For years, Gen Z has been the youth demographic driving cultural trends. But as Gen Zs become teens and twentysomethings, graduate school, and enter the workforce, there are new kids in town — literally. Meet Gen Alpha, the up-and-coming consumer cohort born from 2010 to 2025. They’re set to become the most racially, ethnically, and culturally-diverse generation yet.

Why start paying attention to Gen Alpha now? Trust us, they’re gonna be huge. Anticipated to comprise 2 billion people by 2025, Gen Alpha will soon be the largest generation in the history of the world. Already, they are an economic force, with AdAge research suggesting 81% of Gen Alpha kids significantly influence their family’s shopping decisions to the effect of $500 billion per year. According to our own research, Alphas on average start using a tablet at 7, own their first smartphone at 8, and 66% are growing up in a “smart home.”

As the oldest Alphas approach their teenage years, we wanted to dive deep into what makes this cohort tick. We surveyed 788 nationally representative U.S. households comprising 788 parents to Alphas, as well as 743 8- to 12-year-olds. We also conducted family interviews with over a dozen Millennial and Gen X parents, along with their Alpha children. Read on for the three big themes brands can use to meet the new wave of consumers head on.