Generation Alpha, commonly recognized as those born from the early 2010s to today, are often shunned by other generations, primarily Generation Z and Millenials. They are criticized on the premises that they do not work hard, that their lingo is strange (like “skibidi toilet”)and that they are all helplessly attached to screens. What many people fail to realize is that this almost directly mirrors the perceptions of Gen Z by older generations when we were their age.
Most Gen Zers have likely been told that their generation is hopeless. For those of us who have heard it, it is not a good feeling. As a generation that has been scrutinized for every one of our characteristics by those older than us, we have a responsibility to empathize with Gen Alpha. Unfortunately, their upbringing does consist of many major flaws.
Gen Alpha is being raised in a time where people are facing a great deal of mental struggles. According to the National Institutes of Health, the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic caused mental health issues to increase in the U.S. In 2021, a study concluded that nearly 50% of Americans had recent symptoms of an anxious or depressive disorder. Being raised in a world that is in such a state could be detrimental, as the majority of them will likely be victims of this mental pandemic.
Additionally, these kids are growing up with technology at a level that no other generation has ever experienced. This has led to their generation having internet access at a much younger age than any previous generation. Unfortunately, a direct consequence is children being exposed to potentially harmful online content. A teenager or adult may be able to distinguish right from wrong on the internet, but younger children, who are incredibly impressionable, may struggle with being misled by hate, scams or even misinformation, all of which are incredibly prevalent across the web.
Since this happens at such a high rate, it has become a characteristic of their generation, causing them to receive lots of hatred, notably from Gen Z.
Despite having issues, approaching them in such a manner will not resolve them. Compassion, not condemnation, is the solution to the problems Gen Alpha is facing. It is important to remember that at some point we were the weird ones, and showing them empathy could heal them, breaking the cycle for us generations to come.
