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If Gen Z is known as the side hustle generation, Gen Alpha may soon take the crown. A survey of 2,002 U.S. Gen Alpha and Gen Z individuals (ages 12 to 28) by social commerce platform Whop found that more than half are using the internet not simply for brain rot and catching up with friends, but also for earning cash. The iPad kid generationthe oldest of whom are just 15are already putting their screen time to good use. Nearly half (47.1%) are actively earning online through digital side hustles like selling vintage clothing, streaming video games, and posting on social media. Thats a 15% increase from last year. When it comes to knowing someone who makes money online, that number jumps to 72.3%. Instead of relying on pocket money, Gen Alpha members are earning an average of $13.92 per hour from their digital pursuitsnearly double the U.S. federal minimum wage of $7.25. Based on those hourly earnings, theyre pulling in the equivalent of a $28,000 full-time annual salary, all before turning 16. At the high end, 1.7% of Gen Alpha and Gen Z hustlers earned more than $40,000 last year. Social media platforms have opened new doors for work, and young people raised online are best equipped to step through them. The most common side hustle is reselling new or vintage clothes, with one in five (20.1%) of Gen Aers and Gen Zers earning income this way. Others bring in money from streaming video games (14.1%) or competing in esports tournaments (13.1%). About one in 10 (10.5%) are monetizing content by posting on social media or “clipping”repurposing YouTube videos, podcasts, or livestreams into short, shareable clips with viral potential. Only 9.1% are currently earning through brand sponsorships, though many still dream of becoming full-time creators. Social media raised this generation, so making money on the internet is now the norm. When you grow up watching YouTube creators and Twitch streamers living lavish lifestyles, its only natural to want to be part of that, Brett Malinowski, the marketing director at Whop, tells Fast Company. Many of todays biggest creators started posting content when they were teenagersand now they realize that this is a way for them to make real money. So, what are these young hustlers saving for? While many are investing in cryptocurrency or stocks, or putting money aside for college, a house, or a big purchase, their main goal is a familiar one: gaining financial independence from the Bank of Mom and Dad. These side hustles are also reshaping how they use screen time. Gen Alpha now spends 3.5 fewer hours per week on screens for entertainment or relaxation compared with Gen Z. Instead, theyre dedicating about a fifth (20.3%) of their screen time to their hustles, slightly more than Gen Z, at 19.5%. With the rising cost of living driving more people to seek extra income, the youngest cohort of workers are leading the chargeand they dont plan to slow down. Over half of Gen Aers (51.5%) say they intend to turn their side hustle into a full-fledged career. As these generations enter the workforce in greater numbers, theyre ditching the traditional path and forging their own. Theyre not just getting the bagtheyre redefining how its earned.
Category:
E-Commerce
Theres no shortage of big promises about AI in healthcare. The U.S. government announced a $500 billion Stargate initiative to fund AI infrastructure, while the UK government announced 82.6 million in research funding for three projects, two of which are using AI to tackle cancer and Alzheimers disease. But ask any patient waiting for a diagnosis, or a clinician searching for certainty, and the real question cuts through all the noise: When will all the innovation deliver real impact where it matters most? Weve entered an era where healthcare data is measured in exabytesgenomes, images, clinical notes, labs, and signals from every continent. At SOPHiA GENETICS, weve just achieved the milestone of analyzing 2 million patient profiles. Its a number that was unimaginable a decade ago. Yet the value of data isnt in volume. Its what you do with it. Insight matters only if it changes an outcome, shortens a diagnostic odyssey, or opens up a new chance for a patient. Its time to move from conversation to action. Too often, insights get trapped in institutional silos or left in endless pilot projects, just out of reach of the people who need them. 3 ways AI is already transforming medicine Today, technology can connect, for example, a patient in So Paulo with expertise in Seoul, uncovering patterns invisible to the human eye. Here are several ways AI is helping now. 1. Improving diagnostic accuracy: AI algorithms, particularly those based on deep learning, have demonstrated remarkable accuracy in diagnosing diseases from medical images and test results. These systems are trained on vast datasets, allowing them to recognize patterns and anomalies that might be missed by the human eye. For example, in dermatology, AI systems trained on images of skin lesions have shown the ability to detect skin cancers, such as melanoma, with high levels of precision. 2. Enhancing cancer prevention: AI techniques can be used to screen individuals for genomic markers and develop personalized cancer risk prediction scores. This proactive approach can help screen younger patients for genomic predispositions, empowering them to make informed prevention decisions and proactively monitor their health. 3. Tailoring treatments to genomic profiles: One of the most significant applications of AI is in the field of genomics. AI can analyze vast genomic datasets to identify mutations and variations that might influence an individuals response to certain treatments. For example, our SOPHiA DDM product can identify specific genomic markers that are susceptible to targeted cancer therapies, increasing the efficacy of the treatment and minimizing the risk of adverse reactions, for a more effective and safer treatment plan for patients. To scale up these AI applications there are many regulatory and compliance barriers to overcome. This requires investment in data security, creating clear guidelines, data security measures, and ensuring clinicians are fully trained. Our goal should be to create a regulatory environment that fosters innovation while safeguarding patient data and promoting public trust. We must democratize this powerful data to enable more physicians, practices, and hospitals to incorporate AI into daily clinical use so that a greater number of patients can access data-driven medicine, not just a select few. My message for governments investing in AI is clear: Balance investing in future AI tools with validating existing solutions that have already been proven to improve patient outcomes. Build the bridges that turn breakthroughs into benefits, so that data-driven medicine becomes a reality for every patient. Jurgi Camblong is cofounder and CEO of SOPHiA GENETICS.
Category:
E-Commerce
Walk through any trendy shopping area and you’ll notice something. A familiar grouping of brands. Entryways into hospitable, curated spaces inviting you in for a hang. The music is right. The lighting is low. Brand-approved candles are lit. The mood is unmistakable. Youre stepping into a worldview. Theres a tempo to it. A shared language. A subtle but clear sense that youve crossed a threshold; one where youre more than a customer, youre a part of something. That feeling isnt accidental and it isnt just marketing. Its anthropology. The best retail experiences optimize beyond conversion. Theyre engineered for belonging. On pieces themselves, garment branding may be subtle or even invisible. It becomes an IYKYK (if you know, you know) situation, and that may be the most powerful (and most overlooked) advantage in modern commerce: Brands that create community intentionally, intelligently and culturally are building moats no discount can breach. Retail is becoming ritual Humans are wired for tribes. Evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar proposed that we maintain meaningful relationships in nested social groups, with the most stable number being around 150. Its now known as Dunbars Number. When a brand creates the conditions for that kind of familiarity through design, cadence, tone, and storytelling, awareness starts to feel an awful lot like identity. This isnt just theory: Kantar research notes that millennials, in particular, value brands that foster community and shared identity, suggesting that belonging is a purchase driver. GWIs trend data shows that even Gen Z (the most digitally native generation) prefers in-store shopping for apparel as long as it delivers something meaningful. Social Identity Theory shows we become like the groups we join. The more a brand helps someone say, This is who I am, the more likely they are to return, advocate, and embed themselves in the ecosystem. Were clearly seeing this shift play out across retail. Café Leon Dore offers coffee and sets a scene. The space blends Aimé Leon Dores boutique retail with the mood of an old-world social club: polished wood, curated reading material, and an unspoken dress code you can feel. Lacostes country clubthemed concept stores evoke the quiet prestige and ritual of tennis clubs and exclusive enclaves. Think crests, clay courts, locker rooms. Genesis House in New Yorks Meatpacking District, Hyundais luxury showroom, is a restaurant, library, and event space. You literally cant even buy a car there. These arent nostalgic flourishes. They are signals built using visual language that says: This space is for you. Settle in and stay a while. Modern retailers have embraced the third place, the essential social space outside home and work where people gather, connect, and express identity. Its the role barbershops and jazz clubs once played. Now were seeing it in stores by Kith, Tecovas, Alo, Vuori, Todd Snyder, Lululemon, Buck Mason, and others. From transaction to tribe Contrary to how it seems on the surface, this shift is all about structure. Its a move from customer relationship management (CRM) to community, from footfall to familiarity, from stores as destinations to stores as social signals. Brand strategists call this concept brand citizenship: a framework where people effectively join the brands they shop. That shift changes everything about how you design space, train staff, listen, and measure. Heres the tension: You cant spreadsheet your way into a community. You have to observe, and design for soft signals. Data plays a critical role, but the output is mood, energy, attention, flow. Its about sense-making. Belonging is the differentiator In a world of endless options, the scarcest resource is meaning. Thats what the best retail brands are offering. Beyond products, they offer places to align, express, and belong. So no, the store isnt dying and we never stopped going to the mall. The mall just splintered, reborn as a network of third-place brands with better lighting and better coffee. The next wave of retail isnt about traffic. Its about tribes. The brands that understand this will win. The store is no longer the finish line: Its the invitation. James Chester is cofounder and CEO of WVN.
Category:
E-Commerce
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