Children of the gadgets era

The first Alphas were born in 2010. It was the time when the first iPhones appeared, Instagram was launched and YouTube was actively developing. That was the year when “application” became the word of the year according to the Oxford Dictionary.

The screens of phones and tablets have replaced dummies and nannies for Alpha babies, which is why they are also called “screeners” or “glass generation”, since “glass” has indeed become a new means of distributing content. It’s kinaesthetic, visual, interactive and portable.

The oldest representatives of the generation are now 11 years old, and it’s no wonder they surpass their predecessors when it comes to using new technologies: alphas interact with gadgets and artificial intelligence since early childhood. According to statistics, only 2% of the new generation do not use gadgets. Every fifth alpha already has a tablet at the age of 3–4. According to sociologist Mark McCrindle, Alpha is also the generation that can most easily interact with electronic and voice assistants.

Of course, tech-savvy Alphas have impacted their millennial parents: 84% of the latter have installed Instagram and Facebook just because their children have it. But there is one big catch. Children of any generation feel uncomfortable on social media under the supervision of relatives. That is why alphas are already avoiding Facebook, Twitter and will soon abandon Instagram and Snapchat, opting for anonymous social networks or messengers.

The widespread use of technology by children is associated with great risks: cyberbullying and child pornography are becoming more and more common. Therefore, parents should pay attention to the simplest things: parental control, ad-free applications, blocking websites, time limits for using gadgets.

...

What do Alfa watch?

When it comes to the type of content, video is the king. TikTok and YouTube are the most popular platforms for Alphas. They watch many times more videos than any previous generation and create new content themselves.

Alphas use their gadgets to watch cartoons and tutorials. Video and visual communication in general will be the backbone of their learning. The previous generation of millennials were used to learning by listening, but research shows that visual communication is much more effective for memory.

Besides educational materials, alpha kids love content that is funny and meaningless, which is exactly what TikTok is famous for. They also enjoy watching videos made by their peers and are very fond of unpacking, streaming from video games, dubbing popular cartoons, doing challenges and pranks.

Today, every eighth child is a blogger or vlogger. It is very important for children of the newest generation to be heard, which is why their blogs are often honest and unvarnished. Children are ready to blog even if they have few subscribers. Videos about their life are a way for alphas to express themselves.

But besides just blogging about life, alpha kids make good money from blogging advertising. Thus, the nine-year-old author of Ryan’s World YouTube channel earned almost $30M in 2020. The boy has been the highest paid alpha YouTuber for the last 3 years. Ryan became famous for unpacking toys: this is how he collaborated with major manufacturers and became the most popular child unpacker.

Overall, video ads are a driving sales force for the Alpha generation. 55% of Alfas in the UK and US aged 6 to 16 want to buy clothes or merchandise that their favourite influencer uses. 57% said they want to buy the products they see in Instagram ads. 24% of the children surveyed encouraged their parents to buy products on Instagram after watching video ads.

...

Future technologies: smart and secure

In the coming years smart watches, smart bracelets and smart clothes will become an integral part of society, turning from fashionable gadgets into necessary everyday devices, as it once happened with mobile phones.

The share of autonomous vehicles will increase in the automotive industry. According to Allied Market Research, the autonomous car market will reach 39.47% of the total market by 2026. Alphas will be driving cars without a steering wheel that can be programmed using smartphones.

McKinsey Global Institute estimates that by 2030 up to 800 million employees will lose their jobs and be replaced by robotic automation. Robots will take over physical and routine work, which means that in the near future, the Alpha generation will have to master their cognitive skills.

...

Let’s sum it up. Alphas use modern technologies from birth and learn very quickly, but at the same time, parents should pay attention to the safety of gadgets and Internet resources. The most technologically advanced generation loves video, actively watches and creates content, constantly rethinking formats. In the near future, many jobs will be replaced by robots, which is a challenge for alphas as they will have to develop intellectually to get a good job.