What I learnt over the holidays: Gen Alpha

I feel very out of touch with Gen Alpha but I learnt some very disturbing stuff over the holidays having spent time with Gen Alphas, who are in High School.

What has become of this generation when I hear “I hate school “ “They have mixed up our classes” “We have Furries at school” “Other students walk behind me saying they want to kill me”

I was totally shocked and felt a little naive to be honest when I heard this. I then had conversations with my nieces (aged 19 and 21) and they both said they are very worried about the Gen Alphas in School.

When I asked what do they believe has made the impact, they unanimously said “the internet” I asked them to expand and they said “Tik Tok, Insta, YouTube” it’s all impacted the younger generation and especially during the Covid lockdown when the only interaction we all had was via the internet and for Gen Alpha, this was a very influential time on their brain growth.

I asked them what this Skibbidi toilet thing was all about (having done some research myself) only to see them both roll their eyes and say “it’s the most stupid thing, toilets with men’s heads fighting or human bodies with random things as heads – just doing stupid things”

I found this YouTube video which helped me to understand way more – I am seriously worried that these are our future leaders and what have we done to them, what have we created. Yes – they are consuming it but it is the rest of us who have created it and allowed it to be consumed.

As you are no doubt aware, I talk a lot about the ripple effect of our behaviours. How the things we say and how our body language can impact those around us. So I gave some thought to how our online and tech behaviours impact those around us and especially to the younger generation.

First I begin at home and noticed how much time my husband and I spend on our phones. Our alarms are on our smartphones so we take them to bed. We don’t immediately open them when we turn the alarm off but I notice that once we have a cuppa in our hand and have said good morning we both go off into the world of work, husband checking several different weather apps (runs a construction company so weather is king each day) and then I open emails as I can see notifications of new messages.

I then assessed our bedtime habits and we both checked our phones before turning out the lights. We have spoken about this and now making conscious effort to NOT do this. What can I say, it takes effort, it’s changing a habit that I didn’t even know I had.

On a recent train journey to the North West, I made a conscious effort to not be on my devices but to observe to behaviours of those I passed. On the train into London most people at SOME point in their journey – checked their phone. Others were on laptops – I assume working – but could have been typing anything really. To be honest I work on the train too because it is a great time to do things like write this blog!

Three people were reading a physical book or doing a puzzle page in the paper. If they weren’t talking to the person they were travelling with, they were on some kind of digital device.

Even as we walked through London Euston and waited for our platform announcement, I noticed how many people standing waiting, looking at a device – about 80% at a time, and at some points, 99% would have checked a mobile device.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying not to check phones – it’s where we keep all our information but what does it say to the children around us when we are constantly on a device?

Check it and put it away, be present in the moment you are in. Have we as adults lost the ability to just “be” can we not stand and wait for a platform announcement in quiet – do we have to stand there scrolling on a device? I can’t believe people were standing waiting and doing work on their phone, seriously no one’s job is that important that it can’t wait until you are on your train to your destination.

Then looking around at those people queuing to purchase food or speak to the information desk – again all at some point got a device out to check it.

Hands up I am just as guilty but it really resonated with me when looking around I noticed the children around, toddlers in buggies, what impression are we giving these young people (our future) when we are constantly on a device? They are growing up thinking it is normal.

HOW can we change our habits?

HOW can we ensure that future generations don’t see a device as an extension of our body?

WHAT behaviours do you want to see as normal?

I was born in the 70’s and so to me, this was not something I saw growing up, admittedly I saw lots of adults smoking and thought that was normal, so started smoking myself (I don’t now) but can you see how just a smoking behaviour to me was seen was normal?

We have become habitual deice checkers and we see it now, such busy parents give their own phones to small children to entertain them.

Have we become a nation of pacifiers by handing over a device to keep someone quiet? I think yes and I think we really need to STOP to ensure our behaviours and not breeding a world of device addicts.

Matt and Emma Willis have a 2 part-documentary out on Channel 4 – Swiped, it’s a real eye-opener.

What can we do as adults to ensure the next generation is not device addicts, here are some facts:

50% of all 9-year-olds in the UK own a Smartphone, with 43% of UK teens using their smartphones during school lessons.

Alarmingly, frequent social media use has been found to increase a child’s risk of depression by 27% and a rent Education Select Committee report revealed that ONE in FOUT children now use their phone in a manner resembling behavioural addiction.

Even more alarming is half of children have accessed violent pornography on a screen by the age of 13! And 21% of 9-12 year olds agree that it is normal for children their age to share nude or semi-nude images online!!! WTF!!

WHAT can YOU do?

Stop and take a look at your own behaviour with your devices and the impact / message you are sending out to those around you .

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