Are the Kids Alright? A Deep Dive Into America’s Youngest Generations
Remember when the world was fascinated with millennials and avocado toast? Or when “OK Boomer,” referencing post- World War II babies, became viral shorthand for intergenerational frustration? You might not, but for years, American culture has been shaped, and often judged, through the lenses of generational identity. Here at the Gulf South Index, we’ve always focused on these generational divides – and as our daily cultural landscape continues to change, we’re especially tuned in on the youngest generations: who are redefining norms, embracing technology and grappling with challenges unique to their time.
The Newest Kids on the Block
Spanning 0 to 11 years, Generation Alpha is showing up to shake things up. While they may be the youngest generation, they are already influencing and mirroring the behaviors of their older counterparts.
iPad Kids might be a term you’ve heard thrown around a lot recently, and there’s a reason for that. According to Morning Consult, 51% of parents of Gen Alpha children say their kids stream at least one video per day. Reading books follows at only 41%. And as they age, their online presence only grows: their time spent online is already rivaling their Gen Z siblings.
Purchasing Power: Toys, food and candy might not be a surprising top shopping list for 0- to 11-year-olds, and it’s hard to imagine these weekly allowances making that big of a splash. But Gen Alpha’s toolset goes beyond their pockets: they have influence. As the generation grows, more and more of their parents (largely millennials) are making their financial decisions based on the needs and interests of their children – from the tech they buy to the vacations they take. While they may not have entered the workforce, and are just now pushing towards young adulthood, Gen Alpha is motivating the purchasing power of multiple generations of parents – while also well on their way to becoming the savviest tech generation, trained to master Apple products since before they could walk or talk.
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Under Pressure
So, while Gen Alpha grows into the crucial years of their youth and establishes themselves as the newest cohort to keep an eye on, what does that mean for the other youngest siblings?
Millennial parents are settling into a new role themselves. Morning Consult labels millennials as the current ‘sandwich’ generation – dealing with the middle space of caring for young children while also potentially helping support older parents. And while this can be difficult, many Millennials remain resilient about the future. According to the 2025 Gulf South Index by The Ehrhardt Group and Causeway Solutions, 45% of Gulf South millennials believe 2025 will be a better year for them than 2024. This group of 29-to-44-year-olds is moving past ‘establishing themselves’ onto the inevitable next tier: being established. So, who is feeling the heat? Unsurprisingly, Gen Z, only 39% of which feel the same optimism about this year. As a generation sandwiched in between their own conflicting sides of adolescence and adulthood, this group feels pressure in their personal lives. 41% feel some sort of internal pressure such as ‘pressure to be successful’ or an external pressure like ‘judged by older generations,’ according to the Impact 360 Institute. Navigating their changing place in the world has become another job for the newest members of the workplace.
Lost Boys: While all of Gen Z faces growing pains, young men are facing their own epidemic. Gallup reports 25% of American men aged 15-34 feel lonely for much of their days. This is 10% more than countries’ average and 5% more than the next comparable American group. The cause might not be fully clear – digital isolation, mental health and companionship issues and gender expectations may be some theories – but no doubt this is a unique problem Gen Z boys will likely continue to face for years.
But a need for community persists anyway, as 85% of national male respondents and 86% of Gulf South male respondents deem community an important value. In time, the kids may just be alright after all.
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Keep Moving Forward
It might not be shocking to hear Gen Z is facing struggles. Beyond the general uncertainty the entire world faces, these ages can be tough to navigate. But while they tread through the typical malaises of younger years, they are also pioneering new roads and setting trends of their own.
AI Agents: The techy generation, Gen Z are early adopters of AI. 62% of Gulf South Gen Z and 42% of national Gen Z used ChatGPT in the past few months, one of the most popular and widely available AI technologies.
But adoption doesn’t mean blind loyalty. And while we all know an older relative falling for AI content on their Facebook, Gen Z’s adoption of the platforms doesn’t mean they’re all in. GWI reports that while Gen Z may be using AI, they feel uncertain about its long-term implications. Especially in the workplace, where many fear automation of jobs but do want AI to take over the monotonous time-consuming tasks. And they certainly aren’t trusting AI to make decisions for them.
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So, as Generation Alpha grows and Gen Z goes back and forth, these two generations are on the forefront of redefining our hyperconnected world. The kids might be alright – but they’re under pressure, in transition and increasingly influential. And no matter what generation you are a part of, we can all learn a little bit more from each other on how to navigate the always-changing future ahead of us.
Remember when the world was fascinated with millennials and avocado toast? Or when “OK Boomer,” referencing post- World War II babies, became viral shorthand for intergenerational frustration? You might not, but for years, American culture has been shaped, and often judged, through the lenses of generational identity. Here at the Gulf South Index, we’ve always focused on these generational divides – and as our daily cultural landscape continues to change, we’re especially tuned in on the youngest generations: who are redefining norms, embracing technology and grappling with challenges unique to their time.
The Newest Kids on the Block
Purchasing Power: Toys, food and candy might not be a surprising top shopping list for 0- to 11-year-olds, and it’s hard to imagine these weekly allowances making that big of a splash. But Gen Alpha’s toolset goes beyond their pockets: they have influence. As the generation grows, more and more of their parents (largely millennials) are making their financial decisions based on the needs and interests of their children – from the tech they buy to the vacations they take. While they may not have entered the workforce, and are just now pushing towards young adulthood, Gen Alpha is motivating the purchasing power of multiple generations of parents – while also well on their way to becoming the savviest tech generation, trained to master Apple products since before they could walk or talk.
***
Under Pressure
So, who is feeling the heat? Unsurprisingly, Gen Z, only 39% of which feel the same optimism about this year. As a generation sandwiched in between their own conflicting sides of adolescence and adulthood, this group feels pressure in their personal lives. 41% feel some sort of internal pressure such as ‘pressure to be successful’ or an external pressure like ‘judged by older generations,’ according to the Impact 360 Institute. Navigating their changing place in the world has become another job for the newest members of the workplace.
Lost Boys: While all of Gen Z faces growing pains, young men are facing their own epidemic. Gallup reports 25% of American men aged 15-34 feel lonely for much of their days. This is 10% more than countries’ average and 5% more than the next comparable American group. The cause might not be fully clear – digital isolation, mental health and companionship issues and gender expectations may be some theories – but no doubt this is a unique problem Gen Z boys will likely continue to face for years.
But a need for community persists anyway, as 85% of national male respondents and 86% of Gulf South male respondents deem community an important value. In time, the kids may just be alright after all.
***
Keep Moving Forward
But adoption doesn’t mean blind loyalty. And while we all know an older relative falling for AI content on their Facebook, Gen Z’s adoption of the platforms doesn’t mean they’re all in. GWI reports that while Gen Z may be using AI, they feel uncertain about its long-term implications. Especially in the workplace, where many fear automation of jobs but do want AI to take over the monotonous time-consuming tasks. And they certainly aren’t trusting AI to make decisions for them.
***
So, as Generation Alpha grows and Gen Z goes back and forth, these two generations are on the forefront of redefining our hyperconnected world. The kids might be alright – but they’re under pressure, in transition and increasingly influential. And no matter what generation you are a part of, we can all learn a little bit more from each other on how to navigate the always-changing future ahead of us.
President
The Ehrhardt Group