unboxing or product review video, while 15% have watched a make-up video, which includes “get ready with me” content.

Up-Ageing: Following Trends Meant for Older Users

One should not underestimate the enormous role these types of videos can have on young users. A recent hashtag ,#sephorakids, describes how children are flooding beauty and drug stores, motivated by skincare posts and makeup tutorials on social media promoting certain products (such as the brand Drunk Elephant), which in turn are gaining immense popularity among children and tweens. The trend has gone so far that children’s birthday parties are being held at personal care stores, while drugstores Walgreens and CVS have established their own niche for children's beauty products. 

This phenomenon is called “up-ageing”, meaning that young consumers are maturing at a younger age, and are more interested in products and activities designed for older users because of their exposure to information technology and trends for grown-ups.

Most Interested in Fashion and Photography

The number one attitude of Gen Alpha users when it comes to social media is an interest in fashion, cited by 38%. In a similar vein, 35% of Gen Alpha social media users expressed an interest in photography.

Being expressive on social media is not (yet) common among the young cohort, as 27% think they can say what is really going on in their mind on social media, and only 12% say they post everything they do. Similarly, 19% say that social media reflects other people’s real lives, suggesting that 81% of Gen Alpha kids are aware of the polished image that most creators present on social platforms. 

This awareness of potentially staged content on social media is reflected in a high preference among kids and tweens for influencer content and real-life or “normal” people. Brands will need to rethink their advertising if they have relied on traditional advertisements with actors and scripts, as these are increasingly unlikely to reach the youngest audiences.

Gen Alpha: Closing Remarks

The first generation to be born entirely into a digitally connected world and all its benefits and drawbacks, Gen Alphas, like many younger Gen Zs, are an interesting case to study. As expected, Gen Alphas tend to be highly proficient with the internet and spend a significant amount of time online. 

The most effective way to reach this generation is through viral videos or influencer product reviews. Keeping up with the latest trends and relatability are commonly valued by Gen Alpha kids.

Sources: BBC – GWI – Instagram – McCrindle – Modern Retail – Razorfish – TikTok