Each generation has something to say about the one that came before and the one that will come after. Whether it be good or bad, we are all entitled to our own opinions. This debate, when considering Gen Z and Gen Alpha is heightened with neither group being hesitant to share their true thoughts on the other.
For many individuals, the biggest difference between the two generations concerns their access and use of technology, as well as how that has shaped them as people. Gen Z, those born from 1997 to 2010, have grown up alongside technology as it gained traction. Gen Alpha, those born from 2010 and onwards, have been fully immersed in all things technology since they were born. Junior Aarya Bhosale agrees with this as she states, “[Gen Z] got access to [technology] around the right time when we needed to use it for studying and all that. For Gen Alpha, it was like entertainment purely right when they were born.”
Gen Alpha are often referred to as “iPad kids” and known to have grown up with unrestricted access to technology. Bhosale elaborates, saying, “the term ‘brain rot’ is specifically coined for their generation.”
Brain rot, a trending term used to describe the negative mental impact of mindlessly consuming low-quality content, is the word associated with the content Gen Alpha is typically perceived to be consuming. Many Gen Zers consider Gen Alpha’s unrestricted access to social media and technology to have harmful and regressive effects, however, Freshman Keyaan Khan argues that it is a 50-50 split between the group. Khan says, “I think it’s a 50/50 for Gen Alpha where some parents like mine, they enforce it as you have this technology and you are going to use it to be better; while others, they give their kids technology and use it for whatever they want.”
Khan also adds that he feels Gen Z were exposed to this technology at a far more appropriate age when compared to Gen Alpha.
Additionally, when Gen Alpha was asked about Gen Zers, they talked about feeling criticized and put down by the older group. Freshman Nivedha Suresh says, “Sometimes, I feel like they put us down a little bit. I’m born in 2010, so I’m so close to Gen Z, so sometimes I feel like I fit more into Gen Z, but my generation is Gen Alpha, and they’re criticizing my generation.”
Khan adds to this, “I feel like [Gen Z] can be really cocky.”
He also believes the Generation Alpha is much more mature than Generation Z. , “I don’t really have a lot of opinions about them, but I feel like they tend to be a lot less mature. There’s some seniors in our room, and a lot of those people degrade the population. Overall, I would say Gen Alpha is a lot more mature.”
Countering this, Bhosale addresses the apparent IQ drop that has occurred between Generation Z and Generation Alpha. She says, “There was a study done in which it’s supposed to show each generation is supposed to get smarter than the last, but when they tested Gen Alpha, at the same exact age as the other generations, they found that they are dumber than usual.”
Surprisingly, Khan and Suresh argue on this. Suresh agrees with Bhosale and states, “It’s not a bad thing, but we’re not as advanced as Gen Z.” She attributes this towards the shorter attention spans that have resulted from the uncontrollable access to technology.
Khan, on the other hand, only slightly agrees, saying, “I don’t think that’s not true at all. Based on where someone is and how they are brought up, I feel like that affects more than what generation you are brought up in. The way that you are exposed to technology matters more than your generation itself. I think it’s an outlier situation with some outliers. Overall, I feel like the intelligence has decreased because everyone is not as competitive anymore.”
Despite all this, Suresh still appreciates Gen Z’s language and way of thinking. She discusses their strong opinions, logical pattern of thinking and how they speak formally, giving respect to all. Suresh says, “I was volunteering somewhere and I had to babysit fifth graders, and these fifth graders were really really hyper and kind of disrespectful. But, if I’m talking to someone in college who’s Gen Z, they’re speaking more formally to me even though I’m someone younger than them.”
She attests to their good-nature, as well, saying, “They’re really kind. I know a bunch of juniors and seniors and they’re all really sweet to me.”
Moreover, these comments do not only go one-way. Although both generations have their qualms, they do compliment each other after all. Junior Kristin Prakash says, “They’re really carefree and don’t get worked up on the details. They just enjoy their life.”
In the end, however, it doesn’t seem as though either will ever admit to liking the other. Bhosale concludes by saying, “There’s a lot of hate for Gen Z, but ever since Gen Alpha came onto TikTok and Instagram, people have started to see that Gen Z was actually bearable.”
