How should we engage with ‘screenagers’?

At a recent Limitless Oxygen event, youth leaders shared tips on five key topics. Here is a rundown of some of the best advice from the day, along with some questions to chew over in your own church

They’ll be pensioners in the 22nd century, have 18 jobs across six careers before then and right now they’re our screenagers. Meet Generation Alpha – today’s 0-15-year-olds. This is an age group like no other: the most tech-savvy under-18s ever, still grappling with the impact of lockdown and lacking basic life skills thanks to screen-based lives.

We need to understand this emerging generation and the trends shaping their world if we want to nurture and lead them effectively, says social researcher Mark McCrindle. So in a recent Limitless podcast, Mark and Tim Alford explored the topic. Here’s what we learned.

Technology
Technology as we know it today emerged alongside Generation Alpha: iPads and Instagram were born at the same time as our 15-year-olds. They’ve grown up digital, preferring YouTube to magazines and accessing digital content everywhere.

But this brings big challenges. With devices and AI addictively embedded in every part of their lives, many under-18s are struggling with their mental health.

“We surveyed some teens and about seven in ten said they recognise the use of technology, particularly social media, is having a negative impact on their mental wellbeing,” says Mark. “They want to spend less time on it. They’ve tried to, but they haven’t been successful.”

As algorithms hook kids in with customised content, the impact is evident in classrooms. “Kids are older younger,” says Mark. “Teachers say the things they were dealing with among eight- or nine-year olds a decade ago are now appearing among six- and seven-year-olds. “That can be positive in a classroom but it can be a challenge dealing with awareness of issues which are better left for when they’re a bit more mature.”

Education
This is a generation lacking life, social and people skills. The onus is increasingly on schools to take a holistic approach beyond the traditional curriculum to equip them for life outside the classroom. Take preparing Generation Alpha for work, for example. “They’re going to have more careers, change and retraining than ever; they’ll be lifelong learners. “It’s not about finishing school with the skills for a job. It’s about finishing with an enjoyment of learning; having the skills to learn and the ability to be adaptive, resilient and understand people.”

Covid
Generation Alpha spent some of their most formative years in lockdown and the impact is still being felt today. “They were the most resilient age group from a health perspective but it was the social impact that hit them,” says Mark. Sport, school graduations, assemblies, youth clubs, scouts and other gathering points came to a halt. “Many parents didn’t get their kids back into that rhythm afterwards, or the moment passed and children didn’t get back into it either.”

Loneliness studies reveal a higher number of younger people struggling, with people skills and social skills severely lacking.

Health & wellbeing
“It’s widely acknowledged that Generation Alpha will face challenges when it comes to maintaining their physical health because of the shift over the past few decades from an industrial and manual labour economy to a knowledge-based economy,” writes Mark in his book Generation Alpha. “It really is a time for young people to develop practices to stay healthy, exercise and develop some of the social aspects that come from play, sport and activities together.” When it comes to getting kids off screens and outdoors, youthwork has a key role to play.

“It’s going to become increasingly important for us as youth workers… to ask what might it look like as a regular practice to get outside together, run around, go to the beach or get into nature,” says Tim.

Employment
Generation Alpha are expected to have more careers, jobs and change than ever before and employers will need to adapt, says Mark. “We need to be more efficient; to train them up, help them add value and get their voices and input earlier.”

Businesses also need to help young employees thrive in a world where AI and hybrid working are becoming more prominent and social skills are increasingly poor. “We’re asking young people to step up and lead in this high-level social environment… we certainly need to do a lot of work to help them get ready for this.”

Faith
Despite declining church attendance, faith and Bible knowledge, Mark has found that young people are open spiritually. “This is a generation which respects people’s stories, which wants to hear them and which won’t combat someone’s story.” They’re open to being invited to church events, too. “What an opportunity we have to share truth and hopefully shape this next generation of global leaders.”

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.