Attention Struggle: How to Teach the Alpha Generation

Generation Z is followed by generation Alpha, which in 10–15 years will become a mature solvent audience. We tell you what it can be and how to adapt to the Alpha generation

What we need to know about Generation Alpha

The social researcher Mark McCrindle, who coined the term “Generation Alpha,” said, “Generation Alpha will be the most formally educated generation in history, the generation with the most technology, and the wealthiest generation in the world.” These are children born since 2010, the same year they released the first iPad and launched Instagram (since March 2022, the social network has been banned in our country by a court decision). This generation uses smartphones and tablets as easily as their pencil and paper predecessors, and Siri and Alice have been with them since childhood. It is predicted that 90% of the Alpha generation will graduate from school: now only 80% of children are coping with this.

It is important to remember that a third of the life of the oldest of the Alphas was spent remotely, because in 2020 the pandemic began – at that time they were 9-10 years old. They will remember how their parents went to work at the kitchen table, and the balconies turned into an office. They also know firsthand what online education and Zoom lectures are.

Another feature of the Alpha generation is longevity or delayed maturation. They will need more time to take on adult responsibilities, they will study longer and give birth later. And many of them will become long-livers. In terms of education, these children are very demanding. They do not want to receive a broad education, but to delve into topics that interest them, explore the world and take on challenges. Perhaps for them, obtaining a master’s degree will become the norm, but this will delay the moment of their entry into the labor market.

Alphas have clip thinking, which means that information for them should be more concentrated and not stretched out in time. We have dramatically changed the presentation of materials for children over the past few years. For example, initially 20 years ago, our “audio trips with Chevostik and Uncle Kuzey” meant a 60-minute format. Gradually, with the development of the project, it became obvious that children are no longer interested in being just listeners for an hour, they do not perceive this information. Then we started looking for the reason and the first thing we did was cut the timekeeping in half, added interactive content, and changed the format of the classes. Engagement immediately increased. As a result, we came to a completely interactive format, the child not only listens, but also manages the lesson himself. For example, it interacts with the characters on the screen, performs additional tasks, affects the course of the plot. This approach gives good results, helps to involve the child in learning.

Tools and approaches for teaching “Alpha”

YouTube, Zoom, Google Meet, online boards – this is something that will not go anywhere. Because the more often parents work remotely, the more children will ask themselves: why do we need to go to school? According to a HSE study, in 2021 online education in our country occupied only 0,3% of preschool education and 1,5% of general secondary education. In additional school education, this share is higher – 6,8%. We are just entering the era of digital learning.

Even 15 years ago, to listen to music, you had to buy a CD and have a player. Today, all this is available on YouTube, Spotify and other streaming services. The current education system is designed for a different era and economic circumstances. Now in many countries there are discussions about how to change the system, because it is quite archaic. It is too noticeable that the preparation of children is not always in step with the times.

Most likely, when we finally get out of the pandemic, traditional schools will return to the old teaching methods. But the lessons of digital education should not be wasted. Over the past two years, many have realized that blended learning can be very productive.

Social networks are becoming an additional source of education. More and more teachers are opening educational channels and pages, for example, Tamara Eidelman and Alexander Tolmachev (detlektor).

Artificial intelligence can find the best time for learning, determine the strengths and weaknesses of the child and build an individual learning path.

For example, the Khan Academy project shows that there is an individual development curve for a child. And you need to submit information exactly at the pace at which the child learns it, and not just progressively and in an average manner.

However, personalized learning programs are just the beginning. Learning, whether at home or in the classroom, must be developed in such a way that children can excel among their peers and solve real-world problems in a healthy, positive environment. Assessment methods also need a quick overhaul and go beyond test scores in centralized exams.

It is even more difficult to fight for the interest of the Alpha generation than for the attention of zoomers. Therefore, educational companies have to introduce new tools and approaches. But not a single company has enough competencies and resources to cover all the needs of a child. Therefore, educational marketplaces are gaining more and more popularity. They will become an entry point where the child will find answers to questions and will do what he likes.

We are starting to implement the marketplace format and are already working with the first partners. We recently released a learning journey with “Alexander Tolmachev’s Laboratory” (detlektor). His project contains video lectures, a magazine, podcasts, and books. In the near future we plan to launch podcasts together with the Arzamas Goose project. They collect lectures, stories and lullabies in audio format and fulfill the need of children for chaotic consumption: you can find stories about dinosaurs, the construction of a telescope, the history of Ancient Egypt, as well as memes, “Harry Potter” or My Little Pony.

What skills to develop children

In the future, 65% of zoomers will work in professions that do not currently exist. Among Alphas, this percentage will become even higher. Therefore, training is increasingly focused on skills rather than specific knowledge, because the latter will become obsolete too quickly. It becomes much more important to teach children to work with information, interact with people and defend their ideas.

Parents believe that Alpha students have the most digital skills and creativity (60% and 57% respectively). However, a lot of work remains to be done in the area of ​​critical thinking, which parents rate as the lowest competence: only 43%. Also, the trend towards well-being in all spheres of life among all generations has been growing recently. Over the past five years, almost half of parents (48%) have raised their expectations of their child’s school regarding well-being support.

The development of soft skills and the concept of 4K (communication, creativity, critical thinking and coordination) will play a big role. This system appeared in our country in response to the request of employers, and they will be useful even to those who do not plan to build a career as an entrepreneur or CEO. We pay great attention to the development of flexible skills. Through the “dialogues of Chevostik and Uncle Kuzi” we teach to conduct a dialogue on the merits and not to interrupt the interlocutor. With the help of illustrations, we develop creativity and aesthetic perception in children, we cooperate only with the best illustrators. Among them are, for example, Roman Muradov, an American illustrator with Russian roots who has worked for the New Yorker, Vogue, The New York Times and other publications; artist Lesya Shchukina (she also drew doodles for Google), the Doping-pong art group (pioneers of digital art in our country) and other talented illustrators.

What are the children interested in?

We see that science topics are more popular among children than others. They are interested in physics, space and how this world works. Perhaps by the time the Alpha generation grows up, space tourism will become a normal phenomenon and flying there can be compared to the current ticket to the Maldives.

We are now doing a program about which planet could be colonized in our solar system. The works of the 1950s and 60s are not popularized. But even Soviet scientists told how to colonize Venus. These were detailed options. I think it can be quite exciting for children.

When a voice assistant and a search engine are at hand, getting instant answers is easy, but you need to be able to check their reliability and quality. Yes, today children often learn their skills in counting, science and creativity through youtube. Their relationship with content is better than their teachers and  they are always looking for meaning and purpose in the educational process.

In order to evaluate data and their sources, to question them, to identify causal relationships, to test arguments for logic and plausibility, it is necessary to learn to ask questions. The study of philosophy, rhetoric and oratory contributes to the acquisition of these skills.

Five years ago, at the economic forum in Davos, the skill of critical thinking was named one of the most important skills for the 2020s . Today, debate training includes large businesses and consulting in their programs, and critical thinking is taught at good universities and within the ReForum WINNING THE HEAR forum.

Already, we are seeing an anxious generation of millennial parents spending more time online than necessary, confused about themselves and others, more responsive to threat messages and prone to depression (over 264 million people in the world according to the WHO ) .

Alpha kids will  not fare any better, as they spend even more time online and have just as much information flow. In addition, alpha does not have the privacy that previous generations grew up with, they tend to document everything and put it on the Internet. And getting reactions (often from strangers) that you’re not prepared for.

Open communication in the family, analysis and timely reporting of their feelings to adults, not peers, will help to teach a child to protect his boundaries and respond correctly to negativity . The ability to focus on the internal state, the ability to independently track one’s emotions, live and contain them, will become the basis of effective leadership in the future.

The task is not to limit the child, but to show him the correct algorithm for research by action. It was formulated by management professor Bill Torbert, co-founder of The Global Leadership Profile . Reflection, fixing their own reactions and the response of the world around them to actions helps children learn from their mistakes and improve both intellectually and mentally. Parents, who are increasingly living on autopilot as they age, should learn from their children about openness to a new and constant state of play – this opens up opportunities for growth even in adulthood.

Social networks and media content is a source of fast dopamine. Bright pictures, praise of our post, like to a photo cause the release of this hormone, while in real life dopamine is produced when goals are achieved and plans are implemented, communication and joyful events.

As a result, children and adults get used to receiving it constantly and quickly  – which is why the hand always reaches for the phone, and not to fulfill plans and solve problems. The brain always follows the path of least resistance because it is designed to conserve energy – almost all neuroscientists agree on this.

Studies of the state of “flow” – focused attention, conducted by psychology professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi back in the 70s, say that those who are able to do business in a disciplined manner and focus on the task are more successful than their peers. Now we live in economy of attention and news, games, content platforms, advertisers and even our friends are fighting for it. A child’s ability to choose what’s important over what’s relevant, take responsibility, and stick to a plan will help protect their attention from ubiquitous content. In a service economy, when everything is designed for comfort and minimal effort, the ability to set goals and achieve them will be one of the main things for life and career.

Generation Alpha is growing up in a world where there are fewer real social connections and more online interactions. Children live in the absence of borders and are well adapted to different life scenarios (nationality, orientation, profession no longer determine their social circle so much), but all this is only online.

As you know, real relationships cannot be replaced. It is they who fill us, support and develop the ability to dialogue, empathy and reading verbal and non-verbal signals. The iPad will not replace mom and dad, and social networks will not replace friends. The practice of real feelings in the family and in friendship will be the basis of the well-being of the child in the future.

Research on the importance of building relationships and developing “social genes” is being actively pursued by Nicholas Christakis , professor at Yale University and speaker at ReForum WINNING THE HEARTS 2020 . His work on the psychology of influence and social connection proves that healthy relationships with other people are a self-sufficient goal for a happy and successful life. Building these relationships is a lifelong learning process that begins in childhood.

Today, making millions of dollars as a teenager is no longer difficult, child bloggers prove it. The reality is that the most popular youtube channels broadcast children’s consumption of things, games or experiences. And most of the alpha generation is growing up with ads all around them, they’re more sensitive to it, and for advertisers, the shortest route to a millennial parent’s wallet is their alpha child .

Children do not always have the realization that the world does not consist of abundance and prosperity, no one is poor on the Internet and brands pay for this content. According to research, children in the US already influence 81% of family technology purchases and take part in discussions about where to spend their holidays, what to buy from food and household items.

It is important to conduct joint analytics: how money works, how much the investment met expectations and whether it was justified. You can start with  the Khan Academy lessons , where there is a basic knowledge of compound interest, personal accounting, inflation, taxes and investments.

In the world of the Internet, everything is linked, algorithms have already selected relevant content, and the necessary tools are marked with links and natively understandable. Children are accustomed to not only constantly consuming content, but also creating it – they don’t need to be taught this. But the ability to tell stories and creatively reflect on one’s experience – yes.

Reading and writing are two main skills (monotonous and not popular activities today), and no other develops the prefrontal cortex. It is this part of the brain that is responsible for thinking, communication skills, self-control and decision-making. In the future, these skills will be needed to inspire teams, use big data wisely, and argue your own opinion.

Most psychologists and coaches advise to transfer any opportunity for joint leisure offline , this develops children and reassures parents, gives real-world skills in an era when we spend most of our time online.

How education is changing

We are increasingly moving away from the academic approach to training and education. Even parents do not want dry facts and knowledge. Therefore, there are more and more life or vivid examples, interesting demonstrations and technologies are used to involve in the process.

The XNUMXst century is the century of specializations. It is important not to be average in everything, but to be well versed in a particular area. Gone are the days when knowledge was determined by standardized tests. Therefore, the task of educational companies is to be inspired by the culture of innovation and change traditional approaches. If the company is truly going to be “kid ready” and create learning systems in which Alpha kids will thrive, it must not stop and procrastinate.