Casey Moser and Josh Scott experienced a different kind of New Year’s Eve this year.
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Instead of watching fireworks or celebrating with friends, the Cobram couple were getting ready to welcome their new baby girl into the world.
They expected baby Haisley Moser-Scott to be born on December 31, a 2024 baby.
But as the night wore on, they began to wonder on which side of midnight she’d arrive.
“It was a race to see if I’d have her before or after,” Ms Moser said.
At 12.15am on Wednesday, January 1, baby Haisley finally made her debut, snatching the title of the first baby born this year at GV Health, and possibly the first 2025 baby in the state, according to her parents.
But Haisley is not only the first local baby of 2025, she’s also the first of a new generation.
Individuals born between 2025 and 2039 will be members of Generation Beta.
This incoming generation — the seventh concurrent generation of our time — are expected to make up 16 per cent of the global population by 2035.
That’s according to demographer, generational analyst and futurist Mark McCrindle.
Mr McCrindle is credited with coining the term Generation Alpha for those born between 2010 and 2024.
According to the McCrindle website, Gen Beta will be the children of younger millennials and older Gen Zs.
Many born in this latest generation will live to see the 22nd century.
They’ll also grow up in a world that’s markedly different from the one their parents, and even older siblings, have experienced, with defining technological and cultural shifts.
“Everything will be different,” Ms Moser said of the world her daughter will experience.
“Generation Beta will live in an era where AI and automation are fully embedded in everyday life — from education and workplaces to health care and entertainment,” the McCrindle website states.
“They will likely be the first generation to experience autonomous transportation at scale, wearable health technologies and immersive virtual environments as standard aspects of daily life.”
Gen Beta will also inherit a world grappling with major challenges, including climate change and global population shifts.
According to Mr McCrindle, this new generation represents the dawn of a new era.
“They will grow up in a world shaped by breakthroughs in technology, evolving social norms, and an increasing focus on sustainability and global citizenship,” he said.
For Ms Moser and Mr Scott, baby Haisley represents much more than the start of a new generation.
She is the youngest of four siblings and has been welcomed with joy.
“You couldn’t ask for a better start (to the new year),” Mr Scott said.
The couple look forward to seeing Haisley grow and watching their family evolve over the year to come.