Gen Z parents are raising Gen Beta: what changes now
Gen Z parents grew up online, and now they are raising Generation Beta, the first children born into a world of everyday AI. Here is what changes in how they parent.
Parenting changes because Gen Z parents know the internet from the inside: they tend to delay their children's first devices, set clearer screen rules, talk openly about AI and mental health, and use technology as a tool rather than a babysitter.
For the first time, a generation that grew up with the internet in its pocket is now raising children of its own. The oldest members of Generation Z are in their late twenties, and their babies belong to a brand-new generation: Generation Beta. That simple fact changes parenting in ways no earlier generation has faced, because these parents do not have to guess what growing up online feels like. They lived it.
Generation Beta is the name given by Australian research firm McCrindle to children born between 2025 and 2039, following Generation Alpha, born between 2010 and 2024. McCrindle describes Beta children as typically born to younger millennial and older Gen Z parents, and projects they will make up around 16 percent of the world's population by 2035. Generation Z itself is defined by the Pew Research Center as people born between 1997 and 2012, the first generation to grow up with smartphones and social media from childhood. When those two facts sit side by side, the picture is clear: the parents of Beta grew up online, and their children will grow up with artificial intelligence.
Parenting from experience, not from theory
Most parents teach from what they remember. A parent who grew up without a phone can find it hard to picture what a child sees online. A Gen Z parent does not have that problem. They remember their first social media account, the pressure to reply instantly, the fear of missing out, and the way a bad comment could follow them to school the next day. That memory is now shaping the rules they set at home.
Research shows this caution is already visible. In a Pew Research Center survey of teens and their parents, 48 percent of teens said social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age, up from 32 percent in 2022. Parents were even more worried: in the same Pew research, reported by Education Week, 41 percent of parents said social media hurts teens' sleep, 38 percent said it hurts productivity, and 24 percent said it hurts mental health. Gen Z parents carry those worries into their own homes, but with a difference: they also know what good online life can look like, from learning a skill on video to staying close to faraway friends.
The screen-time question comes earlier
For Beta babies, the screen question starts almost at birth. Common Sense Media found that 40 percent of children have their own tablet by age 2, and that young children's screen time is about two and a half hours per day. That is a lot of screen time before a child can even read, and it is exactly why many young parents are now setting limits early instead of trying to fix habits later.
Doctors give them a clear starting point. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children under 18 months except video chatting with family, and no more than one hour per day of high-quality programming for children aged 2 to 5, watched together with a parent. Gen Z parents, who are used to researching everything online, are more likely to have seen this advice before their child's first birthday. The parents who manage it best tend to replace screens with something, not just remove them: a walk, a story, cooking together, or a toy that needs hands, not taps.
AI is the new first
Every generation has a defining technology. For Gen Z it was social media. For Generation Alpha it was the tablet and the smart device. For Generation Beta, McCrindle says, it will be artificial intelligence: Beta children will be the first generation to never know a world without AI, where the line between the digital and physical world feels seamless. Their parents must therefore teach something their own parents never had to teach: how to talk to a machine that talks back.
UNICEF advises parents to start talking about AI when children are young, following the child's curiosity, and notes that even preschool-aged children can understand simple ideas about what AI is and what it can and cannot do. That advice fits Gen Z parents well. They are comfortable with AI tools themselves, so they can show a child that an AI answer is a starting point to check, not a final truth. The useful family rule is simple: if an AI tool says it, we check it together before we believe it or share it.
What actually changes at home
The biggest change is not a gadget or an app. It is the tone of the conversation. Earlier generations often treated the internet as a separate place children visited. Gen Z parents know it is not separate at all. It is where homework happens, where friendships live, and where mistakes can be screenshotted. So instead of banning talk about the internet, they are more likely to talk about it early and often: what to do when a message feels wrong, why a photo shared online cannot be taken back, and why it is okay to log off.
That openness cuts both ways. A parent who posts their own life online must decide what to post about their child. Many young parents are now choosing to share less of their children's faces and names online, because they remember what it felt like to have their own childhood photos and awkward moments live on the internet without their permission.
Gen Z parents vs earlier generations
| Area | Earlier generations of parents | Gen Z parents of Gen Beta |
|---|---|---|
| Own childhood | Little or no internet at home | Smartphones and social media from childhood |
| First device for a child | Often given with few rules | More likely delayed, with rules set first |
| Screen-time advice | Learned after problems appeared | Often researched before the first birthday |
| View of AI | A new tool to learn as adults | An everyday tool to explain to children |
| Talking about online life | Often avoided or only after trouble | More likely open, early, and ongoing |
| Sharing children online | Often shared freely | More likely limited to protect privacy |
A calmer way to think about it
It is easy to worry that Beta children will grow up too connected, too watched, and too dependent on machines. But every generation has worried about the next one, and every generation has also adapted. The advantage Gen Z parents have is real experience. They know the good and the bad of growing up online, and they can pass on both lessons without panic.
The goal is not a perfect, screen-free childhood. The goal is a childhood where technology has a place but does not take every place: where AI helps with homework but does not do the thinking, where a tablet is a tool and not a babysitter, and where a child knows they can tell a parent about anything they see online without fear. If Gen Z parents can give Beta children that balance, growing up online will be something their children understand, not something that happens to them.
Frequently asked questions
Who are Generation Beta's parents?
Generation Beta children, born between 2025 and 2039 according to McCrindle, are typically born to younger millennial and older Gen Z parents. As more Gen Z adults reach their late twenties and thirties, they will make up a growing share of Beta parents.
What makes Gen Z parents different from millennial parents?
Gen Z parents grew up with social media and smartphones themselves, while millennial parents mostly met those tools as teenagers or adults. That firsthand experience often makes Gen Z parents quicker to set device rules, limit sharing photos of children online, and talk openly about online pressure.
When should a Gen Beta child get their first device?
There is no single right age. The American Academy of Pediatrics guidance on young children focuses on limits and co-viewing rather than a device age, so most experts suggest waiting until a child truly needs a device, then starting with strong limits, shared passwords, and regular check-ins.
How should parents talk to young children about AI?
UNICEF suggests following a child's curiosity and keeping explanations simple: AI is a tool that can help and can also make mistakes. Teach children to check AI answers, never share personal details with a chatbot, and always ask an adult when something feels strange.
Will growing up with AI harm Generation Beta?
Not necessarily. AI, like earlier technologies, can help learning and connection or crowd out sleep, play, and conversation, depending on how it is used. The evidence so far points to balance as the key: clear limits, co-viewing, offline play, and open talk about what children see and hear online.