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Stacey Vanek Smith
from Everybody's Business Today we're sharing an episode from one of our favorite Bloomberg podcasts, the Big Take. I spoke with David Gura about BusinessWeek's Gen Alpha series and why they're the Gen generation. We should keep our attention on. We'll be back with a new episode of Everybody's Business this Friday.
Podcast Intro/Interlude Voice
Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio News what
Riley Peterson's Dad (John)
is going on with Gen Alpha?
Stacey Vanek Smith
I'm genuinely terrified for this next generation of children. There is no before for them. There is no analog childhood or a memory of one.
Riley Peterson's Dad (John)
These children have access to so much media and so much content consumption.
Stacey Vanek Smith
I decided to work at a summer camp this year and I didn't understand the severity of the brain rot.
David Gura
Stacey I'm hearing griping from one generation about the generation that's following it. This is a time honored routine. This has happened generation after generation after. When did all of this start?
Stacey Vanek Smith
OK Boomer has been happening for thousands of years.
David Gura
We had this with Generation X and Generation Y. Here we are, they're now grousing about Generation Alpha. What is being critiqued or criticized among this the youngest generation.
Stacey Vanek Smith
It gets very vitriolic when you start looking into it. If you go on social media and TikTok and things like that, you will see a lot of teachers, camp counselors really complaining about how unruly the Alphas
The Hartford Representative
are I teach seventh grade.
David Gura
They are still performing on the fourth grade level.
Riley Peterson's Dad (John)
Your kids cannot read, they cannot write.
Stacey Vanek Smith
Gen Alpha students are raised in a world that tells them that it's okay to be as nihilistic and individualistic as possible, that they don't have to care about anything or anyone. I need to ask Millennials, why are
Riley Peterson's Dad (John)
your kids so awful?
David Gura
I gotta ask you, how deep into the algorithm did you have to go to find this level of criticism?
Stacey Vanek Smith
It's pretty out there on the surface, yes. I feel like there's an issue of the normal criticisms of a younger generation, and it's now amplified by data. Also, the Alphas are just about to start entering the workforce. They have a big leg up with AI, with technology, with social media and things like that. So I think there's maybe some fear of their presence in the workforce, too.
David Gura
And that is what you've written about. That is their superpower when it comes to their technological facility.
Stacey Vanek Smith
I mean, obviously, we are all wondering how AI is going to transform our workplace. And these kids are going to be in a much better position than certainly I am. You know, the Alphas are digital natives. They're social media natives. They've grown up sometimes inside of virtual worlds as well as in the real world. And so navigating these two worlds is not going to be the challenge for them that it is like for me, the other thing about the Alphas is they're about to become consumers. They're about to start earning their own money, but they already command more money than people their age typically have in the past. They're apparently directly responsible for $100 billion worth of spending, which is extraordinary.
David Gura
$100 billion in annual spending in the US alone is attributed to this generation. Forgive me for just being astounded by that.
Stacey Vanek Smith
It is astounding. But also, they apparently have more influence over how their families spend money than a lot of previous generations. So they are dictating everything from the cars their families drive to the trips their families take to the streaming services they sign up for. The Alphas are just present in the economy in a way that previous generations were not at their age, foreign.
David Gura
I'm David Gura, and this is the big take from Bloomberg News today on the show. I'm talking to Bloomberg businessweek senior writer and co host of the Everybody's Business podcast, Stacy Vanek Smith, about Generation Alpha. Who are they? Why are they making waves before many of them are out of middle school? And how is their entrepreneurship and spending reshaping the retail landscape? What are the Date parameters that we're talking about here?
Stacey Vanek Smith
Well, first, David, I do want to acknowledge that in a certain way, you know a lot more about generation Alpha than I do as the parent of three Alphas.
David Gura
I have three Alphas. I said to one of our producers, I'm unsure if any of them identifies as an Alpha. I will follow up and ask afterward. But yes, born between. What are the date parameters for generation Alpha?
Stacey Vanek Smith
Yes. So there is some disagreement, but generally speaking, generation Alphas were born between 2010 and 2020.
The Hartford Representative
Okay.
Stacey Vanek Smith
So basically between the ages of 1 and 16 years old, it is the largest generation that's ever existed. It's about 25% of the population. And I think part of the concerns about this generation are actually not coming from a nefarious place, because a lot of these kids had huge milestones happen during the pandemic during lockdown. You know, scientists and sociologists are worried about the effect of the pandemic. And then they underwent such a massive transition, you know, being home all the time and then now back in school. And so a lot of the concern and examination of this generation happened because I think people were unsure what the effects of that were. I do think the genesis of a lot of the kind of worry which has of course transitioned into criticism, came from that.
David Gura
Stacey, what is different about the way these kids have grown up, or I guess are growing up compared to past generations?
Stacey Vanek Smith
I mean, I think one of the big things is screens, because during the pandemic, we were all home. A lot of socializing, education, all of that happened necessarily, in a lot of cases, entirely through screens. Add to that sort of the growing world of social media, the growing world of games like Roblox, and you've got a generation that sort of moves between worlds in a way that other generations don't. So I think there are a lot of worries about that. Also attention spans with the screens. There are a lot of worries about Alphas brains, essentially their reading comprehension, their ability to interact with people outside of screens, like in real life. Also their ability to respect authority, interact in social situations that are offline. So these are some of the worries and criticisms about the Alphas. And then also there are comments about their self discipline, that they're maybe a little less disciplined. Apparently, some millennial parents engage in gentle parenting, which created a lot of skepticism.
David Gura
We could do a whole nother episod. We don't have to get into that now. There's a level of tech fluency here. This generation had to do a lot online during the pandemic. And that's led to this kind of early awareness of what's trendy. It's made them this economic force.
Stacey Vanek Smith
Yes. So a lot of these kids, I mean, they have a lot of the habits and tendencies that kids always have. You know, starting little businesses, making things, creating. But they can do that on these platforms where they have this in ease of use.
David Gura
So we're talking about like Roblox and other virtual worlds.
Stacey Vanek Smith
Yeah. Or even Instagram, things like that. Where they can make something and the world can see it. Where they can record something, they can sing or dance or all the things that little kids have always done, but they have this potentially international audience transcends the neighborhood, it transcends the neighborhood, it transcends the state, the country. So they can really build something incredibly fast. I think they think bigger as a result of that. Hi, my name is Riley.
Riley Peterson's Dad (John)
This is my dad, John.
David Gura
You talk to a few of these folks. One is Riley Peterson, a 16 year old in Maine.
Riley Peterson's Dad (John)
We own Gunner and Lux together. I'm the manager. Abby.
David Gura
Tell us a bit about Riley. Who is Riley? How'd she get her start as an entrepreneur?
Stacey Vanek Smith
So Riley got her start as an entrepreneur when she was five and she was making jewelry out of these little plastic toy animals that she had.
Riley Peterson's Dad (John)
So I didn't have much jewelry growing up. Two dads and all, we just didn't
Riley Peterson
have a lot of jewelry and stuff. We just didn't think about it.
Riley Peterson's Dad (John)
So they were like, hey, friends, can you get jewelry? Jewelry? Hello?
Riley Peterson
Yeah, some friends brought over like a box of jewelry and she sort of
Riley Peterson's Dad (John)
went through it and I was like, like any of this, this is all horrendous. I need my own stuff. Thank you very much.
Riley Peterson
You know, at the time we were working on some stuff in the house. So we had pliers and so I was just kind of teaching her how to use pliers.
Riley Peterson's Dad (John)
So I took my dad's tools and like, thank you. This, this, this? Yes, please. This, this, this. Got what I wanted.
Riley Peterson
We had a bunch of these little plastic animals. So we hooked those up onto the
Riley Peterson's Dad (John)
necklaces and like, you know what? I have too much stuff I need to sell at my lemonade stand, which
Stacey Vanek Smith
is just a very typical kid thing. But her dad took a couple pictures of this and posted it on Instagram and. And her business absolutely took off. I mean, I know, right? What happened to my lemonade stand? Nothing like that. I will tell you.
David Gura
David, owe your parents for the concentrate they bought you to get it off the ground?
Stacey Vanek Smith
Yes. Yeah, I still owe back pay on the lemons.
David Gura
How quickly did this happen? What do you know about the kind of, the speed with which this turned from that a lemonade stand where she was selling crafts into this much bigger thing.
Stacey Vanek Smith
I think it wasn't even a year before Barney's contacted them and said, let's have a meeting. We want to talk with you about a partnership.
Riley Peterson
Yeah, I remember you were in dance class and then Barney's New York called.
Riley Peterson's Dad (John)
Like the middle of ballet. My dad like steps up and like, hey, this is Barney's. Can you like, come down?
Riley Peterson
Yeah, it was pretty neat.
Stacey Vanek Smith
And then she started getting press and all of a sudden it was this kind of fun international brand of jewelry for kids, essentially, which is a really smart idea. But I think it happened on a scale that it never would have happened before. And now it's about 10 years later and she's done partnerships with J. Crew and all of these huge brands and she very much considers herself like a partner in this business with her dad, and her dad very much considers her a full partner, too.
David Gura
How unique a story is this? How does this, what Riley has done, what she's doing, fit into this broader conversation about Gen Alpha as a force in business and a force in spending as well?
Stacey Vanek Smith
She's certainly an exceptional case, but I will say that she's less exceptional than she would have been 20 years ago.
David Gura
After the break, why one researcher says the future is bright for Gen Alpha. And is there economic spending power really here to stay?
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David Gura
Stacey, you talked to the woman who's written the book on Generation Alpha, or at least a book on Generation Alpha. What did she tell you about this generation?
Stacey Vanek Smith
Yes, her name is Ashley Fell. She's the author of Generation Understanding Our Children and Helping Them Thrive. And she had great things to say about this generation. Very positive, very positive. The opposite of what we were hearing from teachers. Although she did acknowledge those issues exist. But she really, through studying this generation, sees a lot of extraordinary traits in them as well, including teamwork, empathy, honesty.
Ashley Fell
They're almost at an older psyche at a younger age, she said.
Stacey Vanek Smith
They're exceptionally creative. They think really big and sort of across disciplines. And she thinks they're quite a special generation in a lot of ways, partially because, you know, right now we're in a moment where we're all pretty siloed and where, you know, globalization, free trade, a lot of that has gone away a little bit. She thinks the Alphas will unquestionably bring that back because they're so connected to each other. They're Connected to world events.
Ashley Fell
Because of the technology that they consume and the way that it's presented, they're more likely almost to know what's going on across the world maybe than their local neighborhood.
Stacey Vanek Smith
In good ways and bad. Kids under 8 now spend a couple hours a day on average looking at screens. By age four, about 60% of kids own a tablet. Wow.
David Gura
Age four?
Stacey Vanek Smith
Yeah, age four. And so they are consumers in an exceptionally sophisticated way. More than two thirds of Alphas own a luxury product by age 10.
David Gura
And that's what, that's a handbag, a perfume. What are we talking about here?
Stacey Vanek Smith
Yes and yes. For female Alphas, it tends to be a lot of cosmetics, a lot of skin care and a lot of anti aging skin care.
David Gura
At the age of four.
Stacey Vanek Smith
Yes, yes. Like wrinkle, you know, that sort of 12 step skin care. Korean skin care has become a huge thing, very much fueled by the Alphas. Sephora is packed full of Alphas.
Ashley Fell
You think Sephora, you think, you know, Gen Z and millennial women and other generations. But it was populated by, you know, 13 to 15 year old gen alphas who are buying sophisticated retinol products aimed at millennials. You know, so it was, it was this kind of, I was almost like up aging in real time.
Stacey Vanek Smith
A lot of Alpha boys are also into skincare. This has become a big thing. And she said there was a big trend among boys for very, very high end colognes for young boys. They would get the, in very rural places. But they are all tapped into these global trends and they're getting very expensive colognes.
David Gura
But to be clear here, Stacy, whose money are most of the kids, and they are kids in this generation spending, I guess in some cases it's theirs, but often they're spending your money, they
Stacey Vanek Smith
are spending your money. They are basically wielding for the most part enormous power over how their families spend. They are bringing their own concerns into a lot of family purchases. Things like environmental concerns, global concerns, political concerns. They're raising the awareness within their families. So things like food and streaming services, cars. My car is not cool, is it?
David Gura
It's a minivan. Have you been told that they're not happy with it?
Stacey Vanek Smith
No. Well, this is very normal.
David Gura
Tough economy right now.
Stacey Vanek Smith
It is a tough economy right now. And also trips and vacations, which apparently is sort of a mix between kids raising concerns and desires to go places. Also being much more aware of places to go than previous generations were. They're like, I want to go here. I saw it on line, things like that. And you know, just holding More sway over families than, you know, certainly I did. My parents never asked my input on where I wanted to go. I don't know if you were ever asked your input.
David Gura
Never.
Stacey Vanek Smith
Yeah, exactly. I mean, I think just like the level of lifestyle and cosmopolitan ness is huge among kids right now.
David Gura
How are those companies, companies in those sectors capitalizing all of this? Have they acknowledged. Are they aware of the fact that there's so much buying power?
Stacey Vanek Smith
Oh, yeah.
David Gura
Yes.
Stacey Vanek Smith
Companies, I think, are excited about this because, you know, there's always this youth obsession with products because they want to lock people in early to their brands, because then, you know, that loyalty can stick and this can be a customer for decades. But now, because the little kids are so much more brand aware. Sorry, I shouldn't call them little kids, because these young adults are so much more brand.
David Gura
They would appreciate that clarification.
Stacey Vanek Smith
I think. I think they would, but I think, you know, they are much more aware of brands than previous generations, and so their loyalty can be won over at a much younger age. Things like, they're much more politically involved and aware than kids in previous generations. So you can appeal to them that way. They're much more aware of their own individual preferences. And these were things that Riley talked about too. She said the jewelry she sells. Political jury, like resist. There was a whole resist necklaces. But, you know, even things like, I love science, I love reading, people want to express that immediately. So brands are kind of locking into that, expressing environmental awareness, environmental concerns, things like that are ways brands can kind of attract the Alphas.
David Gura
I imagine there are probably a lot of companies saying, look, we've. We've hooked these kids young. They'll be our customers for. For life. Is that the sense that you're getting from both Generation Alpha and these companies? How susceptible is all this to economic shocks?
Stacey Vanek Smith
I was wondering that myself. I mean, if as things get more expensive, if budgets start to come into effect or financial distress for a lot of families, I think that could probably have a big impact over the power of the Alphas. I mean, during the pandemic was a time of record savings for a lot of American families. That is totally reversed, which means the influence kids can have will probably reverse too, because they're not in direct control of a lot of this money, as you pointed out. So I do think maybe some of this influence will fade a bit. But also the degree to which these kids are tapped in, to the economy, to each other, to the world, that's not going away. So I think this is probably still gonna have legs if not for the immediate future, where maybe families are pulling back for the longer term future, for sure.
David Gura
Stacey, I wanted to bring you back in because, you know, I said I didn't know if my kids identified as an Alpha.
Stacey Vanek Smith
Yes, yes. I remember.
David Gura
I asked them.
Stacey Vanek Smith
Okay.
David Gura
In fact, they are familiar with the term. They use it.
Stacey Vanek Smith
Okay.
David Gura
And they thought I was totally lame and old for having to ask that question.
Stacey Vanek Smith
So they're like, of course we're Alphas. You're old for not knowing.
David Gura
Yeah, dad, come on. Which is just the general, general vibe that I get. This is the Big Take from Bloomberg News. I'm David Gura. To get more from the Big Take and unlimited access to all of bloomberg.com, subscribe today@bloomberg.com podcastoffer thanks for listening. We'll be back tomorrow.
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Podcast: Everybody's Business (Bloomberg & iHeartPodcasts)
Date: May 19, 2026
Hosts: Stacey Vanek Smith & David Gura
Special Guest: Ashley Fell, Author of "Generation: Understanding Our Children and Helping Them Thrive"
Featured Story: Riley Peterson, Gen Alpha Entrepreneur
This episode dives into the burgeoning economic power, behavioral patterns, and cultural influence of Generation Alpha—kids born between 2010 and 2020. Hosts Stacey Vanek Smith and David Gura, joined by author Ashley Fell, examine how this cohort is reshaping retail, family spending, and what it means to be a digital native. The episode blends on-the-ground anecdotes, expert commentary, and statistics to paint a nuanced picture of the most digitally integrated—and arguably most influential—generation yet.
Tech-Integrated Lives:
Criticism and Fear Around Gen Alpha:
Entering the Workforce Early:
$100 Billion Market Force:
Pandemic’s Lasting Effect:
Case Study—Riley Peterson:
Global Platform = Accelerated Opportunity:
Broader Trend:
Ashley Fell’s Optimism:
Early Exposure to Consumerism and Brand Sophistication:
Kids as Family Decision-Makers:
Corporate Response:
Economic Volatility:
Identity and Pride:
The episode blends playful banter (especially around generational differences) with serious reporting. Stacey and David are wry, candid, and open to both the criticisms and the optimism swirling around Gen Alpha. Their conversation is light but data-driven, capturing both the awe and apprehension that older generations feel about this new cohort.
Even if you've never encountered the term "Gen Alpha," this episode convincingly explains why marketers, sociologists, and parents should pay attention to the cohort born from 2010 onward. With unprecedented exposure to technology and an ability to shape both their world and their families’ consumption, Gen Alpha is rewriting the rules of childhood, commerce, and culture. Blending anecdotes with expert opinion and hard data, the hosts spotlight both the promise and the perils that come with raising—and marketing to—the most digitally savvy generation yet.