Generation Alpha, which includes anyone born from 2013-2024, is the most materially endowed and tech-savvy generation ever. They will enjoy greater mechanization than those before them, and some think they already shape the social media landscape. They will stay in education longer, start their earnings years later, and stay with their parents later. They are also notoriously called the meanest, uneducated, and the most disrespectful generation yet.

“Eighth graders these days have short attention spans and are too affected by social media. They think that they are being funny, when really they’re just annoying and loud. I swear some of them live their days as if they were in a TikTok edit,” said senior Ruby Frazier.

Generation Alpha has grown up entirely in the digital age, surrounded by technology from their earliest years. This has had a profound impact on their development, as technology and the generation are virtually inseparable. Common Sense Media notes that 40% having a tablet by age 2, 58% having one by age 4, and almost one in four kids having a cell phone by age 8. This newer generation is engaging with social media early in their development, and as a result, are already exhibiting a preference for short, attention-grabbing content.

YouTube and TikTok are some of the most popular apps among Gen Alpha, with one study in Academic Pediatrics showing that as of 2019-2021, more than two-thirds (68%) of social media users 11-12 had TikTok accounts. Although many social media apps, including YouTube and TikTok, have an age restriction of 13, they remain popular with the younger generation, who find ways to circumvent the age restrictions.

Gen Alpha’s regular and constant consumption of online content fosters a sense of admiration and trust for their favorite social media creators. According to a report from Digital Voices, when it comes to product recommendations, almost half of the generation said they trust their favorite influencers as much as their own family members. They continue to increasingly turn towards social media instead of search engines to meet their information needs. The result is that their desire to learn and drive to overcome problems appears to have decreased compared to previous generations.

“As an upperclassman, I begin to look back on my underclassmen years with pride. This is because I know that my actions were much more controlled than the current generation. An action that displays [Gen Alpha’s] lack of maturity is the usage of supposedly-used tampons and placing them in various locations around the school,” said senior Noah Day.

The development and maturation of Gen Alphas has undoubtedly been formed by their attachment–and dare I say, addiction to–mobile devices and social media. Given that over 8 in 10 parents of Gen Alpha children say that their kids use devices and social media 7-8 hours a day, many are concerned about the negative effects on their mental, social, and behavioral development.

Moreover, as Gen Alphas become more accustomed to short and flashy content, their attention span and interest in activities that don’t involve screens may continue to dwindle, further affecting their classroom behavior and ability to retain information. A growing body of research continues to reinforce these concerns, and has linked early adolescent social media use to ongoing behavioral and mental health issues, includ­ing ADHD, disruptive behav­ior, and depression.

“It’s really sad when I go out in public and I see younger kids everywhere stuck to their phones, especially when it’s an exciting public event. They don’t talk to anyone, even their family. Sometimes, the only way an angry kid can be soothed now is with a screen in their face, and that includes my younger brother, ” said senior Vanessa Vandevander.

Many Gen Alpha children were in their most impressionable years during the COVID-19 lockdown as well, all of which appears to have stunted their socialization and desire for human connection, as well as an obvious increase in screen time. The article “Prevalence and Patterns of Social Media Use in Early Adolescents” shows that the outcome of these habits is an increase in poor sleep, eating disorders, and cyberbullying.

To make matters worse, some fear that their social media and device addiction leaves Gen Alpha children more irritable and violent. They appear to show less patience and lack the social cues of respect and empathy, as reported by a publication from the American Psychological Association. Similarly, according to a 2020 article in the National Library of Medicine, adolescents who spend most of their time watching screens are at a greater risk of violent behaviors, including physical fighting.

Behavioral problems such as juvenile misbehavior, violence in adulthood, and criminal behavior may stem from experiences of aggressive behaviors in the first years of life. So how can a childhood bathed in thousands of hours of playing violent games and watching violent movies not lead to a violent future for Gen Alphas?

“I think that people in my grade are getting meaner because they don’t spend as much time with real other people, but they spend more time on technology and most times don’t see that they’re being rude,” said eighth grader Lilith Cannizzaro.

The poor attitudes of the underclassmen are seriously starting to annoy the older students, and no one wants to deal with their behavior anymore. The potentially harmful effects of the environment in which Gen Alpha kids are being raised merit special attention, as early as adolescence is a vulnerable and formative phase of life when young children begin undergoing brain development and physiological changes. What happens during this period can have lasting consequences.

As Gen Alphas get older, they will have to navigate being the most technologically savvy generation and materially endowed ever. So it’s time that Gen Alpha turns to focus on kindness, not humor, and learn some respect.

“They’re young with so much energy, but god, do they walk so slow in the hallways. Move those legs, guys,” said senior Amina Seiden.