Alpha

An alpha, or alpha male, is a male who shows dominating, overly-aggressive characteristics. These "manly men" often attempt to show off in front of others, to prove they are top-tier human specimens worthy of others' awe, deference, and admiration.

Typically, social media and forum users use alpha to describe an archetype of tryhard men, who think their physical, mental, and social "superiority" marks them as natural leaders (and studs). In these users' minds, most alphas are obnoxious, delusional, and narcissistic. So, being labeled an alpha is usually not something to aspire to.

However, incels and some other hypermasculine groups use alpha unironically, to describe a state to which every "true" man should aspire. This notion, of course, disregards the fact that if every male were an alpha, none of them would be.

Alpha is a name given to a person who is part of Gen Alpha, the generation born between 2013 and the mid-2020s (roughly 2025). This generation follows Gen Z (or iGen), also known as Gen Zers and zoomers, and is named after the first letter in the Greek alphabet (Alpha) to represent the first generation entirely born in the 2000s.

Most alphas are kids born to millennials (also known as parennials) and have grandparents who are most likely boomers. Time will tell how alphas adapt to the world around them, but the prevalence of social networks, streaming entertainment, personal electronic devices, and the covid pandemic currently defines them.