For the youngest teens, their most important identity marker is age
In 2024, Springtide Research Institute asked 1,112 members of Gen Alpha—all 13-year-olds—about their identities, including how markers like race, gender, nationality, and age matter in describing who they are.
For Gen Alpha teens, age matters most to self-identity
When asked to pick the most important marker of their identities, 13-year-olds most often choose their age-group.
Just over 90% of BIPOC 13-year-olds say race or ethnicity is at least slightly important to their identity
When asked about them specifically, race and ethnicity emerge as important self-identifiers, particularly for BIPOC respondents. Seventy-seven percent of all 13-year-olds say that race or ethnicity is at least slightly important in describing who they are; 28% of these young people say that this identity is very important. Among BIPOC respondents, 91% consider race or ethnicity to be at least slightly important, and 45% of these young people say that this identity is very important.
Gen Alpha teens and American identity
When asked whether they think of themselves as a particular racial/ethnic identity or as an American generally, both white and BIPOC 13-year-olds most often choose “just an American” to describe themselves. BIPOC 13-year-olds are more likely than their white counterparts to identify with their racial or ethnic group instead of, or in addition to, their American identity.
Looking for more data on Generation Alpha? Read Springtide Data Drops on Gen Alpha’s religious and spiritual identities, Gen Alpha and mental health, and teen screen time.
Note: The above data are excerpted from Springtide’s report Thirteen: A First Look at Gen Alpha. Download the FREE report here to learn more about the oldest members of Gen Alpha.
