Gen Alpha is more connected, more participatory and more autonomous
Editor’s note: Nick White is head of strategic research at market research firm Attest.
Marketers love to talk about Gen Z – their creativity, activism and digital fluency. But while brands are still working to understand them, a new generation is quietly emerging with even more transformative potential.
Gen Alpha, born between 2010 and 2025, are the first consumers to grow up fully immersed in a world shaped by artificial intelligence, social media and on-demand everything. The oldest among them will turn 16 in 2026, gaining more comprehensive adult rights, greater independence and increased control of their own spending. The time is now for brands and insight professionals to start understanding Gen Alpha’s world.
Attest’s “Gen Alpha Report” (registration required) – based on a nationally representative survey of 1,000 parents of 15- and 16-year-olds across the U.S. – provides an early look at how this cohort thinks, behaves and spends. And while Gen Alpha shares some of Gen Z’s digital instincts, the data paints a picture of a generation that’s more tech-embedded, financially literate and autonomy-driven than any before it.
Gaming is the new “prime time” for Gen Alpha
For decades, TV shaped youth culture, dictating what we watched, when we watched it and what we talked about at school the next day. Gen Z shook up the status quo by abandoning live TV in favor of streaming, but Gen Alpha has shifted that cultural center entirely.
Today, Gen Alpha teens spend more time gaming than they do watching TV: 43% game for more than three hours a day, compared with 41% who watch TV and 34% who listen to music or podcasts. Gaming isn’t a pastime; it’s a social hub, creative outlet and storytelling medium all at once.
The implication for brands is huge. Traditional “prime time” media slots are no longer relevant, replaced by interactive spaces where entertainment, connection and commerce merge. Advertising within games can no longer be treated as product placement, but must offer genuine value, collaboration or community-building.
In short: if gaming is where Gen Alpha spends time, brands need to start treating it like the new broadcast channel.
Digital autonomy starts early
Gen Alpha teens may not have adult responsibilities just yet, but they already display a striking level of financial confidence. Nearly half (47%) have more than $1,000 in savings, and 51% own debit cards, meaning they’re managing money well before many of them can drive.
This early financial independence is a defining characteristic, and part of why we’re calling this cohort the Autonomous Generation. They’re not waiting for adulthood to start forming financial habits or brand preferences, they’re building them now.
For marketers, that means loyalty will start earlier too. The brands that help Gen Alpha make confident, informed choices – through accessible tools, transparent messaging and trust-based engagement – will be the ones that win in the long term.
And for researchers, this signals the need to rethink household-based consumer models. Parents are no longer the only decision makers; many Gen Alpha teens are already spending their own money, guided by their own values.
AI isn’t novel to Gen Alpha – it’s normal
While older generations are still getting to grips with AI, Gen Alpha has been born into it, adopting it seamlessly into their everyday lives. Nearly half (46%) use AI for search, 44% use it to support schoolwork and 25% regularly chat with AI bots. What’s emerging is a generation whose expectations around technology are conversational, intuitive and adaptive.
AI isn’t a novelty for them, it’s a benchmark. Gen Alpha will judge brand experiences against the frictionless responsiveness of AI-powered tools. Clunky interfaces or one-way communication won’t hold their attention.
In other words, AI fluency will become as central to brand perception as customer service or product quality once were.
Values-driven from a young age
Gen Alpha is growing up highly attuned to social and environmental issues, even before reaching adulthood. Just over 37% of parents say their teen cares strongly about environmental issues and 36.5% about animal welfare, while roughly three in 10 report interest in topics such as women’s rights, poverty and racism. Only 11% of parents said their teen shows no interest in social causes.
These findings indicate a generation that is socially aware and morally engaged, but it’s important to note that the data reflects parent-reported interest, not direct measures of activism or participation. We cannot yet know whether these attitudes will evolve into collective or public action as this cohort matures.
For researchers, this nuance matters. It underscores the need to track how early awareness and values manifest as observable behaviors, from brand choice and media consumption to community engagement.
However, with such strong values already being communicated, it’s safe to say that brands should act ethically and authentically if they wish to engage this audience. Gen Alpha is forming opinions in an era of mass – and mis – information, so they’re more likely to reward brands whose actions consistently reflect their stated values.
The attention economy is fragmenting
Gen Alpha’s media world is both vast and overlapping: 92% own a smartphone, 74% a game console, 70% a smart TV and 67% a PC or laptop. Over half juggle five or more connected devices daily. They move seamlessly between gaming, streaming and social media, often blending all three simultaneously.
This multitasking behavior doesn’t mean attention spans are shrinking, it means attention is evolving. For researchers, single-channel measurement is quickly becoming obsolete. Traditional media metrics – time spent, impressions, reach – fail to capture how Gen Alpha experiences content across formats. A YouTube stream, a Discord chat and a Fortnite session might all be part of one cohesive media experience for them.
To reach Gen Alpha, brands must build cross-platform storytelling that adapts, evolves and interacts. The future audience doesn’t consume content in silos, so your strategy shouldn’t either.
Access and inclusion still matter
While Gen Alpha may be digitally fluent, not all have equal access to the tools shaping their world. Teens from higher-income households are nearly twice as likely to use digital banks and significantly more likely to hold savings accounts. They’re also significantly more likely to have access to wearable technology and aspire to careers in tech.
This digital divide presents a risk and an opportunity. Brands that prioritize inclusivity in their products and messaging will not only reach a wider audience but also build long-term trust. Accessibility isn’t just good ethics; it’s good strategy.
For researchers, this highlights the importance of demographic nuance. Understanding how income, geography and access shape digital behavior will be key to developing inclusive brand strategies for the decade ahead.
The takeaway for 2026 and beyond
Gen Alpha is still young, but the signals are already clear. This is shaping up to be a generation unlike any other – more connected, more participatory and more autonomous. Crucially, it's a generation with different expectations for brand interactions.
For brand-side researchers, that means rethinking how insight is gathered, interpreted and applied, because traditional, top-down approaches might not work for an audience that expects collaboration and transparency. Adapting research to be more continuous and more inclusive of emerging digital behaviors – spanning gaming, AI use and fluid media engagement – will help you keep up with this cohort as they grow and change.
Methodology
All figures within this article are taken from research conducted on the Attest platform. The total sample size for the “Gen Alpha Report” was 1,000 nationally representative parents of 15- and 16-year-olds based in the United States. The survey ran between July 1-5, 2025. The full report can be found here (registration required) and the research dashboard is available here.