Generation Alpha – people born after 2010 – are revolutionizing the way we earn money before they are even old enough to drive. While Generation Z has already distinguished itself by its culture of side hustlea side activity bringing in additional income, the Alpha generation goes even further. The emergence of screens from an early age is a springboard towards financial independence, including for children, reports Fast Company magazine. But how do these young people manage to turn their time online into a real business?
According to a survey conducted by the Whop platform (which connects content creators and their audience to generate income) among 2,002 young Americans aged 12 to 28, more than half use the internet not only for entertainment, but also to generate income. Nearly half (47.1%) of members of Generation Alpha are already earning money online in the United States. This figure has increased by 15% in one year.
On average, these young entrepreneurs earn $13.92 per hour (around 12 euros), almost double the federal minimum wage in the United States. Some even manage to exceed 40,000 dollars a year (approximately 35,000 euros) before having celebrated their sixteenth birthday!
The resale of new or vintage clothing comes at the top of the most lucrative activities, practiced by 20% of respondents. Others turn to streaming video games (14.1%) or participating in e-sports tournaments (13.1%).
A generation born to do business online
Content creation is not left out. 10.5% of young people monetize their publications on social networks or by “clipping”: that is, by transforming YouTube videos or podcasts into short and viral extracts. Partnerships with brands are still rare (9.1%), but many dream of becoming full-time content creators.
For Brett Malinowski, marketing director at Whop, this trend is natural: “Social media raised this generation, so making money online has become the norm. Seeing creators make a living from their passion inspires younger people to follow the same path.”
Whether they invest their earnings in cryptocurrency, in the stock market, in their studies or in their first home, the main objective remains the same: to free themselves from financial dependence on their parents. These activities also transform the relationship of young people to screens. Generation Alpha devotes 20.3% of their screen time to income-generating activities, more than Generation Z.
More than half of these young entrepreneurs (51.5%) are even considering transforming their livelihood into a full-fledged career. By redefining the codes of work, gen Alpha is not just making money, they are reinventing the way it is earned. It remains to be seen whether it is healthy for children to find themselves engaging in this type of activity so early, even if it means falling into an unhealthy obsession with money, even before adolescence. Earning pocket money never hurt anyone, if parents are there to set a framework and limits.
