Generation Alpha is the largest generation ever. Totalling two billion children, it encompasses anybody currently aged 0-15 years old - those born between 2010 and 2025.
Authors
- Claire Hughes
Professor of Psychology, Deputy Director of the Centre For Family Research, University of Cambridge
- George Gillett
Clinical Research Fellow, University of Cambridge
- Luke McGuire
Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of Exeter
This is the first fully digitally native generation, with many children already achieving unprecedented levels of digital literacy. It is predicted they will become the most educated generation in history: 90% are expected to complete secondary school worldwide, compared with 80% of gen Z.
However, gen Alpha children also inherit an increasingly precarious world, characterised by global uncertainties, housing shortages and climate change. It's such a radical departure from what came before that this generation takes its name from the first letter of the Greek alphabet - unlike the gen Xs, Ys and Zs, whose letters come from our own (Latin) alphabet.
As developmental psychologists, we might ask what this new world means for gen Alpha's psychological development. How might it influence their experiences, interests and values?
A good starting point is to look at their parents: the millennials (gen Y). From these 30- and 40-somethings, the gen Alphas are inheriting support for values such as inclusivity, adaptability and digital confidence, but also the tendency in some areas to boycott people whose words or actions are deemed offensive.
Millennials also report poorer mental health than previous generations, and at least in many western countries they are facing in some ways a more challenging financial situation.
Facing this adversity may mean that millennial parents are uniquely well placed to build their children's resilience. Encouragingly, millennial fathers show unprecedented levels of commitment to being involved in parenting , challenging gender stereotypes.
On the other hand, stressed parents often struggle to cope with everyday tasks, while their children can exhibit behavioural problems such as aggression, and emotional difficulties like social withdrawal and anxiety.
Technology has also introduced challenges as millennials have widely adopted personal devices. Roughly half of parents in the UK say they are addicted to their phones, for example.
The distractions of digital devices can make parenting more difficult. This "technoference" is again associated with child behaviour problems , which could have knock-on effects later in life.
One additional technological challenge that gen Alphas experience is " sharenting ", where parents share photos and videos of them online, sometimes in [excessive or inappropriate ways]. We lack good data on the scale and impact of this trend, so researchers urgently need to map the risks.
Millennials' own challenges with technology may at least put them in a better position to help their children navigate things like screentime and social media. Today's digital world also means that gen Alpha's parents have a huge amount of parenting information at their fingertips, as well as access to parenting forums and digital communities, which may reduce feelings of stress and isolation. Today's psychologists and health professionals can also provide parents with rigorous evidence-based guidance .
Gen Alpha digital immersion
The digital world has amplified gen Alpha's exposure to ideas and cultural practices from peers and other adults. So while some are likely to spend longer living at home than previous generations, they may actually be less susceptible to parental influence. This could be liberating, but also introduces new risks.
We've seen how social media can exacerbate peer pressure and has introduced cyber-bullying . Influencer trends risk inculcating unrealistic body image ideals, which can contribute to body dysmorphia .
Excessive use of video games can result in sleep deprivation, reduced physical activity and impaired school performance. It may be that the increasing availability of VR games makes these risks more pronounced for gen Alpha.
Gen Alpha also risk being more exposed to potentially harmful content such as pornography or sites promoting self-harm or eating disorders. While they may not be as gullible as is often assumed, young children often lack effective strategies for identifying trustworthy information, putting them at more risk than adults.
In 2010, the cognitive anthropologist Dan Sperber coined the phrase "epistemic trust" to describe the idea that we view others as trustworthy sources of information. Growing up surrounded by misinformation may instead lead gen Alpha to adopt the opposite stance - epistemic mistrust - with potential negative consequences like depression and anxiety , for instance
The digital space isn't entirely negative for children's psychological development. It's much easier for gen Alpha to access information online about mental health, as well as professional psychological support, while also participating in virtual communities.
Technology also offers far greater access to educational resources and tools, something which AI may increase. There's even emerging evidence that AI may enhance learning outcomes and increase student motivation, for instance. The big challenge will be to democratise learning without succumbing to adverse effects on human cognitive abilities from over-relying on AI for writing and thinking.
A diversity of experiences
Amid all this, it's important to remember that gen Alpha's psychological development is not following one monolithic trajectory.
The pandemic both highlighted and exacerbated inequality in many areas of childrens's lives from education to home stability. For some older gen Alphas, school closures and online teaching left long-term scars - as evidenced by surging school absenteeism in many countries that appears difficult to reverse.
School closures during the pandemic meant the loss of a safe space for children who might be at risk of neglect or maltreatment at home. One consequence was a global rise in violence against children. Even younger Alphas who were not born at the time may be affected indirectly by their older brothers and sisters' experiences.
More generally, experience will differ greatly depending on where members of gen Alpha live. For example, in east Asia ultra-low fertility has led to emptying classrooms, while children in smaller families endure more academic pressure from parents. Understanding the experiences of children in the global south is particularly important, not least because they represent the majority of gen Alpha.
Gender will also affect in new ways how this generation experience the world. For instance, boys appear more prone to gaming addiction while girls are more likely to become addicted to social media. Girls also report seeing more online content that creates appearance pressure, while boys are more likely to see misinformation - no doubt sometimes promoting potentially harmful views about masculinity and women .
What are gen Alpha's own views of this new world? Despite adult fears about their exposure to misogyny, xenophobia and polarisation, today's children are concerned about a wide range of progressive issues. These include resource inequality , sexuality, climate justice and animal rights .
This might be youthful idealism that will be shed in adulthood. Yet we know, for instance, that millennials commonly express values that differ from preceding generations.
Gen Alpha have also already been found to instil pro-environmental attitudes in their parents. So at least some of these progressive values are likely to endure and potentially ripple through to wider society.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
