A new Gen of kids is here — with a name that ‘sounds like an insult’
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Whether you’re a ‘snowflake’ Millennial or a ‘lazy’ Gen Z, we’ve all been mercilessly mocked by the generations that came before and after us. And the newly arriving crop of kids are already being teased by their elders. The new year has marked the arrival of Gen Beta, who will be born between 2025 and 2039.
![[Cheerful multiethnic group of friends gathering outside using a phone to take a selfie together.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2185896723.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=509)
They’ll be the youngest children of Millennials and Gen Z who, by 2035, will make up 16% of the world’s population. And the stat really boggles the mind? Most Gen Beta will live to see the 22nd century. But the name, chosen by social researcher and futurist Mark McCrindle, who was credited with helping to create the past two generational labels, has raised a few eyebrows.
![[Dad and daughter watching cartoons at home]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2183179740.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=509)
The word ‘beta’ is simply the second letter of the Greek alphabet, and has long been used in zoology to label a submissive, low-ranking member of a group. But it’s also been co-opted, to describe a man who is weak and sensitive, and the sidekick to the dominant ‘alpha’.
Of course, the assumption that the traits of an alpha – a hyper-masculine man who values material wealth, authority and strength – are somehow universally positive, is problematic in itself, and a view touted by toxic men including Andrew Tate. That being said, it hasn’t stopped the internet having fun some with Gen Beta’s new moniker.
