Generation Alpha Comes into Focus

When I wrote Meet Generation Z, it was at just the right time to have some definitive things to know about understanding and reaching that generation. Though I am not planning on writing Meet Generation Alpha, I will say that a few things are beginning to come into focus about understanding and reaching them.

Axios brought many of those things together in a recent article about the only generation born fully in the 21st century. Here’s a precis:

Who makes up Generation Alpha?

The oldest is around 13, and the youngest will be born in the coming year, so those born between 2010 and 2024.

Is there a defining mark?

They are the first entirely online generational cohort. Some have dubbed them “iPad kids.” Related to this is the rise of platforms such as TikTok, which has shaped (is shaping) their lives. This is distinct from how Facebook shaped Millennials. Facebook was pre-algorithm and largely exposed you to networks of friends and family. A post-algorithm platform such as TikTok exposes users to anyone and everyone.

Have they faced any defining crises?

They have already been marked by a climate crisis and a pandemic. COVID cemented online interaction as a norm for kids. Not only have they attended virtual school, but also a larger share of their parents now work from home as a byproduct. They are behind earlier generations when it comes to having experience with making friends and being exposed to new environments.

How large is this generation?

They are expected to become the largest in history at more than 2 billion people.

Who are their parents?

They are mostly the children of Millennials, but the generation directly preceding them is known as Generation Z.

How early are they online?

Millennial parents are giving kids their first smartphones at about nine years old. 79% of their parents say their kids are currently on social media. 44% say their kids watch video content on a smartphone at least weekly. Like earlier generations, they are experiencing a media-centric childhood but interacting with a very different kind of media and from a very young age.

How does A.I. play into this generation?

It’s too early to know the answer to that question, but we can note that Siri and Alexa have been in their parent’s homes for most of their lives, and ChatGPT is being used in schools as a learning tool. It goes without saying that Generation Alpha will be the first generation to have only known a world where the line between AI and the human has been permanently blurred.

Who influences Generation Alpha?

That’s easy—influencers. And largely coming to them on social media such as TikTok and YouTube.

What are they like politically?

It’s too soon to paste such labels as conservative or liberal on them as a whole, but they have high anxiety about social issues such as the climate, racism and poverty. They have a high degree of empathy toward others because they are connected globally to the issues of their world.

Where are they spiritually?

Here, the best clue might be to look at their parents who, unfortunately, make up much of the rise of the “nones.” It doesn’t mean they won’t be an “open” generation when it comes to spiritual things, but we can count on spiritual and biblical illiteracy and a pluralistic mindset when it comes to matters of faith.

Book or not, one thing is for sure:

It is time to meet them.

James Emery White

 

Sources

April Rubin, “‘A landmark generation’: Introducing Gen Alpha,” Axios, January 1, 2024, read online.

 

About the Author

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on X, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on X, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.