If you were one of those adults who rolled their eyes at the Millennials, you are going to want to sit down for this one. Those avocado toast-loving Millennials are entering their 40s and have children of their own. Gen Z is entering the workforce and Gen Alpha is entering their pre-teen years.

So who are they now? We put some research together to find out.

Generation Y (Millennials)

Birth years: 1980’s and early 1990’s

In 2019, Pew Research found that only 44% of Millennials were married. At that same age, over 53% of Gen Xers, 61% of Boomers, and 81% of the Silent Generation were married. Millennials are getting married at about 30 years old for men and 28 years old for women – which is three years later than the previous generation. For Millennials, the change in dating expectations from a more traditional route to less restrictive romantic relationships meant less likelihood of feeling that marriage is a requirement for happiness.

Millennials broke away from previous generations in terms of religion. According to Pew Research Center findings, 34% of millennials don’t identify with organized religion. Instead, they find themselves to be more spiritual than religious.

Generation Z (Gen Z/Zoomers)

Birth years: Late 90’s and early 2010’s

Gen Z is approaching jobs and careers slightly differently. They aspire to have a job or career they enjoy with over 63% of them noting that this is extremely important, and they will be more likely to quit if a job makes them unhappy or becomes too demanding outside the scope of their responsibilities.

Gen Z is very different in the way that they approach their careers. According to Yello Recruiting, the majority of Gen Z (55%) plan to look for a new job within three years. At the same time, 72% of Gen X planned to stay at their employer for 7+ years.

According to Pew Research, only 47 % of teens say that getting married would be “extremely” or “very important” to them as adults. Marriage and childbearing have been on the decline with each generation, and Gen Z is showing that this decline continues.

Generation Alpha (Gen Alpha)

Birth years: Early 2010s – Mid 2020s

Gen Alpha is the first generation to have video calls as a normal way to call people. Over 54% of Gen Alpha already own tablets, and have been known to try and operate any screen as a touch screen. They embrace learning things from YouTube and are pros in how they maneuver online compared to their predecessors.

When the pandemic first hit in March 2020, the eldest of Gen Alpha was still in elementary school. Today, they are well-versed in Karen culture and active shooter drills. On a positive note, Gen Alpha believes that “helping people”, “protecting people from bullying”, and “everyone being treated the same” are the most important issues for them.

All grown up – or on the way to adulthood

As of 2024, these three generations – Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha – make up over 50% of the United States population, and will continue to grow since some of Gen Alpha haven’t been born yet. As Millennials and Gen Z transition to a new phase of life, it will be fun to see how Gen Alpha ultimately defines their generation.

Written by a Millennial