At the age of three, they dismiss display notifications, learn to write with a keyboard rather than a pencil, create music videos on mobile devices at five, and are often trusted sources of technical information for parents.
Children of the so-called Alpha generation, born after 2010, see technology as an integral part of their existence.
In addition to the obvious adaptability to digital technologies, they differ from previous generations in character traits, which will be discussed in our article.
Advantages and disadvantages of alpha generation
The alpha generation is growing up in an educational system where technology is crucial, and in the family, devices serve as reliable assistants – a robot vacuum cleaner will remove a piece of paper left on the floor, and Google Home, Siri or Yandex Station will turn on the music and tell a bedtime story.
This undoubtedly helps to form a sense of freedom, there is more time for self-expression in creativity, but it is worth turning off the electricity and the Internet … bewilderment appears on small young faces.
Perhaps the main drawback of the latest generation will be their inability to live outside the modern world and a certain degree of laziness, since since childhood they have become accustomed to automated solutions.
What should adults who have children born after 2010 watch out for? A potentially problematic consequence of full digital immersion, especially with the onset of adolescence, is the creation of ideal expectations that are difficult to achieve: the media society and its development through social networks means that children lose their own opinions, follow general recommendations, take pride in the number of likes and views of a personal video.
The teenager is waiting for the approval of the audience and if it is not, he considers himself an outcast. This trend originated in the previous decade, but the alpha generation is even more aggravated.
The situation is aggravated by excessive guardianship in families where the child is brought up alone. Excessive guardianship and worries for the only heir leads to the formation of an idealization of the world, but when the time comes for an independent life, a person falls into a deep depression – life outside the parental nest is not at all what it seemed for a long time.
Neurophysiology and children’s education Alpha
The ability of “alpha children” to move from one task to another seems unthinkable: they quickly absorb information from the media and instantly switch to another goal.
However, studies show an increased attention deficit and the ability to remember, that is, to store information. Why? It’s simple, modern devices store all the information instead of us, it is not necessary to remember everything and think for a long time about solving problems, since search engines contain ready-made answers.
Here the question arises – how to train little alphas at school? The lack of attention leads to difficulties when it comes to subjects that require long concentration and are based on traditional methods, such as literature and mother tongue classes.
On the other hand, the alpha generation is strong enough in intuitive understanding and multimedia learning that combines various materials – from videos and texts to maps and graphics. If alpha kids are multitasking and have a developed intuition, then you should give credit to technology, otherwise, we will get a generation of losers.
Social adaptation
In this regard, everything directly depends on upbringing, circumstances in the family. Due to the fact that many children are forced to attend sports clubs and other institutions of additional education, interest in physical activity is completely lost.
It is very rare to see a ten-year-old child playing catch-up, he is tired and most likely, after completing school assignments, instead of a book or meeting with friends, he will pick up a smartphone.
If you do not take your child to training, he will grow up physically weak, because working parents do not have enough time for daily walks and gymnastics at home.
In addition to physical weakness, the risk of developing mental disorders and difficulties in adapting to the social world increases. Does that mean there is no way out? Yes, if the family has a role model, parents run in the morning, the house is always full of guests, museums and theaters are visited every weekend.
Generation Alpha – Research
A scientific study conducted in Italy commissioned by the international insurance company BNP Paribas Cardif showed interesting findings with which we are ready to share.
In an innovative study, explains BNP Paribas Cardif, about a thousand parents with children from 5 to 10 years old are involved through the application, as well as 100 children, who, thanks to the help of the parents themselves, interacted with each other.
The adults answered the questions using the test kit, pictures and drawings. Topics covered included device use, leisure, social life, focus on sustainability and inclusion, security and cyberbullying, the economics of maintaining them, and a focus on insurance.
Born after Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter, Alpha kids don’t know a world without the internet and social media. 62% use technology devices under the age of 5, mostly smartphones (62%) and tablets (55%), 53% of children can boast of having at least one device that belongs only to a child.
Basically, devices serve as access to games (50%), videos (21%) or online lessons (10%). The average time of communication with gadgets is 107 minutes per day. 10% of children are subscribed to social networks, YouTube (63%) and TikTok (53%) are among the favorites.
Despite being connected to technology, Generation Alpha children love social relationships and, compared to the previous generation, seem to be more open, with less cultural barriers: 33% have friends from different ethnic groups, 44% have classmates of foreign origin, and only 23% told about rare contact with representatives of other countries.
The Alpha generation has a very green soul: 39% of children of all age groups are concerned with recycling, while 43%, especially in the 8-10 age group, are active in school projects on the topic of maintaining a safe environment.
Those born since 2010 manage to completely break stereotypes, giving us a real human generation that breaks gender stereotypes, transcends cultural diversity and protects the planet.
These are not just digital natives, but, above all, social ones, constantly located between real and virtual life, which is the dimension of the modern norm.