Up to a quarter of Generation Alpha, children born after 2010, would rather spend time on their iPad, tablet or smart speaker, than socialise with their peers. This is according to new online research from global cloud communications platform Infobip.
The research, commissioned with global public opinion firm YouGov, polled British children aged 6–11 years old. The survey aimed to assess the impact technology is having on how children see and interact with the world around them. Results reveal half (49%) of Generation Alpha spend at least an hour a day on their iPad or tablet and a third (31%) clock at least an hour on their smartphone.
The research also discovered that two-thirds (66%) of Generation Alpha started using tablets such as iPads before the age of five. Two-fifths (41%) say they have been speaking to smart speakers from the age of six or younger, and, incredibly, a third (34%) claim to have first started using iPads before even reaching their fourth birthday.
In terms of most popular ways to stay in touch, over a third of 6–11-year-olds surveyed are on WhatsApp with a huge 73% of 11 year olds well-versed in this channel. SMS isn’t far behind, with a third (29%) of Generation Alpha still using this more traditional texting method and a third (33%) using Facetime.
The frequency of interaction with technology is also impacting how they interact with it15% have told Alexa and her ilk to ‘shush’, which implies that the usual manners taught when interacting with humans clearly don’t translate to communicating with technology. Additionally, nearly half (49%) of children have cried when their device has been taken away and one in ten have used a smart device to access apps/websites that they have explicitly been told to avoid.
Many parents are now leveraging Generation Alpha’s obsession with technology for disciplinary purposes 6% of surveyed children have had their device broken or taken away for bad behaviour.
Catherine Thevenot, professor in Cognitive Developmental Psychology at the University of Lausanne, says, “Whether in Preston or Paris, Lausanne or London, the children of Generation Alpha rely on digital tools to learn and play, which influences the way they develop and see the world around them. From the age of just 18 months, children can understand the difference between a robot and a human, they recognise that only humans have a conscious goal, but the fact remains that many children do gravitate towards the instant gratification they get from technology over interactions with friends and family.
While the impetus is on the adults in their lives to guide them to use digital tools in the most positive and safe way possible both in the home and the classroom brands and influencers should also consider how they can curate digital experiences that will enrich this future generation as potential employees and active citizens.”
Nikhil Shoorji, managing director, Europe at Infobip, concludes, “For all the talk about Millennials and Generation Z, it is Generation Alpha who have been surrounded by technology since the moment they were born. Alpha is a new generation of technology users who won’t think twice about demanding things from Siri or Alexa. This means, as the future customer of 2030, they’ll have more experience and higher expectations of how technology can serve them than previous generations, something which brands need to consider.”
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