Hyear between 13 and 15 years old, they grew up with smartphones and social media, they lived pandemic during the crucial years of pre -adolescence, but they have the same an unprecedented awareness: that of being able to dream bigbut also to have to deal with obstacles that should not exist. I am the so -called Alpha generation, The boys and girls born between 2010 and 2015those who overlook adulthood in an era of profound social transformations and bright debate on gender rights.
The Alpha generation between dreams and obstacles
But what do these guys think of their future? How much do stereotypes still weigh on their aspirations? To answer these questions, The genre and stereotype observatorypromoted by Henkel Italy, he decided to listen to their voices directlyinvolving over 2,300 people between adults and pre -adolescents in what represents the largest investigation ever conducted in Italy on these issues.
They dream big, but the girls already know they have to fight more
The numbers tell a complex story: 44% of girls and 39% of boys between 13 and 15 years old declares to have ambitious projects for the future. Dreams that find fertile ground in families more and more supporting, so much so that 71% of girls and 72% of boys feel encouraged by parents in cultivating their passions. However, Behind this apparent equality is hiding a gap which emerges clearly when it comes to trust in the future.
The first Italian survey on the Alpha generation reveals certain but realistic and aware guys (Getty)
Same ambition, different security
The difference occurs, in particular, in the perception of one’s possibilities. If boys and girls start with the same enthusiasm, Males show greater security in the realization of their dreams. 78% of the boys believe they can generate an impact, even in their own small way, against 70% of girls. And when it comes to “emerge among many”, the percentages become even more eloquent: 21% for them, 16% for them. It is not a question of determination39% of girls and 43% of boys say they have it, but of awareness of the obstacles that await them. And here the real knot of the matter emerges.
The weight of the discrimination perceived
The 13-15-year-old girls have clear ideas about what awaits them in the world of work. Almost a third of them28%, fears gender discrimination, against just 9% of male peers. The picture becomes even more clear when it comes to parenting: 31% of girls are afraid of penalties if they have children, a percentage that collapses 8% among the boys. More than 13% of girls already think that he will have to sacrifice his career for the familya concern shared only by 9% of males. They are data, important, because they photograph a generation that, although growing in an era of greater sensitivity on gender themes, knows very well that the road to equality is still uphill.
The influencer? For the Alpha generation it is not an inspiration
These convictions do not arise in the void, But they are formed by observing daily reality. Despite the progress, in fact, which sees the fathers increasingly involved in domestic life, Young people grass the different pressures to which parents are subjected And they recognize the greatest effort of mothers in reconciling work and personal life. A curious figure concerns the reference models: while 70% of adults are convinced that influencers are reference figures for young people, Only 2% of pre -adolescents spontaneously ment them as a source of inspiration. Mom and dad remain the main models, as to personal satisfaction and construction.
Media and stereotypes: a critical look
There Alpha generation showsFurthermore, a significant critical ability to analyze media messages. Three quarters of girls, 75%, and over two thirds of boys, 68%, they recognize that social media amplify stereotypes. Cinema, TV series and advertising end up in the viewfinder: 84% of girls and 81% of boys report that women are chosen only based on beauty and represented as sweets, sensitive and emotional. But criticism does not even spare the narration of masculinity. 77% of girls and 76% of boys agree on an excessive emphasis on strength, courage and success, aspects that uncomfortable especially the boys, worried not to correspond to these expectations.
Words that matter
The position on linguistic themes is also interesting: in qualitative interviews, pre -adolescents declare themselves against the use of asterisk or Schwa, convinced that a deeper change serves. For them, a truly inclusive and respectful narrative of the differences, requires a more radical cultural changewhich goes beyond the symbols to substantially transform the way the company tells men and women. A position that testifies to the search for concrete solutions rather than formal correctionsrevealing a generation that is not satisfied with appearances, but aims at the heart of problems.
Towards a fairer future
The Observatory, now in its fourth edition, continues to return the portrait of an evolving company And, the research data offer precious ideas to understand the challenges that await this generation. A generation that comes to the world of work with ambitious dreams and an acute awareness of the still existing disparities. As Mara Panajia, president and CEO of Henkel Italia points out: «There is no real Dream Gap between males and females. Both feel free to dream big, But the girls know well that they will have to commit much more to be taken seriously». The real bet will be transforming this awareness into an instrument of change.