By Staff
Every generation faces a different set of challenges. The COVID-19 lockdown, or the pandemic, impacted individuals of all ages in various ways. However, the younger generations in particular seem to be experiencing the effects of the pandemic harder than any other generation. Generation Alpha is the generation that is classified by being born from 2012-2025, and experts are beginning to speculate about how the pandemic really impacted their development. According to a survey done by Mccrindle, about 84% of adults think that the pandemic will play a significant role in shaping the lives of Generation Alpha. When it comes to the effects on students’ education, 61% of K-12 parents say that the first year of the pandemic has had a negative impact on their child.
Aside from the impacts of the pandemic, Generation Alpha is the one of the first generations to gain access to screens and media during early developmental years. The light from screens and sounds made in mobile games create an over-stimulating experience for young children. Constant overstimulation from screens can lead to decreased attention spans. The dopamine that the kids get from this stimulation makes them addicted to it, making them not want to do anything else. Around 70% of current parents admit to their child’s technology usage leading to a decrease in social skills and forming healthy relationships with others. Increased screen time can affect a child’s social development, sleep, attention span, obesity rates, and mental health. In recent years, social emotional wellbeing seems to be an increasingly discussed topic. A study done by the Pew Research Center shows that 40% of parents in the US are “extremely” or “very” worried that their children will struggle with anxiety or depression at some point. However, experts hypothesize that this increased awareness will only help future generations.
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