The Alphas Have Landed

Age Range: Middle Schoolers through Pre-K

Gen A was born between 2010 (same year iPad and Instagram launched) and 2024. At this writing, the oldest Alphas are in middle school. The youngest are newborns. Gen A follows Generation Z, who are currently between ages 13 and 28.

Alphas are a generation of firsts. They are expected to be the largest generation in history, with almost 2 billion people born by 2025. That’s according to Mark McCrindle, a generational researcher and consultant in Australia who coined the name “Generation Alpha.”

Gen A Characteristics Educators Need to Know

Maximizing this generation’s education begins with understanding them. Jessica Kato is a literacy resource teacher in Hawaii. She wrote this in her opinion piece for EdSurge about what educators should know about Gen A:

“Learning about what makes Generation Alpha so unique has helped me understand how we might shift our practices accordingly to lean into the strengths of this generation,” Kato writes.

She and other educators have reported on Gen A’s most defining characteristics. And, more so, how that’s affecting what these students expect from schools and educators.

Technology-Driven

Generation Alpha is incredibly comfortable with technology. They are highly connected, and gadgets like smartphones, tablets and laptops play an integral part in their lives. Few of these kids have known a world without smart devices and social media.

From their earliest years, “they have been screenagers,” McCrindle reports. “These children have access to more information and connectivity at an earlier age than any other generation, and we need to consider that as we educate them.”