Latest news with #GenAlpha
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Here's why Roblox's Garden Game just went mega viral and became bigger than counter-strike
What do carrots, a 16-year-old coder, and a casual game have in common? Apparently, a ticket to Roblox superstardom. Grow a Garden, the unexpectedly addictive farming simulator, is now dominating Roblox's charts, and not just by a little. It is outgrowing some of the biggest games on the planet. A simple idea that blew up If you log into Roblox today, chances are more than 2 million players are already watering their pixelated blueberries. Last weekend alone, Grow a Garden hit an eye-watering 8.8 million concurrent players, leaving even the likes of Counter-Strike 2 (1.86M) and PUBG (3.25M at its peak) looking like modest backyard operations. All this started when a 16-year-old developer released Grow a Garden on March 25, 2025. The game has since racked up over 3.4 billion visits. What is wild is that it is not even a flashy battle royale or anime crossover. It is just farming. And yet… it works. Gameplay: Just dirt, seeds, and a dream In Grow a Garden, each player gets a humble patch of land and 20 Sheckles (yes, that is the currency) to buy seeds, think carrots and basic crops. But as gardens blossom, so does the gameplay. Sell produce, earn more Sheckles, unlock cooler crops like mangoes, grapes, and even orange tulips. Your garden grows even when you are offline, so the progress is tangible, and endlessly satisfying. It is farming, but make it aesthetic, social, and subtly strategic. And unlike most Roblox hits, it is not trying to be an anime fighter or combat sim, it is softcore wholesome, and Gen Alpha is clearly obsessed. Behind the scenes: From teen project to Roblox royalty While the game's original creator is still involved, the meteoric rise caught the attention of DoBig Studios and Jandel's Splitting Point, major players in the Roblox scene. Janzen Madsen of Splitting Point said they noticed the game when it had just 2,000 concurrent users, and helped scale it with a proper live-ops strategy and regular updates. The rest, as they say, is garden-fuelled history. As it climbs closer to Fortnite-level numbers (15.3M peak), Grow a Garden is proof that Roblox is not just a platform, it is a global gaming force.
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Health
- Forbes
How To Stop Doomscrolling: Gen Z Strategies For Regaining Focus
Doomscrolling, the compulsive and semi-addictive consumption of negative news and social media content, is robbing workers of productivity - and Gen Z is leading the charge to regain online focus. Social media platforms, like TikTok, Instagram and X are designed to exploit our natural 'negativity bias', and creating addictive feedback loops. The end result? Doomscrolling can create irritability, a sense of polarization, lower productivity and time-sucking distraction. In rebuttal to the outrage economy, where snark, fear and FOMO dominate the social media landscape, Gen Z is taking action and leading the way towards a more sane approach to the world of social media. Turns out that disengagement from doomscrolling is helping people to break from anxiety and discover greater resilience. Is this really a good idea? In the U.K., a survey of Gen Z and Gen Alpha discovered that nearly 50% of people polled would prefer growing up without the internet, with a large portion welcoming a social media curfew. The Offline Club of Instagram has over 500,000 followers - kind of ironic that a club promoting a break from social media lives on (wait for it) social media. 'Swap screen time for real time,' is the mantra for the club's members, inviting folks to 'unplug, connect, relax and have fun'. Is that your emotional experience when doomscrolling? (Me either). Have you ever experienced the desire to just 'check out' for a minute, scrolling on the flashlight that brings the bad news in a moment of boredom? (Guilty). Then, two hours later, you realize that you still aren't finished the internet - and the timehole of doomscrolling has stolen hours from your day? According to the National Institute of Health, social media operates on a variable-ratio schedule, much like a slot machine. It's human nature to seek rewards, and the search for new discoveries - such as a like, a comment, a new follower or a humorous meme - leverages our nature into a never-ending search for more rewards, more likes, more memes. It's a straight-up recipe for less productivity, stolen focus, disconnection and avoidance of human conversation. Have you ever fallen into the misunderstanding that likes are the equivalent of social status? Popularity and wisdom are two very different things. The constant bombardment of negative news and polarized opinions can lead to a distorted view of the world, making users believe that humanity is more hostile or divided than it truly is. This contributes to increased anxiety, cynicism, and even hopelessness. How's that emotional smorgasbord helping you to perform better at work, be more present for the relationships you care about, and access your best self? Algorithms prioritize engagement, not well-being, according to Pew Research. What keeps us hooked doesn't necessarily feed our souls, and distraction is the enemy of creativity. Content that keeps you scrolling isn't necessarily content that provides useful information or, quite frankly (checks Instagram to confirm suspicions) anything that's real. Information overload reduces our attention span, makes focusing difficult and causes lost productivity at work. Gen Z is awakening to the ruse, and the illusion of connection, and new movements are stepping away from the scroll in an effort to rediscover what really matters. Here are three ways that Gen Z is backing away from doomscrolling and the pitfalls of social media over-use: What are your digital boundaries? When you are interrupted, it takes over 23 minutes to regain your train of thought, according to scientific studies. This 'resumption lag' has been well-documented. While emails and Slack alerts can cause these kinds of breaks, what happens when we create self-inflicted wounds to our productivity, via doomscrolling? Task-switching can cause significant loss in productivity - but sometimes, it's just part of the job. Managing distraction is an important aspect of time management - and deciding what you let in to your productive time. Are you seeking escape from the daily grind, only to find frustration, negativity and impossible AI-generated videos …when what you really need is to stay on task? You are not alone! Digital boundaries are the key to stopping the doomscrolling, and limiting the negative impact of social media. While the web can provide quite literally a world of information, as well as insights offered up by AI, it can also provide you with a mental cesspool of fake images, negative narratives and polarizing posts. What do you want to include in your life, your work, and your career? Balance, and boundaries, can keep you focused in your career. What do you want to allow into your life? Gen Z is taking steps to regain a stolen focus, and replace doomscrolling with a mindful and deliberate return to greater connection.
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business
- Business Insider
$18 lip gloss and 'glazed donut' skin: How Rhode made its mark on the beauty world in 3 years
Hailey Bieber's Rhode was just sold to ELF Beauty for a billion dollars. Rhode, a skincare-makeup hybrid brand, sells just 10 products in minimalist packaging. From $18 affordable luxury products to a strong social media presence, here's what the brand did right. In 2022, model Hailey Bieber launched a skincare brand with just a handful of products encased in unassuming packaging. Three years on, it's being acquired by ELF Beauty for a billion dollars. The brand, known for its hybrid products that work as both skincare and makeup, sells only 10 products. But it's moving fast in the market — ELF's CEO, Tarang Amin, said in the company's earnings call on Wednesday that Rhode achieved sales of $212 million in the last 12 months. Bieber announced the acquisition in a Wednesday post on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hailey Rhode Bieber (@haileybieber) "I found a like-minded disruptor with a vision to be a different kind of company that believes in big ideas and innovation in the same way that I do and will help us continue to grow the brand," Bieber said in her post. Amin said Bieber would continue to run the show after the acquisition as the brand's chief creative officer. "On the Rhode side, Hailey is a visionary and her unique perspective, tenacity, and passion to reinvent beauty come through in every aspect of the business," Amin said. From creating $18 affordable luxury products to building a robust social media presence, here's what the brand did right. Representatives for Rhode did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Leaning into Hailey Bieber's "It Girl" aesthetic It's hard to separate Bieber's brand from her — she's one of Gen Z's iconic "It Girls." "Rhode's strong resonance with Gen Z and Gen Alpha—thanks to Hailey Bieber's 'it-girl' influence and viral social media presence—strengthens ELF's connection to younger consumers," said Charlie Scott, the founder of Singapore-based brand consultancy Tangible. Her influence also extends to the millennial space, in part because of her high-profile relationship with 2010s pop star Justin Bieber. "She's married to Justin Bieber, so she has this weird crossover appeal where she's both a model and influencer and connected to millennial nostalgia," said Antonio Fernandez, the CEO of Thailand-based marketing agency Relevant Audience. But it isn't just who she's married to — she's a trendsetter in her own right. Bieber coined the "glazed donut skin" trend in 2021 — referring to the skincare routine that helps make one's appear healthy, glossy and dewy. "My standard when I go to bed at night is that if I'm not getting into bed looking like a glazed donut, then I'm not doing the right thing," she said in a YouTube video on her channel in 2021. Fernandez said Bieber's social media game has been a difference-maker — particularly in how she's turned skincare routines into viral content pieces that move product. The "glazed donut" trend, for instance, has since inspired "glazed donut nails" on TikTok and the viral $20 Strawberry Skin Glaze smoothie at Erewhon. Not trying to be everything to everyone And the packaging matters, too. Scott said Rhode's brand language of minimalist packaging, soft lighting, and the dewy "glazed donut" look reinforces Rhode's identity and sets it apart from more maximalist, or color-focused brands. Rhode sells only 10 products, the bulk of which are skincare-focused. These include a cleanser, lip balms, blush, moisturizer, and others. The product packaging is as restrained as the product selection, with neutral grays, beiges, and browns. "This minimalism, paired with affordable pricing and ingredient transparency, directly tapped into the 'skinimalism' and 'Clean Girl' trends popular with Gen Z and young millennials," Scott added. Teng Chan Leong, the CEO of Skribble, a Malaysia-based marketing agency, said Rhode had distinguished itself by not "trying to be everything to everyone." "Instead, it's nailing one category with cultural relevance and quietly building brand equity," Teng said. Affordable prices On another front, Rhode's products also land in the sweet spot of affordable luxe, the branding experts told BI. Teng said Rhode offers high-performing skincare at accessible price points. Its most popular item, the Peptide Lip Tint, retails for $18, while its Pineapple Refresh cleanser goes for $30. "In an age of rising living costs, Rhode's affordable-yet-chic positioning gives it a clear advantage," Teng said. "It's that 'affordable luxury sweet spot that Gen Z loves — they want to feel bougie without breaking the bank," Fernandez, the marketing expert, said. "Rhode hit the perfect price point - expensive enough to feel premium but not so expensive that regular people can't afford it," Fernandez added. ELF acquisition The ELF takeover could be mutually beneficial to both brands — expanding ELF's offerings while helping Rhode reach a larger consumer base. "ELF cosmetics is about $6.50 in its core entry price point, Rhode, on average, is in the high 20s, so I'd say it does bring us a different consumer set to the company overall, but the same approach in terms of how we engage and entertain them," Amin told CNBC in an interview. Scott said Rhode now has access to ELF's retail partnerships, including Walmart, Target, and Ulta. "This takeover could help Rhode transition beyond its current direct-to-consumer and limited pop-up model, leveraging ELF's extensive distribution network and retail partnerships to reach a broader, global audience," he said. For ELF, the Rhode takeover means an entry into the prestige skincare category, said Teng. "They're buying credibility with Gen Z and a way into the premium market. ELF is known for cheap drugstore makeup, but Rhode sits in that $20-30 sweet spot that screams 'affordable luxury,'" said Fernandez. "The $1 billion price tag honestly makes sense when you look at how fast they grew and how culturally relevant they became. ELF is basically buying a cultural moment and betting it can turn into a lasting brand," Fernandez added.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
GenZ, Gen Alpha opt for GenAI, quantum projects, says Wipro CTO Sandhya Arun
Bengaluru: CTO Sandhya Arun said technology professionals from Gen Z and Gen Alpha show a distinct preference for projects involving newer technologies. They are particularly interested in working with Quantum, GenAI and blockchain, instead of taking up standard client projects. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Selected professionals work alongside the CTO team's specialised project units, where senior executives oversee development of these solutions. "They often tell us categorically that they are not interested in mundane day-to-day tasks. Gen Z and Gen Alpha, I think, come looking for a sense of purpose and challenge. Nobody wants to work like my generation did, just to earn an income. They're upfront about saying, "I'm not interested in mundane things; give me something more," Arun told TOI. A group of Gen Z professionals designed a user interface resolution utilising generative AI-driven code implementation. The initiative commenced with feeding intelligence via an AI-based framework to evaluate the design from a user-centric perspective. After a two-week period, they constructed a fresh interface that included system-suggested enhancements. In the following two weeks, they generated the implementation code. According to Arun, Wipro maintains six to eight special project teams simultaneously. These groups comprise between 10 and 50 individuals. The cloud digital service division, which began as a special project, has evolved into a complete business unit. However, some initiatives, such as Metaverse, did not achieve success that the team desired. Wipro has launched the Wipro Innovation Network to enhance client co-innovation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It has opened a 60,000 sft innovation lab in Bengaluru to advance its AI-powered vision. "The network will leverage frontier technologies ranging from AI to quantum computing to solve some of the most challenging problems for our clients across industries," she said. This network focuses on five strategic frontier technology areas: Agentic AI, robotics with embodied AI, quantum computing, digital ledger technology and quantum-safe cyber resilience. It will bring together Wipro's innovation ecosystem, including the Innovation Labs, the Partner Labs, Wipro Ventures, its crowdsourcing platform Topcoder, alliances with leading academic and research institutions, and its technology talent to create an ongoing loop of ideation, research and innovation.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Marketing to Gen Alpha: How brands can win over the next generation
This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. Winning over young generations is key for marketers in the chase for relevance and as those groups' purchasing power rises. In the coming years, no cohort may be as valuable to reach as Gen Alpha, which is estimated to wield about $28 billion in direct spending power — not to mention a good deal more in indirect spending — despite its young age. A new report from Horizon Media's Why Group and Blue Hour Studios, 'The New Media Multiverse,' analyzes strategies that could help brands connect with Gen Alpha consumers, along with their typically millennial parents. Among the highlights is Gen Alpha's gravitation toward interest-based content and community-driven discovery. Household dynamics between Gen Alpha and millennial parents could also inform marketing plans as nostalgia helps parents and their children connect and millennials embrace screens in a new way. However, the Gen Alpha landscape isn't easy to navigate, not only due to regulatory complexities but also intense competition. Gen Alpha, defined in the report as those born between 2010 and 2024, is exposed to more content than older generations, allowing them to refine their interests from an earlier age. Millennial parents cited over 250 brands that their kids ask for by name, according to Horizon Media, underscoring the challenge in cutting through the clutter. 'These kids are almost like mini-media planners — they're extremely brand aware, they're extremely marketing savvy and they have more purchasing power than any generation before them, and within their family too,' said Matt Higgins, head of strategy at social and influencer agency Blue Hour Studios. 'The New Media Multiverse' is based on an analysis combining cultural audit and social listening with primary research in addition to qualitative interviews. The audit analyzed over 250 pieces of content to identify emerging narratives, while proprietary research leveraged a panel of 1,000 American millennial parents aged 28-48 with Gen Alpha children aged 7-13 in February 2025. Gen Alpha, described by Why Group and Blue Hour Studios as the first algorithmically native generation, and millennials, the first digitally native generation, are reshaping how families function. Notably, 77% of millennial parents believe that their children are more influential than they were over their own parents in determining purchases, a shift credited to algorithms and the role they play in helping kids build their interests. Simultaneously, 82% of parents agree they share more interests with their children than their parents did with them. More specifically, nostalgic content is the 'connective tissue' between generations, per the report. Eighty-four percent of respondents reported they gravitate toward nostalgic formats when they are seeking out shared experiences. For brands, that insight provides a valuable opportunity to consider rebooting or recreating older intellectual property for today's consumers, according to Higgins. A number of brands have recently revamped iconic taglines, mascots and characters in the hopes of reaching younger audiences. 'The way that Alphas are taking in nostalgic content with their parents, they see it as new content, and they're bonding with their parents over it,' Higgins said. 'One of the kids that we spoke to was saying how they love this show called 'The Office' — they talked about it like it just came out — because they watch it with their parent.' The predicted shift from hyper-personalization back toward community-driven discovery underscores the need for shared content experiences. Gen Alpha's exposure to content is welcomed by millennial parents, who have adopted an alternative attitude to screen time than the parents who came before them. Instead of restrictive thinking, millennials are instilling independence among their children, accepting digital life as inevitable and working with their kids on how to navigate a complex landscape. As a result, 71% of parents believe their children are better equipped for today's world because of their screen exposure. However, 65% of parents curate and edit their children's online feeds through actions like watching videos they feel will make a positive impact while signed into their child's account, another signal brands should broaden their appeal to the wider family unit. YouTube is the top-used platform within the Alpha-millennial household and could be the main platform for the family unit broadly in the future, experts said. YouTube ranks as the only destination across the 13 social media and gaming platforms analyzed in the report with both high usage among Gen Alpha (94%) and high feelings of control among parents, who have a longstanding familiarity with the 20-year-old video site. A deeper focus on YouTube and its various content formats can help marketers tap into co-viewing moments, Higgins said. 'Obviously focusing on YouTube, and seeing it as kind of this social platform meets traditional streamer — almost like an everything app for the family — is really important,' Higgins said. 'That doesn't just mean long-form, it means Shorts, it means other kinds of integrations.' Some behaviors from Gen Alpha could further accelerate existing social trends, including the rise of microinfluencers, or those with follower counts between 10,000 to 100,000. The majority of millennial parents (76%) report that, for their children, content relevance outweighs creator popularity when being influenced. Additionally, 70% of parents agree that their children don't have strong attachments to individual creators, and instead just watch whatever interests them. For brands, that doesn't mean macro influencers should be forgotten, but the day-to-day interactions Gen Alpha has with microinfluencers will be what moves the needle. 'When we started thinking about what that means going forward, there's still going to be the Alix Earle's, but they're probably going to be more connected to the type of content that they make, or an interest they're attached to versus our traditional understanding of influence or even fame,' Higgins said. Gaming is a key part of Gen Alpha's routine, but not just for play. The cohort views titles like Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite as social media platforms in their own right, using the experiences to connect with others, both virtually and in real life, per the report. Gen Alpha's passion for gaming also goes beyond the console to include related movies, TV shows and physical items like books and toys. Gen Alpha's relationship with gaming will require brands to advertise in ways that feel native to the ecosystem rather than disruptive, Higgins said. 'That doesn't just mean a branded space, it means as a brand you're participating on Roblox, you understand, you get it, you're working with influencers and creators that are in those spaces too, you're bringing lore and pieces of Roblox into your brand and how it shows up on a TV spot or an [out-of-home] ad,' Higgins said. Higgins also emphasized the importance of following regulatory guidelines when crafting such experiences. Child safety concerns around advertising within gaming experiences has been particularly difficult to navigate, though platforms like Roblox have attempted to curb concerns with stricter guidelines. Though Gen Alpha is young, the cohort's habits on channels like gaming and social media could signal what's to come for how consumers on a broader scale will interact with brands down the line. Marketers that begin to understand the generation now will supply themselves with a competitive advantage for the years to come, according to Maxine Gurevich, senior vice president of cultural intelligence at Why Group, Horizon Media's in-house research unit. 'It's really important to understand that even if you're not marketing to Gen Alpha today, or your target is not the family, this is something that you really need to take on and think about as a brand marketer — what the future is going to look like for your brand — because these are sort of early markers and early indicators of real digital shifts that are happening,' Gurevich said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
