Gen Alpha Is Prepared to Pay Big to Slow Aging
With every generation new trends emerge as culture evolves and innovations come to market — and perhaps no category has been more influenced by ever-changing expectations, outlooks and methodology than antiaging.
According to new research from Thorne’s 2024 edition of its Fear of Aging report, which looks to decipher American’s perception of aging, the next generation of consumers in the U.S. are particularly committed to pursuing methods of antiaging. Recent reports have shown pre-teens swarming favorite beauty retailers, like Sephora, to get their hands on products that promote healthy skin.
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To fully understand the nuances and preconceived notions that Gen Alpha and other generations hold on aging, as well as plans to combat its effects, the researchers of the report looked to survey data from YouGov plc with 2,408 U.S. adult respondents (over 18 years old) and nearly 550 U.S. youth respondents (13 to 17 years old).
“Society’s views on aging are evolving and each generation is beginning to think about their health and longevity earlier than the last,” said Colin Watts, chief executive officer of Thorne. “With this shift also comes evolving expectations, outlooks and methods to aging — both good and bad. While each individual views the concept through a different lens, the common ground is that we’re not looking to defy it, yet simply do it the best we can.”
Among the key findings in the report is Gen Alpha’s relationship with aging. The worst effects of aging, according to Gen Alpha are physical limitations/lack of strength (42 percent), memory loss (38 percent), wrinkles or fine lines (31 percent) and appearing less attractive to others (20 percent). Forty percent of Gen Alpha respondents told the company they “would feel better about aging if there was a positive shift in how society views aging.”
Additionally, more than a third of Gen Alpha respondents said they are “devoted to a multistep skin care routine to combat aging” compared to just a quarter of adults. Unsurprisingly, a quarter of Gen Alpha said they turn to TikTok for medical advice compared to just 10 percent of adults.
When asked what they would be willing to do to prevent aging, Gen Alpha was found to be more than twice as likely to consider cosmetic procedures, compared to older generations. Forty percent also said they would be willing to go a week without social media, 26 percent said they would be willing to give up a good grade in school and 19 percent said they would be willing to give up their future dream job to stay young.
Still, Gen Alpha said their first steps to combat aging would be eating healthy and/or exercising (64 percent), taking supplements (43 percent) and prioritizing mental health/reducing stress (37 percent).
When it comes to spending to put off the effects of aging, 51 percent of Gen Alpha said they would spend $100 per month, compared to 24 percent of Millennials and 15 percent of Gen Z. Twenty-three percent of the cohort said they would invest in products, resources and services to slow aging and combat the appearance of aging, with 23 percent reporting that they would only pursue natural alternatives.
Given the current age of Gen Alpha Thorne’s researchers said that these findings are putting American parents under new and worsening pressure to spend on their children’s desire to invest in slowing down aging and its effects. More than half of Gen Alpha respondents said they expect to be able to spend more than $100 of their parents’ month on healthy aging products. This financial pressures peak, said the authors of the report, when a child reaches 15 years old when 58 percent expect to spend more than $100 per month on skin care and healthy aging products.
“These findings provide clarity on which aspects of aging raise the most concern while revealing the common ground many Americans share which is to take a proactive and personalized approach to their health by choosing a healthier lifestyle, supplementing as needed and listening to their doctor sooner,” Watts said. “While we found it’s common to view aging with fear, it’s clear people are ready to flip the script to preserve their longevity in a positive way.”
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