Gen Alpha is society’s newest generation, starting around 2012. With the oldest Gen Alpha being only 13, many people associate them with whiny, screen-addicted children or ten-year-old “Sephora Kids.” Despite their infamy, the cause of these situations may not be entirely Gen Alpha’s fault.
Reports of young 5th graders, specifically girls, invading the popular makeup store Sephora have been flying in from all over the U.S.A. Psychologists and influencers have been speculating on why there has been such a demand for dangerous anti-aging products among these youthful girls. One theory is that there are no longer any “Third Places” (Recreational locations outside of home, school, and/or work) for tweens anymore. I haven’t seen a Claire’s or a Justice in a long time. Intentional or not, society has forced tweens and teens to either grow up and become adults or stay toddlers. It’s not just physical spaces either; the internet is losing safe places for children by the day. Due to adults and kids being forced to share spaces, these young girls are seeing influencers going on shopping sprees to Sephora and other places. This is not inherently bad, but these influencers are adults buying and advertising products that can be damaging to young skin, and these girls are on the receiving end of the content. Kids don’t want makeup from Claire’s; they want skincare routines from Sephora because that’s where all the TikTok ladies get their products from. Just mix adult influence with a dash of society’s body pressures and stereotypes on women, and you’ve got a recipe for the downfall of these girls’ mental health.
Since the Coronavirus Pandemic, there has been a major rise in kids using the internet. The internet can be an excellent tool for research or access to information, but it can also be a harmful portal to anything and everything. Children are at risk of being exposed to pornography, extreme levels of violence, scams, false information, and much more. A recent example of harmful content is the latest partnership between YouTube’s famous Mr. Beast and the coffee business, Starbucks. Kids don’t pay attention to what exactly is in Starbucks’ products; they just see their favorite content creator and trust him with their health. It’s no surprise that the two companies have partnered together; Starbucks wanted a slice of the monopoly that is kids’ content. “Colonizing attention,” as Mr. Beast put it.
Overexposure to the internet has resulted in more cases of depression, anxiety, suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders. The internet will often promote dangerous beliefs and values to a young audience who cannot distinguish right from wrong. Children are being taught harmful views about gender roles in society, promoting gender-toxicity and dehumanizing anyone who fails to fulfill those gender norms.
Overuse of the internet has also led to sleep deprivation, reduced physical activity, and impaired school performance.
Because of all the false content on the internet, Gen Alpha could grow up with severe trust issues in the future.
The main cause of these problems, I believe, is the parents. While it is the kids acting out all of these circumstances, it is the parents who are enabling this behavior. Millennials are reported to have some of the worst mental health out of all the generations, so i would make sense why they would need some extra help parenting. An Ipad however, is not the best solution. Some parents will even go to the extreme extent of exposing their kids for internet attention, fame, and money.
I won’t deny the fact that older generations are struggling as well, but that is not an excuse to neglect your children’s needs and occasional wants. Should the enabling, neglect, and exposure continue, Gen Alpha will only proceed to spiral downward physically, mentally, and emotionally. Future generations will only continue to struggle if this goes on, and our country will devolve into a hostile and unsafe environment for every person within it.
