Understanding the Configuration of Generation Alpha

The Alpha generation is no longer composed exclusively of children; many are now teenagers, rapidly advancing through high school and eventually to university. Accordingly, as the world has had to keep pace with disruptive new technologies, teachers and parents must also be attuned to this new generation of young people to guide them towards an increasingly complicated future.

Who comprises Generation Alpha?

The name “Generation Alpha” uses the first letter of the Greek alphabet to represent the beginning of a new cycle. They are the first generation in the world to be born with solid foundations in the Internet, social networks, and advanced digital technologies. With a notorious inclination towards technologies, this cohort is composed of children whose parents are Millennials, who, unlike newer generations, came to experience the before-and-after of the Internet, so technology is already part of them since they were born. Because of their parents, the digital footprint of many of these children begins even on their first day on Earth, so continuous exposure to social networks can get to shape their relationship with technology and even their identity from an early age.

In addition to the above, the context of this generation’s relatives significantly shapes these young people. Nowadays, in most cases, households are supported by both parents, who may have to work up to two jobs. This reduces recreational and family time, depriving parents of the opportunity to take their children to extracurricular activities, monitor what they see on social networks, or spend time together. Therefore, children’s screen entertainment is the simplest solution.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected Generation Alpha, negatively impacting their social, emotional, and even academic development. This was not only due to the lack of social interaction with other children; the closure of schools, online modalities, and the lack of outdoor activities also led to increased screen time.

It should be noted that the content of the screens has changed radically and differs significantly from that of previous generations. Today, young people are saturated with more content than ever on free platforms such as YouTube. Although excellent-quality material is created to promote the development and well-being of children, there are also channels that produce content designed to keep them “addicted” to increase views, prioritizing profits and disregarding the psychological impact this may have on them.

Thus, individuals in the Alpha generation have an altered concept of reality. In addition to the meaningless content they consume and the normalization of artificial intelligence to which they are exposed, the hyper-connected world saturates them with alarming news (clearly, the most negative news attracts more views). This leads them to continuous doomscrolling and exposure to role models who are no longer primarily public figures, such as singers or movie actors, but influencers.

What used to be simply knowing idols through interviews on television and magazines, or their occasional social media posts, now occurs through daily videos that strengthen parasocial relationships, with posts throughout the day showing these people’s routines and opinions.

Thus, childhoods are full of ideals of lives of travel, luxuries, and money, which can cause young people to constantly compare their normal lives with those of the perfect lives they see on screen, unleashing more and more unrealistic aspirations, low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety in them. In addition, the trust they place in these figures shapes their behavior and opinions.

This brings us to the complaints teachers (especially in the United States) have expressed about this generation, with many even quitting their jobs and pursuing different careers. Let us always remember that the Internet is not a safe place for children and adolescents, and this issue must be handled delicately, especially since it is so easy to stumble upon inappropriate content unsuitable for these ages accidentally. However, many young people are accustomed to interacting in age-inappropriate spaces, which can make them feel they can relate to adults, leaving them vulnerable to predators or leading them to believe they are more mature than their peers, weakening social ties with those around them in real life.

One problem is the digital identity that Internet users can adopt, which allows them to interact in derogatory and violent ways without taking responsibility for the words they write on their mobile phones or in public comments on videos and social networks. This, along with the lack of social interaction and increased screen time, leads many of these young people to carry their online behavior into the real world, which is problematic when interacting with family members, peers, and authorities.

It also doesn’t help that short videos have generally shortened people’s attention spans. These videos, consumed for prolonged periods from an early age, have a deeper impact on the Alpha generation, who have been stimulated by an abnormal number of 30-second videos, which provide them with instant dopamine. Taking away their access to screens can cause many of them to react negatively. This situation also negatively affects their academic performance. Teachers have expressed concern that it is not only about sustaining attention; young people also have difficulty understanding the material, reading, and performing basic math operations. Alarmingly, this has repercussions for their academic journey, and there will come a point when they will be unable to understand the material in high school and college.

Reinforcing skills in the classroom

This generation has been considered “doomed,” with the blame attributed to the pandemic or to various social media platforms. However, like any generation, the Alpha cohort also has valuable skills that can help the teaching community to enhance their learning. Knowing what these skills are (and their weaknesses) is essential for creating a curriculum that meets the needs of these new young people.

Artificial intelligence technologies are inherent to the Alpha generation, which conceives of them as “[…] a default environment. This shapes the way they expect to receive information: quickly, personalized, and interactively” (Brower, 2025). For them, it is not the revolutionary novelty it has been for previous generations, so teachers should see this tool as the norm for young people and integrate it into their curricula to promote its use and ensure it benefits students.

The classic summaries and essays used to assess students’ understanding have become almost obsolete; now it is essential to have tasks that encourage critical thinking through oral activities, pencil-and-paper assignments, and even educational platforms that strengthen this competence. Similarly, AI literacy and its ethical use must be integrated into young people’s curricula to ensure the meaningful use of these tools and prevent misuse.

Due to the modern world’s hyperconnectivity, today’s young people are more accustomed to communicating by text than face-to-face; for many, it is the only way they interact with other people their age. Encouraging teamwork will remain essential for learning to collaborate with others and for exercising social skills, such as respectful communication, social boundaries, active listening, and empathy.

Continuous connectivity has helped young people stay well-informed about global issues, such as politics, economics, and the environment. The freedom to get involved and be vocal on social networks has led many young people to form opinions, ask questions, and engage with these issues. Implementing citizenship, ethics, and sustainability subjects in early education (with age-appropriate topics) can help young students to formulate more solid, academically supported opinions and perspectives.

Creativity is a skill encouraged by many of the platforms these young people interact with. Games like Minecraft and the creation of social media videos have allowed this generation to expand both as consumers and creators. Approaches such as challenge-based learning and design thinking would be ideal for boosting this generation’s creativity in academics.

When it comes to learning, Generation Alpha is often more independent and self-taught than previous generations. With the world’s information at their fingertips, young people often seek answers through search engines and other means, such as detailed, free videos on YouTube, discussion forums on Reddit, and paid, specialized online courses offered by universities. Tracy Brower, a sociologist and counselor at the University of Michigan, points out that teachers must become facilitators and mentors of learning to support their students, since self-directed learning can also reduce young people’s patience for structured information from teachers.

We must recognize that the pandemic and the misuse of AI and other technologies had a significant negative impact on Gen Alpha, intensifying an already existing problem. If educational institutions do not act quickly to counter the academic decline among these new generations, there is a risk that these young people will not meet the standards of higher education.

Technology tools should also be used for well-defined purposes. Remember that young people are so used to digital platforms for social and fun reasons that they can become saturated and bored; consciously selecting the tools to use in the classroom is not an easy decision. However, depending on the teacher’s objectives, the wide variety of existing programs can be a valuable ally in complementing students’ learning.

Teachers and family members need to understand these new generations to support their integral development. Understanding the circumstances they had to live in at an early age, the technologies and trends they engage with, and maintaining open dialogue and empathy with them will help teachers and family members implement action plans to consolidate their integral formation.

Translation by Daniel Wetta

Mariana Sofía Jiménez Nájera

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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0