The youngest members of Generation Z were born in 2012. As of early 2026, these individuals are 14 years old and are generally considered the final, youngest cohort before Generation Alpha (born 2013–2025) begins. They are sometimes referred to as part of the "Zalpha" cusp group.
Most news outlets, management and consulting firms, think tanks, and analytics companies frequently use the starting birth year of 1997, often citing Pew Research's 1997–2012 range. In a 2022 report, the U.S. Census designates Generation Z as "the youngest generation with adult members (born 1997 to 2013)".
Generation Z, also sometimes known as iGeneration, Zoomers, post-Millennials, or Homelanders, are defined by Pew Research Center as those born between 1997 and 2012.
While other cohorts (e.g., Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z) are defined by age brackets, Gen C is defined by its members' digital-first lifestyle and mindset. So whether someone is 10 or 82 years old, they can still be a part of Gen C.
"Rizz" is a slang term primarily popularized by Gen Z, but it has been widely adopted and is also heavily used by Gen Alpha, representing a blend of both generations' online language, short for "charisma" and describing romantic charm or flirtatious ability. While Gen Z might have originated its popular usage, Gen Alpha fully embraced it, along with terms like "skibidi" and "no cap," showing how slang rapidly spreads and evolves across platforms like TikTok, notes ABC News.
That symbol (🎀) is called a Ribbon Emoji, often representing gifts, something special, cute, or pretty, and is used for holidays or baby girls, but it's also part of the broader concept of awareness ribbons used to support causes like breast cancer (pink ribbon) or AIDS (red ribbon).
The 💦 (Sweat Droplets) emoji in text has multiple meanings, ranging from literal water, sweat, or rain to slang for sexual fluids, "drip" (style), or feeling overwhelmed/nervous, often depending on the context and accompanying emojis like 🍆 (eggplant) for sexual connotations or 👅 (tongue) for mouth-watering. It can literally mean something is wet (pool, rain) or someone is sweating from heat or anxiety, but also represents liquid in a suggestive way.
The Gen Z stare is a generally pejorative phrase coined by social media users to describe a "blank stare that members of younger generations give in situations where a verbal response would be more common" or appropriate.
Gen Z, iGen, or Centennials: Born approximately 1996 – 2015. Millennials or Gen Y: Born approximately 1977 – 1995. Generation X: Born approximately 1965 – 1976. Baby Boomers: Born approximately 1946 – 1964.
/gen is a shorthand that has recently gained traction, especially on platforms like TikTok. It stands for 'genuinely asking,' and it's often used to clarify intent when someone poses a question or makes a statement that could be interpreted in multiple ways.
Following the trend, the next generation after Gen Beta is likely to be Generation Gamma, born between 2040 and 2054. As we navigate these changing generations, McCrindle emphasized the importance of understanding their needs, values and preferences to anticipate how they will shape society's future.
We're talking about Generation Alpha, the children of Generation Y, and often the younger siblings of Generation Z. Simply put, Generation Alpha are defined as those born from 2010-2024. More than 2.8 million are born globally every week.
