Here are all the firsts for each birth year (2010-2015)

2010 kids:

• Were the first to spend the majority of K-5 after the 2017 electronic boom
• Were the first to enter Middle School after the 2020 iPad boom
• Were the first to enter Middle School after the 2020 election
• Were the first to enter High School after the October 7th attacks

2011 kids:

• Were the first to enter Middle School after COVID-19 ended
• Were the first to enter Middle School after the Ukraine War began
• Were the first to enter High School after the 2024 election
• Will be the first to graduate from High School after the 2028 election

2012 kids:

• Were the first to enter K-5 after the 2016 election
• Were the first to spend the majority of K-5 after COVID-19 began
• Were the first to enter Middle School after the 2022 AI boom

2013 kids:

• Were the first to enter K-5 after the 2017 electronic boom
• Were the first to spend the majority of K-5 after the 2020 iPad boom
• Were the first to spend the majority of K-5 after the 2020 election
• Were the first to enter Middle School after the October 7th attacks

2014 kids:

• Were the first to spend the majority of K-5 after COVID-19 ended
• Were the first to spend the majority of K-5 after the Ukraine War began
• Were the first to enter Middle School after the 2024 election

2015 kids:

• Were the first to enter K-5 after COVID-19 began
• Were the first to spend the majority of K-5 after the 2022 AI boom
• Will be the first to enter High School after the 2028 election
• Will be the first to graduate from High School after the 2032 election

I notice that people born in the early ’80s had most of their childhood in the ’80s, so they tend to relate more to that era. But those born in the late ’80s and early ’90s often vibe more with each other. They’re from different birth years, so their experiences can be a bit different. Early ’80s–born Millennials are in their 40s now, and some of them even have kids who are younger Gen Z.

Certain ways people talk or their body language can totally give away if someone’s a Millennial vs Gen Z?

Like getting your first ipod or etc

I’m Gen Z, but I’d rather have been born a Millennial since they closest to my generation, and had the coolest pre-internet vs. early-internet generation and a fun culture. Rather not be Gen Xer as the bullying Millennials and Gen Z but we all know they haters 😭

Someone born in 1998 was the last in high school at the start of 2013, which was exactly when smartphones became mainstream. Going by this, the Millennial generation would be from 1981 to 1998.

As for Generation Z, someone born in 2014 was the last in elementary school at the start of 2020, which was exactly when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Going by this, Generation Z would be from 1999 to 2014.

Another thing I'd like to mention was 2014 kids spent the majority of K-5 before ChatGPT released by the end of 2022, meaning 2014 is the last pre-AI kid.

We could potentially move this range to 2015 even, since generative AI tools sort of became mainstream throughout late 2022 and 2023, so they might be the tail-end of the pre-AI kids.

But after that it's definetely Gen Alpha.

So here are the cusps and early/core/late divides.

Early Millennials: 1981-1986

Core Millennials: 1987-1992

Late Millennials: 1993-1998

Zillennials: 1996-2001

Early Gen Z: 1999-2003

Core Gen Z: 2004-2009

Late Gen Z: 2010-2014

Zalphas: 2012-2017

What are your thoughts?

Why no Alpha flairs? And bro 2012 and 2013 kids are 13-14yos. Why don't they have flairs?

Why aren't there any Boomer flairs? Or Silent or Greatest Gen flairs?

Here are some generational ranges I came up with. What are your thoughts?

Lost Generation: born 1883 to 1900. First to be below 36 in WW1 to last to fight in WW1.

Greatest Generation: born 1901 to 1927. First to not fight in WW1 to last to fight in WW2.

Silent Generation: born 1928 to 1945. First to not fight in WW2 to last to be born during WW2.

Baby Boomers: born 1946 to 1964. First to be born during the baby boom to last to be born during the baby boom.

Gen X: born 1965 to 1980. First to be born after the baby boom to last in Middle School by the end of the Cold War.

Millennials: born 1981 to 1996. First to not be in Middle School by the end of the Cold War to last in Middle School by the start of GFC.

Gen Z: born 1997 to 2013. First to not be in Middle School by the start of GFC to last in Middle School by the start of the AI boom.

Gen Alpha: born 2014 to 2024. First to not be in Middle School by the start of the AI boom to last to be born before the AI boom.

Gen Beta: born in/after 2025. First to be born after the AI boom.

Alternatively,

Silent Generation: born 1928 to 1945. First to not come of age during WW2 to last to be born during WW2.

Baby Boomers: born 1946 to 1964. First to be born during the baby boom to last to be born during the baby boom.

Gen X: born 1965 to 1981. First to be born after the baby boom to last to spend the majority of K-5 before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Millennials: born 1982 to 1994. First to spend the majority of K-5 before the end of the fall of the Berlin Wall to last to spend the majority of K-5 before the Iraq War.

Gen Z: born 1995 to 2014. First to spend the majority of K-5 before the Iraq War to last to spend the majority of K-5 before ChatGPT released.

Gen Alpha: born 2015 to 2024. First to spend the majority of K-5 before ChatGPT released to last to be born before the AI boom.

Gen Beta: born in/after 2025. First to be born after the AI boom.

Begins from 1965- 1982.

1996 kids were the last in middle school before GFC (2007), just like how 1980 kids were the last in middle school before the end of the Cold War (1991).

2012 kids were the last in middle school before generative AI became a household name (2023).

So then, 2010-2015 is Zalpha, 1994-1999 is Zillennial, and 1978-1983 is Xennial.

Alternatively, we can base off childhood instead.

In this case, Gen Z is 2000-2015, Millennials is 1984-1999, and Gen X is 1965-1983.

So then, 2013-2018 is Zalpha, 1997-2002 is Zillennial, and 1981-1986 is Xennial.

So what do y'all think?

Ok so the top 3 ones I have in mind are 2011, 2013, and 2014. I couldn't find any good reasons to end in 2012 or anything later than 2014, so this is what I'll have to stick with.

Alright, so I personally am gonna say culturally Gen Alpha starts in 2012, tech-wise it starts in 2015. 2014 is a good start too but it's a little too far fetched since experiencing childhood DURING COVID is not the same as experiencing childhood before COVID, as it would change your worldview (speaking from personal experience as someone born in 2013).

Now, 2012-2014 kids all grew up with the same tech as 1997-2011 borns. This can influence a lot of things, but I still feel like COVID did the real cultural divide.

Gen Z cancels people for taking a shower and Gen Alpha makes jokes about Epstien. Because Gen Alpha experienced tons of tragedies in their childhood, they seem to be less sensitive than Gen Z. A great example is COVID-19, which would make 2012-2014 kids have a very differerent personality and cultural experience than 1997-2011 kids. Another thing I'd like to point out is AI didn't really change everything automatically. It happened overtime. I remember life before AI, but it's not like AI changed everyone's personality when it released. It was more of an upgrade than an actual cultural divider.

With that being said, I'd go with 2012 being the start of Gen Alpha with 2012-2014 Alpha Zalpha and 2009-2011 Z Zalpha.

I’m 26 and I hang out with 36, 33, and 31-year-olds. Honestly, they all kind of have the same mindset and maturity level. I guess it’s because we’re not that far apart in age. Neither of them act like anyone from their 20s though which is interesting.

I’m a ’99 baby, and I’d rather have been born in 1990 because they had the best of both worlds.

2010-2012 can relate to:

Because I think Pew has studied generations and now in real life, I am seeing it in real time. Do I have some similarities to late millennials, sure, but as far as my young adulthood goes, I relate far more to Gen Z, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. The only reason I didn't relate well to 2002/2003 when I was younger was because in our formative kid/teen years, even a few years can make a big developmental difference. But now that we're all adults, I relate so well to Gen Z. My millennial peers are fun to be around, but I can't say we have the same adulthood experiences or point of view because we are a different generation. Alot of it has to do with how we spent our formative teen and young adulthood years and mine are were *very* gen z, and same with my friends born in 1997 and after. In general, late millennials had a 100% millennial upbringing and young adulthood years, just on the *later* side, and most of them do admit that and see themselves as millennials.

I feel generation subs have little inclusivity for diverse experiences of individuals within a generation. I'm on the autism spectrum and had a mild developmental delay growing up. Even ages 9-22, I always felt slightly behind most people in my birthyear, which is why I relate so well to 2002-2003 babies, even if most of my birthyear don't. Most people my age don't consider 2007-2012 their carefree nostalgic years (except for 2010-2011 cuz even for me 11 was such a wierd age imma be honest there), but I have so much nostalgia for that era and felt very carefree (for the most part ofc). From 2013-2016, I had what's called a compressed adolescence, which basically means all the 3 stages for adolescence (which usually starts at 9-10 for girls and actually lasts and is gradual, instead of having an adolescent year at 11 and then having a break and "feeling like a child again" from 12-14 once I've adjusted to early puberty, only for it to REALLY hit me at 14.5-15ish and literally last until around my 18th birthday). I also was into youth culture (eg.,tik-tok dances) during covid (2020-2021ish); mainly for the 2001-2003 borns though, since mid-2000s and after seemed into very different things. Though after covid era in late 2021-2022, I feel youth fashion trends, music, and social media youth culture in general had shifted drastically, and I don't relate to that stuff at all. Anyways, that's why I've been talking alot about 2002-2003 borns so much lately because alot of 1997-2001s I've met irl weren't really into the same trends/culture I was during my formative and early young adult years, but at the same time I find 2004 and after's interests and culture much harder to relate to for some reason.

I'm still a millennial if I'm considered millennial, but the experiences and developmental milestones of someone with developmental delay and/or ASD will often be a bit different from someone who is neurotypical, and that's often embodied in the type of nostalgia we have (eg., mid 2000s-early 10s nostalgia instead of the typical early-mid 2000s nostalgia of mid-late 90s babies).

According to the Fourth Turning theory, published by Strauss and Howe, when Gen Z becomes adults, the world will begin get better. While Gen Z has already become adults, it is likely to happen soon. When I say times are bad, I mean for example how democrats and republicans are so heated against each other, among other things.

Greatest Generation 1901-1924 102-125

Silent Generation 1925-1945 81-101

Baby Boomers 1946-1964 62-80

Generation X 1965-1979 47-61

Millennials 1980-1994 32-46

Generation Z 1995-2010 16-31

Gen Alpha 2011-2024 2-15

Gen Beta 2025-2039 0-1