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Psychological and behavioral traits! Gen Alpha makes up a quarter of the world’s population. And the internet has already labeled them feral, illiterate, and doomed.
But here’s what the data actually shows.
Are Gen Alpha smart?
Yes, but their intelligence looks different from what you expect.
Kids are teaching themselves to code in Roblox. They’re building virtual worlds, not just consuming them. That 11-year-old glued to the screen is problem-solving in real time.
Tech has overtaken computers as an interest since 2021. They don’t care about hardware (not all, new set of GPUs are fantastic). They care about what it lets them do. That’s not intellectual decline. That’s efficiency.
But, falling literacy levels are a real concern. When your primary content diet is 84-minute YouTube sessions and TikTok clips, reading comprehension becomes a problem. Almost two-thirds of 8-10 year olds spend up to four hours daily on social media.
Your kid can master Minecraft redstone logic before they finish a chapter book. That’s the trade-off.
Are Gen Alpha doomed?
Mental health crises are emerging at alarmingly young ages. Children as young as six or seven suffering from depression and anxiety. Between 2016 and 2023, childhood anxiety or depression rose from 9% to 13% among kids ages 3-17.
These numbers are real and scary. They change the psychological and behavioral traits.
But every gen has faced existential threats. Boomers had Vietnam. Gen X grew up with nuclear war fears. Millennials inherited economic collapse.
Gen Alpha dealt with COVID-19 during their most impressionable years. That will leave marks. But it also taught them resilience in ways we’re only beginning to understand.
So, what’s the difference? This generation has tools to talk about mental health. They’re just the first to have their struggles documented in real time. So, they are not doomed.
Why is Gen Alpha so weird/rude/unique?
Because they’re rewriting the rules.
Only 1 in 10 Gen Alpha kids say they post everything they do online. And just 2 in 5 feel they can post what they really think. They’re lurkers by nature, consuming content but guarding their digital footprint.
They shop online more than any earlier generation at their age. The share buying products weekly jumped from 15% in 2021 to 21% today. They have purchasing power and they know it.
Nearly half of Gen Alpha trust their favorite influencers as much as their own family members. That’s not weird at all. It is their version of trusted authority figures.
Want to call them rude? Of course Gen Alpha shows the greatest tantrums, irritability, and no concept of family and responsibility. Even we did too when we were their age. But, take a step back and ask – who gave them iPads at age 2 to keep them quiet?
Gen Alpha attention span, empathy, creativity, IQ
The attention span crisis is real but misunderstood.
Gen Alpha struggles with dwindling attention spans, showing disinterest in activities that don’t involve screens. Research links early adolescent social media use to ADHD, disruptive behavior, and depression.
But here’s what gets missed. 38% of teen gamers like titles with building or creating elements. Roblox usage nearly doubled from 26% to 51% since 2021. This gives a good picture of Gen Alpha’s psychological and behavioral traits.
This show that they’re channeling creativity differently.
How about Empathy, you ask? Kids are increasingly interested in podcasts over news, and environmental concerns dropped. When you’re overwhelmed by global crises, tuning out is self-preservation.
From what we have experienced, their IQ is adapting. Your kid can navigate three apps, coordinate with friends across time zones, and learn new software intuitively. That’s intelligence, just not the kind tested on traditional measures.
Gen Alpha humor, fashion, slang, and identity
Beauty, makeup, and fashion are climbing the ranks of top interests, especially among boys. UK teen boys interested in beauty or makeup more than doubled from 4% to 9% since 2022.
Gender boundaries are dissolving. Identity is now fluid. Expression is serious business.
Their humor? Layered, referential, incomprehensible to anyone over 25. Slang evolves weekly. Fashion cycles through microtrends faster than retailers can stock shelves.
54% of girls believe they can do any job they want. Gen Alpha girls are eyeing careers in medicine, law, and journalism at higher rates than boys. The future looks female in many professional fields.
What you’re witnessing is a generation building itself from different blueprints.
Sources
- South China Morning Post – “Feral, illiterate, doomed: Generation Alpha are a quarter of the world’s population, and people are worried about them” (2024)
- GWI Reports – “Gen Alpha unfiltered: A deep dive into the minds, values, and behaviors of the youngest generation” (2025)
- Annie E. Casey Foundation – “The Impact of Social Media and Technology on Gen Alpha“
Frequently Asked Questions
Gen Alpha includes anyone born from 2010 (or 2013, depending on the source) through 2024/2025. The oldest members are around 14-15 years old right now, while the youngest are still being born.
There’s no evidence that Gen Alpha has lower IQs. Their intelligence manifests differently. They’re digitally fluent, learn software intuitively, and solve problems in virtual environments. What looks like decline might actually be adaptation to a technology-first world.
Over 80% of Gen Alpha parents report their kids use mobile devices 7-8 hours daily. Kids ages 8-10 spend up to four hours specifically on social media. The oldest Gen Alpha members (ages 12-15) average 84 minutes per day just on YouTube alone.
COVID-19 disrupted critical early development years, excessive screen time affects attention and behavior, and early social media exposure creates anxiety. Childhood anxiety or depression rose from 9% to 13% between 2016-2023 among kids ages 3-17. Showing a good perspective on psychological and behavioral traits of Gen Alpha kids.
Gen Alpha is more cautious online. They consume content but rarely post personal information. They have earlier access to technology (40% have tablets by age 2) and stronger purchasing influence.
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