A new label is reportedly being floated for babies expected to arrive from 2026 onward.
From Boomers to Millennials and Gen Z, each wave tends to pick up a shorthand name that helps define the era they grew up in.
Gen Z is commonly described as those born between 1996 and 2010, while Gen Y (better known as Millennials) typically covers 1981 to 1996.
After that comes Gen Alpha, the cohort usually said to include people born from 2010 through 2024.
That leaves the obvious question: what comes after Gen Alpha?
According to some reports, children born in 2026 could be referred to as Generation Sigma.
If the nickname sticks, it’s expected this group would be defined by strong digital fluency and deeper day-to-day exposure to artificial intelligence than any prior generation.
Given how quickly AI tools are advancing, it’s easy to see why forecasts suggest the next cohort will grow up normalising technologies that still feel new to many adults today.
However, it’s not yet certain whether “Generation Sigma” is intended as an official label or simply another internet-friendly nickname.
That uncertainty is heightened by the fact that, earlier last year, another name was already being discussed: Generation Beta.
Gen Beta is expected to span those born from 2025 to 2039, following on from Gen Alpha.
Social researcher and futurist Mark McCrindle, who previously introduced the term “Generation Alpha,” has said the next cohort of children “will inherit a world grappling with major societal changes”.
He continued: “With climate change, global population shifts, and rapid urbanization at the forefront, sustainability will not just be a preference but an expectation.”
McCrindle has also predicted that by 2035, Gen Beta will account for 16 percent of the global population, with AI playing an even more central role in everyday life.
Separately, some researchers have been weighing in on which generation may be falling behind cognitively.
Neuroscientist Dr Jared Cooney Horvath has argued that Gen Z may be experiencing cognitive stagnation that he links to heavy dependence on newer tech, particularly smartphones.
According to the Mail, Horvath told the Commerce, Science, and Transportation committee that this is connected to the rise of “educational technology” in classrooms, where lessons increasingly depend on tablets and computers.
Horvath told the committee: “More than half of the time a teenager is awake, half of it is spent staring at a screen.
“Humans are biologically programmed to learn from other humans and from deep study, not flipping through screens for bullet point summaries.”